More and more people are seeking to work remotely, and it has completely changed the way some companies operate. So, how does remote working impact employee engagement and performance? What are the challenges facing companies and their HR departments in this new hybrid-remote landscape?
Although it raises a whole set of new challenges in terms of management and structure, remote working has the potential to boost employee engagement, productivity and happiness. Nowadays, many people see it as a great advantage and are actively seeking to work remotely. McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022 found that 58% of Americans were working from home at least one day a week and that 87% of those who were offered the chance to work remotely embraced it.
On the positive side, remote working gives employees flexibility in managing their work-life commitments, allowing them to prioritise family/social life and adjust their work schedule to fit.
It’s particularly useful for parents who might otherwise have to rely on childcare or go part-time. It also means, as employees, we don’t necessarily have to live where our work is. We can live further away without having to spend hours and hours commuting.
Despite this, working remotely is not without its downsides and, as we saw in the enforced lockdowns, it can actually be quite destructive if not managed properly. Some of the potential negative effects are:
Isolation: remote workers can end up feeling quite isolated and disconnected from their colleagues and even people in general, depending on their social situation.
Burnout: when working from home, employees tend to put in more hours than they would in the workplace. So, there is a danger of overdoing things and ending up burnt out.
Sense of career stagnation: remote workers can sometimes feel disconnected from their colleagues and management structure and lose sight of their goals and career path.
Lack of structure: without the structure of the workplace and work day, some employees find it difficult to organise themselves and will either work too much or too little.
Less interaction in teams: the benefits of working as part of a team can be lost, as both work and social interaction with teammates become more difficult.
Here are some ideas to keep engagement high for remote employees that managers can put in place. That way, they can reap all the potential benefits of this new, flexible way of working:
Establish boundaries: whether it’s back-to-back Zoom meetings or emails in the middle of the night, clear working boundaries are as essential for remote workers as for those in the office.
Breaks are still important: having breaks throughout the working day is vital and needs to be sanctioned and encouraged at the management level — employees should be particularly encouraged to get up and move around, go for a coffee, take a lunch break, etc.
Realistic goals: don’t expect your remote workers to work miracles. They may well be more productive, but don’t take advantage of that — if you wouldn’t expect them to work all night in the office or take their work home with them, then don’t expect this of your remote workers.
Factor in fitness: encourage remote workers to stay fit and healthy and make sure that working structures factor in non-screen time.
Encourage social interaction: whether it’s online or in person, make sure your team gets time to interact on a social level. This could include regular in-person get-togethers, an online social room or even just allowing time for chitchat before or after an online meeting.
Maintain individual communication: as a manager or team leader, it’s important to make time for regular one-to-one meetings with your team. These are an opportunity for them to ask questions or raise issues and for you as a manager to gauge how they’re getting on with things and to encourage them.
As well as things to keep in mind at the supervisory level, there are some key strategies that can be implemented at a company/HR level. If done correctly, it will ensure that remote employees stay connected and engaged:
Company updates: it’s important to make sure that your remote employees feel connected to the company as a whole, so make sure that there’s a medium, like a regular newsletter, for sending out updates on the company's achievements and strategies.
Remote worker benefits: tailor your benefits package to the needs of your remote workers by including support for health and fitness in their home area and for personal travel needs, such as FREENOW’s Mobility Budget.
Feedback channels: make it easy for your remote workers to let you know of any problems or issues they have and be sure to listen to them. Some companies are setting up an Employee Assistance Programme that provides support to their remote employees.
Recognition: make sure that your remote employees’ achievements are recognised company-wide. The newsletter for company updates provides an excellent opportunity to include recognition and ‘well dones’.
Provide the tools: make sure your remote workers have access to the hardware, software and any other tools they need to do their jobs effectively.
Flexible working: a survey by Gallup has found that hybrid working is the optimum system, combining 3-4 days of remote working with 1-2 days in the office.
So, it’s clear that remote working is here to stay and, if managed properly, that it is positive for both companies and employees. Maintaining high employee engagement is generally recognised as a key component of a company's success and no less so than for their remote workforce.
