Remote Working: Communication

The New Normal…

Working away from the office has always been a contentious issue for employers and employees alike for many years. Covid-19 has forced many businesses hands into trialling working from home and it is suggested that it has accelerated the movement by a number of years. It has proven that people can be productive outside of the office setting. So much so, that big tech companies are already advising their staff that they don’t have to return or are offering flexible home working options indefinitely. A post-COVID-19 world is likely to look much different with far more people swapping rush hour traffic jams for a slow meander to their home office in their dressing gown.

Higher productivity and lower overheads make flexible working just as attractive to business owners as it does to employees who can save several valuable hours a week in commuting or work around a busy family life.

Remote working is here to stay – are you ready for it though?

“Communication”

When discussing the topic of remote working, it is often employers who are hesitant as there are concerns regarding productivity. If you cannot see your staff, how can you make sure they are working hard right? Employees, on the other hand, are keen as the benefits to them are easy to see.

Well, there have been some very interesting studies showing that productivity does increase significantly, at least initially. This shouldn’t have been too surprising as staff morale, a desire to prove they can be effective working from home and lack of busy commutes etc will all add to the ability of staff to be more productive.

What was surprising is that as time passes, a considerable number of employees in these studies reported loneliness and a desire to return to the office environment. As much as staff crave the flexibility to work from home, and employers can benefit from a reduced estate cost by reducing office sizes, the real impact seemed to be from the lack of human interaction. Work is as much a social event as it is anything else, especially for those that may live alone or don’t have friends and family nearby.

That is why as employers we need to make sure that we address the risk of loneliness by having good communication processes in place. If staff are working remotely for a prolonged period of time, things like social events via video calls can really boost individuals moral and help the team feel united. You’ll likely already have most of the tools to do this and we can help you get started so do get in touch today.