Is remote working here to stay?

Working life has changed irretrievably with increasing numbers of people now working remotely from home rather than in big offices. It is a trend that has been emerging for some years. Between 2005 and 2018, the numbers of people in America frequently working from home rose by 173%.

Covid-19 accelerated this transformation. As countries sought to cope with the effects of the pandemic, workplaces closed and people were encouraged to work from home wherever possible. It proved to be an illuminating experience for many people who discovered they liked the freedom from excessive commuting. At the same time, businesses discovered that many office functions could be undertaken remotely rather than incurring office costs.

As the months progressed, increasing numbers of companies began exploring a future involving different forms of working, replacing large offices with smaller ones and offering staff a more flexible working style. It was an approach welcomed by most employees, with surveys indicating that almost nine out of ten employees wanted the option of working remotely in future.

Having said that, many employees do miss some aspects of on site working life. Surveys have indicated that:

53% missed the opportunity to socialise with colleagues
46% missed office chat
45% missed face to face meetings
37% found it harder to undertake collaborations with colleagues
37% missed the familiar routine.

Such findings indicate that businesses need to establish methods of enabling remote workers to socialise, and work effectively with their colleagues. Not only does it improve well being, it encourages a positive approach and helps overall performance.

Introducing activities to help employees relax, socialise and have some fun will help.

Share good news, especially if not work related

The past year has been a time of intense stress and worry, while many people have had negative experiences. Encouraging people to share happier experiences, and having a little time to chat at the start or end of virtual meetings will encourage socialisation. Even just sharing news of changes they have made in the garden, what their pet has been doing, or a pleasant walk can make a lot of difference.

Introduce some challenges or activities

Try introducing some challenges into your employees daily lives. It could be a fitness challenge with goals that can be tracked on a daily basis such as seeing how can walk the longest distance in a month. As an added incentive offer a voucher or small token to the winner.

Daily Snapshots

Remote workers could share a daily photograph with their co-workers. It might be a photo of their cat, a scene in the street, sunrise or sunset, even a flower in the garden. Such images encourage conversations, and highlight people’s interests allowing employees to get to know each other.

Developing Connections Between Staff

Hold some team games among staff designed to encourage them to discover more about each other. Just a few minutes is all that is necessary to develop greater team spirit, and friendliness. Instead of going straight into work related business, begin by introducing each other and answering some friendly ‘about me’ questions for example, what is your favourite food or film.