It’s not very often that we have an opportunity to completely re-think the approach towards work. In the past 2 years, for many of us, remote work has become a defining facet of our lives. It felt strange and unreal at first but both employees and employers have become used to remote work. For employers, it meant cost savings vis-à-vis on-premise setups and enhance productivity (in most cases) and employees enjoyed greater flexibility in most cases. Many companies today have realized that the future is towards a permanent remote work or a hybrid work setup.
The steady confluence of technologies has also enabled organizations to decouple themselves from conventional on-premise setups with enormous costs savings. Based on insights from Forbes, let’s delve deeper into some of the ground realities and challenges of remote work.
Career progression
According to an Owl Labs study, remote work causes some workers to be concerned about their career advancement, and almost 60% of managers believe remote work is robbing them of opportunities for informal leadership development. This is where remote team-building initiatives and one-on-one career development talks are important for employee well-being and the organization’s long-term progress. Remote work, for many organizations, has fostered a more open line of communication. There has been an upheaval in the conventional hierarchy with asynchronous communication and new means of communication to allow for greater integration. The emphasis today is on streamlining operations and the workforce too has to be in sync with this goal.
Changes in communication channels may help CEOs to get insight into the inner workings of their workers’ thoughts, allowing employees and interns to feel more integrated into the firm rather than as disposable shadows. Today, it appears that companies have grown more streamlined and in sync, resulting in increased productivity and efficiency across the process.
Work and home lines blurred
There is increased pressure on remote workers to stop them from slacking off. However, a side effect is that many employees find it difficult to disconnect from work at the end of the day. Unlike working in an office, when the end of the day is signalled by closing your computer and heading home, remote work frequently leads to people spending longer hours than a typical workday. According to an Owl Labs survey, remote employees in the epidemic work an average of 26 more hours every month, or nearly one additional day per week. Employers can try to address this by using work-tracking software that keeps employees on schedule and gives them insight into how long they’ve been working so they can strike a better balance between work and their lives.
Instead of relying on employees to figure out when to switch off the computer and focus on family time and self-care, industry leaders should lead by example rather than relying on the existing ad hoc schedule. By offering flexibility and emphasizing on asynchronous communication, organizations can foster greater inclusion and diversity without compromising on productivity.
Increased scrutiny
Remote work can enhance cooperation and job satisfaction for employees in some situations, especially when performed in a timely and effective manner. When work produced does not meet expectations and exhibits evidence of employee distraction due to remote working problems, confidence is eroded, and companies may consider monitoring employee behaviour throughout the workday. Instead of using monitoring, which makes employees feel uneasy but also degrades trust and leads to an environment of constant anxiety, it may be preferable to utilise work-tracking software. To avoid this, have all workers participate in the work-tracking pipeline rather than just a chosen few who haven’t been delivering high-quality work. This can create a more productive environment and is also a more pragmatic approach overall.
The road ahead
The mandate for remote work is a great opportunity for organizations to strike a balance between technology and people. However, a more humane and empathetic approach towards remote work is the need of the hour.
