Working From Home, Part 2

Dealing with Isolation, Communication and Motivation

Remote work also known as Work-From-Home (WFH) has not disappeared from the workplace landscape.  Even now, long after the end of Covid restrictions, about 40% of U.S. employees work remotely either all the time or part-time.  But when asked, well over 90% of workers say they want to work remotely at least part-time in the future.  If anything, full-time or part-time remote work is expected to rise to over 50% by 2025.  So it seems WFH is here to stay. 

However, there are issues that often arise for employees who work from home and their employers.  Based on surveys and studies of employees who work from home in the last two years, the biggest issues are:

1. Isolation and Loneliness.  Full-time remote workers often miss the social interaction and camaraderie of working in an office.  Working from home can lead to feelings of exclusion, lonesomeness, and inaccessibility.  Remote workers can start to feel cut off and out of the loop, which can have a negative impact on their productivity, upward mobility and eventually their professional growth.
   
   Isolation and loneliness can have a negative impact on self-confidence, drive, and career advancement for employees who work from home.  They can lead to negative self-talk and self-doubt. Employees who feel lonely and isolated may start to question their abilities and their worth. This can make it difficult for them to take risks, to put themselves forward, and to advocate for themselves.  It can also lead to a lack of motivation and drive. Employees who feel lonely and isolated may not feel as connected to their work or to their organization. This can make it difficult for them to set goals, stay focused, and persevere in the face of challenges.  Last but not least, isolation can also make it difficult for employees to advance their careers.   Employees who feel lonely and isolated may be less likely to network, to volunteer for new projects, and to take on leadership roles. They may also be less likely to be visible to their managers and to other decision-makers. 
   
2. Decreased Motivation.  Without the environmental priming, workplace social cues and reinforcement that help boost motivation, it can be difficult for a remote employee to stay inspired, driven and encouraged while working remotely.  This increases exponentially the longer a person works remotely.  And even if in the office part-time, it can be hard to tap into the energy and vigor shared by coworkers who see each other on a daily basis.  This leads to a feeling of disconnection from the organization.
   
3. Reduced Communication and Collaboration.  Remote workers often have difficulty keeping the lines of communication open and finding ways to collaborate with colleagues located in different time zones or who work from different locations. This can lead to misunderstandings, less camaraderie and goodwill, missed deadlines, and decreased productivity.  Failure to connect on a regular basis undermines teamwork and suppresses the kind of synergy that generates fresh ideas and breakthrough thinking.  Without that kind of closeness, teams are unable to tackle and achieve big goals.

In addition to these issues, remote workers may also face specific challenges depending on their industry or role. For example, remote workers in sales may have difficulty networking and building relationships with potential clients. Remote workers in customer service may have difficulty providing the same level of support they could in an office setting. 

These are issues that workers don’t like to bring up when discussing the pros and cons of working remotely.  A remote employee who wants to continue to work from home is unlikely to mention feeling isolated or lonely working at home.  The fear is that a discussion about this with HR will lead to a demand for the employee to work in the office full time.  And a manager who feels that a remote employee is not communicating and collaborating effectively is unlikely to mention that for fear that the remote employee will feel threatened and start looking for another job.  So, these issues are allowed to grow and fester until it actually leads to job dissatisfaction and turnover.  While not all remote workers experience these challenges, it is important for employers to be aware of the common potential challenges that remote workers face and take steps to avoid them.

There are many things employers and employees can do to support a remote workspace.  It is up to both the employee and the employer. 

The employee should:

1. Overcommunicate.  Employees should make sure to always show up virtually. It’s important to overcommunicate and keep the Zoom camera at the ready.  This reassures managers that remote workers are working. 
2. Share Achievements Regularly.  While managers should conduct frequent check-ins, remote workers should make the most of such opportunities to tout accomplishments.   Meeting etiquette should elevate remote voices, allowing everyone to share. 
3. Be Onsite when it Counts. It’s important for remote employees to be part of a unified cohort working toward a common goal. That means making the effort to be at the office for essential meetings or when key colleagues are in town.  And teams should have regular in-person meetings. In-office bonding and get togethers translate to increased productivity, engagement and trust when employees are working remotely.
4. Go Virtual to Supplement Remote.  A remote employee should look for regular opportunities to augment social interaction and collaboration with coworkers either virtually or digitally, such as virtual team meetings and social events.  For Zoom calls, the camera should be open so colleagues can see the remote employee.  There is just no substitute for ‘face-to-face’ communication.

The employer should:

1. Set Clear Expectations for Communication and Collaboration.  There should be benchmarks set for how often teams interact with remote employees.  Management should ensure everyone is making themselves available virtually. 
2. Establish clear roles and responsibilities. This will help to ensure that everyone knows what they need to do and how to work together effectively.
3. Allow a Hybrid Schedule.  A hybrid schedule of office and home-based work allows employees to work in the office a few days every week or two and work from home the rest of the time.  This provides employees the best of both worlds:  the collaboration, communication, close connection and innovation that comes from working with colleagues… plus the quiet, concentration, convenience and cost-savings of working from home part of the week.  This arrangement can also be beneficial to employers, who are able to hire from a wider geographic reach and need less office space.  This helps with recruiting and retaining top talent, and reduces increasingly expensive overhead. 
4. Create a culture of open and honest communication. Managers should be open to dialogue and get feedback.  This means that employees should feel comfortable asking questions and offering suggestions or even criticisms. 
5. Provide online collaboration tools that are easy to use. This may include project management tools, file sharing tools, and video conferencing software as well as a high-speed Internet connection.  The key is for these tools to be user-friendly and available to everyone on the team.
6. Provide employees with the hardware needed to do the job effectively. This may include laptops, monitors, and headsets.  It may also include cell phones, desks, ergonomic chairs, and office supplies.  Remote employees should not be sitting on folding chairs or dining room chairs eight hours a day.  This is not conducive to productivity and efficiency.
7. Provide technical support. This can be done through an in-house IT team or a third-party provider.
8. Allow remote employees to set their own hours, within reason.  For many, this helps balance work and personal demands.
9. Insist that remote employees take breaks and vacations. Burnout is a common problem among remote employees.  Taking time off can help employees to recharge and come back to work refreshed.
10. Provide the same training and development opportunities available to in-office colleagues. This should include online courses, webinars, and conferences. 
11. Assign important projects and invite them to have a seat at the table during important meetings.  This ensures that remote employees have the same chances to show off talents and can continue to rise in the organization.
12. Offer remote employees mentorship and coaching programs.  This not only helps them develop their skills and knowledge but ensures that their careers don’t stagnate due to working remotely.

For employers that really do not want to have remote employees, consider this.  One study by Global Workplace Analytics found that companies can save an average of $11,000 per year per employee by allowing them to work remotely half of the time. Another study by Stanford University found that remote workers were 13% more productive than their in-office counterparts.  Indeed, having remote employees can save companies money by reducing overhead costs, increasing productivity, reducing turnover since remote employees tend to be more satisfied with their jobs and have a better work-life balance, and delivering access to a wider talent pool.  So, rather than fight it, it may be time to embrace it and make the most of those remote workers.

Quote of the Week

“The future of work is remote. Businesses that don’t adapt to this new reality will be left behind.” Brian Chesky, CEO & Co-Founder of Airbnb

© 2023, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.

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