Currently in the UK, we are experiencing a period of low levels of unemployment and a high number of unfilled job vacancies.  Business leaders are struggling to fill support roles because candidates don’t want to return to in-person office working and nearly half of all job seekers are only applying for positions that are fully remote. Statistics from May 2022 implied that fewer than 1 in 10 workers wanted to get back into the office full time, despite the height of the pandemic being well and truly behind us!

Now, more than ever, Virtual Assistants are in a really strong position to step up and demonstrate that we are the answer to the problem.

However, there’s a catch! Time and time again bosses believe staff are less productive at home than they are in the office. This simply isn't true and not a view that is shared by those of us who actually work full time on a fully remote basis. In my opinion it’s more reflective on the hirer and their own lack of ability to work consistently and conscientiously from home, or trust the people they employ to do so.  Without a time consuming, energy sapping commute, remote workers are likely to have more energy and enthusiasm for work, thus making them more productive. Not to mention the positive impact working from home can have on the environment in terms of cars on the road during rush hour.

Prior to the pandemic, only one in eight employees were home-workers, but now Britons do not want to return to the office and would rather quit their existing job and find a new one that allows them to work remotely, than return to the office environment on a full time basis.

Just because Covid is behind us, do we have to return to the previous pattern of office working? Or has the pandemic shown us that there is in fact a better way? Virtual staff are just as valuable and important as in person office workers and can be included in most scenarios to ensure they are a part of the team and can fulfil their role effectively and efficiently. Businesses really need to look inward to find the solutions that work for them, but dismissing virtual working is counterproductive.  I’ve worked seamlessly for over 10 years on a fully remote basis (in most cases), and without exception my clients feel that I’m part and parcel of their organisations and work exhaustively to ensure I deliver all, if not more, than what’s expected of me.

As Virtual Assistants, it is up to us to prove our contributions are invaluable to our clients by ensuring that we are indispensable members of the team and show the passion, skills and enthusiasm in our completed tasks and projects. There’s never been a better time to show that we are the answer.