The term “remote work” can mean different things to different people. For some, it conjures up images of sitting with your laptop open on a tropical beach; for others, it could simply mean working from home. In the most general sense, remote work refers to any situation where employees are not working in a traditional office setting.
There are many benefits to implementing remote work policies, including increased productivity & creativity, lower overhead costs, and improved work-life balance for employees. However, there are also some challenges that need to be considered: managing communication and collaboration, maintaining company culture, and ensuring accountability.
If you can overcome these challenges as a company, remote work can be a great way to improve your business. If you are thinking of implementing a remote or hybrid work policy, here are some tradeoffs to keep in mind.
Benefits of remote work
Increased productivity and creativity
Contrary to what many leaders fear, employees who have the flexibility to work from home or from other locations are often more productive and creative than those who are confined to an office setting. According to a study out of Stanford University, remote work has been shown to improve productivity by 13% for call center employees. This is because they have the freedom to design their own work environment and prioritize what’s important for them.
Reduced costs
Remote work can save businesses money on office space and other overhead costs associated with running a traditional office. Moreover, in a remote work environment, employees no longer have to commute to work which reduces transportation costs and saves time for employees.
Improved work/life balance
Employees who work remotely have more control over their work hours and can more easily balance work with other commitments. This means prioritizing what’s good for them: saving more time for personal well-being or spending more time with family.
Reduced Stress
If structured properly, remote work can also be good for the mental health of employees. According to a study conducted by Owl Labs, 70% of employees reported that remote work and virtual meetings lead to lower levels of stress. In virtual meetings, people can completely control their workspace, and use aids such as notes; this helps employees feel prepared and confident.
Challenges of remote work
Managing communication and collaboration
One of the biggest challenges of implementing a remote work policy is managing communication and collaboration between team members. This can be done by establishing clear guidelines for how and when team members should communicate. There are great tools for facilitating both communication and collaboration. Communication can be enhanced by workspace applications such as Slack and Zoom. Collaboration can be enhanced through project management apps such as Monday and Notion. Some employees might not feel comfortable speaking up in large virtual meetings. To overcome this challenge, try to engage with them in one-on-one conversations.
Maintaining company culture
Remote work presents unique challenges for company culture. It is important to remember that company culture is not only about face-to-face interactions. It can be built by hosting regular team-building activities, and encouraging employees to stay connected with their team members online. For employees to feel connected to the company culture, they have to feel valued. Do not forget to celebrate important milestones or achievements for your employees.
Ensuring Accountability
A common worry for remote work is that employees may fall short of performance standards if they are not held accountable or if they do not have someone to directly report to. This can be mitigated by establishing clear and detailed expectations for employees. It is important to remember employees can still directly report to managers in a remote setting (using some of the tools outlined in Managing Company Culture may help here as well). Encourage your employees to set priorities and share their short and long-term goals with each other. The best way to ensure productivity without micromanaging is to guide your employees to become their own self coaches.
Training employees
Employees who are new to remote work may need additional training on how to best manage their time and communicate with team members.
Evaluating success
It can be difficult to evaluate the success of a remote work policy, as there are many factors that can influence its effectiveness. Some things to consider include employee productivity, satisfaction, employee retention, and engagement levels.
10 Questions you should ask yourself before implementing a remote work policy
When done correctly, remote work can offer a number of advantages for both employers and employees. By carefully considering the benefits and challenges of remote work, you can create a policy that is right for your business. Here are 10 questions you should ask yourself:
- What is the goal of our remote work policy?
- What are the specific roles that can be performed remotely and will employees in those roles be required to report to the office at all?
- What is the required equipment and technology for employees to work remotely?
- How will we measure employee productivity when working remotely?
- How will we maintain company culture when employees are working remotely?
- How will we communicate with employees who are working remotely and how will managers be able to provide feedback?
- What are the policies and procedures for handling remote workers’ absences or lateness?
- How will we handle employee training for those working remotely?
- What are the risks and potential challenges associated with implementing a remote work policy?
- How will we evaluate the success of our remote work policy?
Every company has its unique work culture. By carefully evaluating the pros and cons of different remote work strategies, you can create a policy that fits your business needs. Impro can help your organization overcome these obstacles by helping you understand, assess, and guide you through these challenges. We help employees at all levels of your organization to form powerful new habits with the support of three levels of coaching: the Impro coach, self-coaching, and our data science based technology.
Learn more about Impro today, how we work, and what we can do for your business to lead and operate in the world of remote work.