As companies of all sizes struggle to find their way in the wake of COVID-19, more of them have asked their employees to work remotely in an effort to keep everyone safe—and keep the business wheels turning. One day, the virus will be under control, and the question on everyone’s mind is this: will it go back to normal, or will a new normal emerge? Is remote the future of work?
The History of Working Remotely
Working from home is nothing new: the concept started its rise in the 1970s and has been climbing steadily over the last few years. Still, if we take a look at the United States as an example, of 2019 only about 7% of the U.S. workforce in the private sector (about 9.8 million people) had the option to work from home—a number that has grown by 40% in five years.
Benefits of Remote Work
According to a study executed by world’s leading research institutions on the topic of telework, Remote workers are about 40% more productive than their in-office colleagues, and they turn in work with 40% fewer errors or quality issues. Meanwhile, 86% of employees say they’re more productive when they work alone, and about 66% of managers agree that their remote workers are indeed more productive.
Matt Mullenweg, founding developer of WordPress, was recently featured in episode #194 of the Making Sense podcast with Sam Harris. He notes that making people feel successful and satisfied at work isn’t just about the paycheck and the benefits: it’s about giving them the opportunity for mastery, purpose, and autonomy.
Being good at your job and working for something bigger than yourself could be achieved at the office, but autonomy truly shines when employees work remotely. When at home, or wherever they choose to work, they’re in control of their environment. They aren’t distracted by noisy co-workers or unnecessary meetings. They can choose their office equipment and set the temperature in the room. They can eat what and when they want and even choose to work during the hours when they’re most focused and productive. They’re in charge, and that’s powerful when it comes to job satisfaction and company loyalty.
Employees aren’t the only ones who benefit. Along with better productivity, companies can cut costs (like office rent or equipment), improve employee retention, and gain access to more top talent around the world. Mullenweg points out that by creating a team spread around the globe, you can get closer to the ideal of a 24-hour business cycle as your employees in each time zone work during their daylight hours.
What We Can Learn From China
In China, about 200 million people started working from home as the virus took hold of the country. It was new for many of those companies and employees, but they optimized it. This is how:
- Structure: Build your remote teams with clear expectations of whom to report to and where to go to ask questions.
- Communication: Effective leadership relies on effective communication—even more so when your employees aren’t right in front of you. Lack of communication can lead to feelings of disconnection among employees as well as misunderstandings about projects and deadlines.
- Technology: Taking advantage of today’s best technology helps with communication, project tracking, and productivity. Research the tools your team needs to get their jobs done well.
- Empathy: Working from home during the crisis, when schools are closed and stress levels are high, will pose some challenges your employees won’t have to deal with as the world gets back on its feet. Approach employees and their unique situations with care and empathy, and develop a culture of caring that will serve you well past COVID-19.
- Trial and Error: Implement new tools or protocols with an attitude of curiosity and experimentation. If something doesn’t work, address it and replace it immediately.
If you suddenly find yourself with a team of remote employees, look at it as an opportunity. It may be setting you up for future success:
Is Remote the New Normal?
When COVID-19 has run its course, do you want to return to normal—or do you want to create a new normal? Mullenweg says, “I think any company which can enable their people to be fully effective in a distributive fashion can and should, and in fact should do it far beyond, after this crisis has passed.”
Remote working isn’t possible in every business, but if it is for yours, it may be time to optimize your remote work situation and use it moving forward. One estimate suggests 25-30% of the working population will be working remotely by the end of 2021. Will your employees be among them?
