Before the pandemic, only 6 percent of employed individuals worked primarily from home and about three-quarters of workers had never worked from home. In May 2020, over one-third of the employed worked from home due to stay-at-home orders. Now that things are returning to normal, more people are back in the workplace, at least some of the time.
However, since the pandemic, there has been a major shift in how people work. Stanford’s monthly study on working from home found that 27 percent of full-time days in early 2023 were from home. The survey also found that 12 percent of workers were fully remote, 60 percent were fully in-person and 28 percent were hybrid.
There are clear advantages to having employees work remotely, including a better work-life balance, less commuting stress and money savings. The challenge for employers, however, is how to foster a sense of belonging. This is harder to do when the workforce is dispersed.
Fortunately, there are many ways that companies can embrace remote work, and online company stores are one of them. These corporate merchandise stores offer branded merchandise and promotional products to their employees and customers.
How Company Stores Benefit Remote Workers
Online company stores represent a company’s brand identity, values and culture. They offer a wide range of merchandise that can be customized with various brand elements. Here are some of the ways these online stores can help organizations retain remote employees.
Reinforce company culture
Maintaining a strong company culture is essential for employee engagement. Online company stores showcase a brand’s identity by offering a wide range of merchandise and promotional products. This way, remote employees have tangible reminders of their connection to the organization, reinforcing a sense of belonging.
Build team spirit
Working remotely can sometimes leave employees feeling distant and isolated. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Online company stores facilitate a sense of camaraderie and team spirit among remote employees. Companies can design merchandise specifically for remote teams or departments so that they feel unified.
Recognize hard work
One of the best ways to maintain high job morale and job satisfaction is by recognizing and rewarding hard work. Organizations can offer a wide variety of branded merchandise as rewards for meeting goals, reaching milestones and demonstrating teamwork. Acknowledging remote employees empowers them and makes them feel valued and appreciated.
Enhance onboarding
When new employees are hired for remote work, it can be a challenge to get them to feel connected to the rest of the team. Online company stores can be leveraged in this case. Companies can send new hires a welcome kit containing branded merchandise, such as notebooks, pens and other useful items. This is a thoughtful gesture that gives a warm welcome to new employees.
Convenience and flexibility
A huge benefit to online company stores is the convenience they offer. Remote employees can access the company store at any point in time and choose from a wide range of products. This gives employees a sense of independence and ownership. They can pick what they need, when they need it, such as a cozy hoodie or new laptop bag.
In a day and age where remote work is becoming increasingly common, companies will need to have unique and innovative ways to retain and engage remote employees. Online company stores are one of them. To learn more about setting up an online store for your big business or organization, get in touch with Inkwell today.