COVID-19 Validates the Potential for Virtual Employment

Many of us have suspected for quite some time that it was perfectly possible to do our jobs from home. However, many employers were not willing to risk it until they were coerced into trying by government mandate. Much to everyone’s amazement, these companies were able to keep on ticking…and actually did not lose noticeable, if any, productivity from this change at all. In fact, the popular opinion now is that many job functions may continue to be allowed, if not encouraged, to work from home even after the virus is brought under control. So, if we have abolished that ancient belief that people can only work for us if we see them daily during set hours within the four walls of a fixed, physical address, would it not stand to reason that we could even gain further productivity and make even greater strides from considering outsourcing to specialized professionals who are not even on our payroll…specifically, consultants? For example, you can afford to consider that Financial Analyst role a little differently than during pre-COVID-19 times. Do you need the full-time employee…or do you need analytical abilities for 5, 10 or 20 hours per month? If we know we can trust our own employees to use our software and remote tools to get the job done from their own homes, why wouldn’t we be willing to equip an outside expert with an email, access to Zoom and a secure VPN into our ERP software? The average financial analyst makes $60,000 per year ($5,000 per month). There are financial professionals with 20+ years of experience who could offer you between 5-20 hours per month and beat that cost, while possibly equaling or exceeding its productivity worth. Think about the tasks/work you are really asking of your analyst role? Is it really a 40-hr job, 52 weeks per year…or have you become conditioned to think that way, simply because the work is repetitive and ongoing? Again, consider the nature of the work…and get away from traditional thinking that says job functions require FTEs…and FTEs must report to the office. Give it a try. Even if it doesn’t work for you, you will not have sacrificed much on behalf of the experiment, and you stand to gain far more from trying this than you will likely lose. This is one area where COVID-19 has had a positive impact, in opening eyes to new and creative possibilities for how to work, in considering the virtual employee as a viable and productive one.