Professionals who are chained to the office desk will soon be the minority, according to a new 4000-strong business poll commissioned by Regus, the global workspace provider. 42 percent now work remotely for at least half their working week, up from 39 percent last year.

Employers cite greater productivity, improved staff retention and lower operating costs as the main benefits. Over a third of respondents believe that junior employees become more responsible through remote working, and three in ten think that remote management helps maintain a more professional relationship. Yet the research suggests that many firms are slow to address the challenges of managing staff at a distance, with half of those polled saying that managers do not trust remote workers to remain focused on work tasks. Only a quarter of firms have a specific system in place for managers to monitor efficiency in remote teams, and a third of managers use video calls. John Spencer, UK CEO of Regus, comments: “Workforces are becoming ever more ‘distributed’, with staff in multiple locations. It is perfectly possible for remote teams to collaborate effectively, but it does require managers to focus less on control and more on motivation and teamwork.

“The full benefits of remote working are unlikely to be achieved if employers assume people want to work from home. Most people don’t want work to encroach on their home lives and are more productive in a professional environment, closer to home, such as a local business centre.” Over the last year Regus has seen a sharp rise in enquiries for co-working space at its 220 centres across the UK, from professionals working remotely and also from employers seeking flexible, part-time workspace to offer their staff. The diminishing importance of geographical location also makes it easier for UK firms to trade overseas. Michael Millward, Managing Director at Leeds-based employee management services company Abeceder Ltd, comments: “We trade overseas and have built up a network of associates across the globe who I manage on a day-to-day basis. Most of the contact I have with them is virtual, but we have regular video calls and it doesn’t matter that they are in Lagos, Toronto or Shanghai – we operate just as if they were on the doorstep.” Michael believes that remote management can improve the quality of the relationship between manager and staff. “In a way the distance has been an advantage because I trust them to be independent”, he says. “This has inspired a greater sense of responsibility and made them highly valuable assets to the team.” When face-to-face contact is necessary, such as for important new business or team meetings, Michael adopts a cost-conscious approach, using on-demand workspace at local Regus centres. “Flexible workspace, whether in Leeds or Lagos, has allowed us to operate a very cost effective, virtual business model and only pay for the workspace we need. We often work at client sites so there’s no sense in having a branch office lying empty most of the time. This slimmed down approach allows us to keep our prices highly competitive.”