Remote work has been a game changer for businesses and employees around the world. It changed the way we measure productivity and employee engagement. Even now, as many slowly return to office, the WFH setup continues to be a popular choice for those who have that option.
As an employer, it’s important to anticipate that the employees who return to the office after a year of remote work are no longer the same. Well, no one is after the past year, really. But it’s not all bad.
Employees are now more independent, driven, and empowered. For more than a year, they have been working with minimal supervision or even interaction with their colleagues. However, they might also find traditional methods and metrics jarring, perhaps even constricting.
Hence, you’ll probably need to rethink the way you manage and evaluate your employees moving forward. To begin, consider the most significant ways in which how working from home may have changed them:
Greater Emphasis On Work-Life Balance
Hectic work schedules often made missing birthdays, reunions, and family gatherings a given. But the pandemic made us realise just how important our family and loved ones are. Some of us might have lost someone dear to the virus, or worry constantly for relatives living far away.
In short, don’t expect your employees to be as willing to work beyond the hours required of them. It would thus galvanise them if you advocate for better work-life balance and respect their boundaries so long as they deliver results. Forget about basing an employee’s value or commitment on how much time they spend at work, in other words.
As a bonus, relaxed and happy workers tend to be more proactive, productive, and collaborative. Talk about a win-win.
Working From Anywhere
Gone are the days when employees had to remain glued to their work desks. Today, your staff can work from their kitchen, at the beach, or even while cruising the Pacific Ocean. Technology made all these things possible, but the pandemic made it the norm.
Remote work is here to stay despite fierce return-to-office debates, especially for employers who want to retain their top talent. Want proof? Just look at what Twitter is doing.
Let’s face it. WFH benefits most companies and employees, so long as the right technology and policies are in place. Why force someone to show up at the office if they can produce perfectly good results from anywhere?
Making Opportunities For Fully Remote Work
With the vaccine rollouts underway, economies are slowly reopening. However, many employees are still unprepared (or unwilling) to return to office. In fact, a study showed that a significant 39 percent said they would consider quitting if their employers won’t offer a flexible work setup moving forward.
Don’t risk losing your best talent. Instead, invest in preparing your distributed teams for the remote working future. Give them the right support and tools to accomplish tasks remotely. Empower everyone to contribute to team projects or key discussions.
Still hesitant about allowing your people to continue working remotely? Remember, it costs more to hire and train new people than to retain your tried and tested talents. Being more flexible about their working arrangements is surely a small price to pay for stability.
Remote work showed us that there’s more to life than work. While entrepreneurs don’t work fixed hours like employees do, there are ways to carve out more time for yourself and your loved ones.
Remote Staff has been providing AU SMEs and entrepreneurs like you with Filipino remote workers who can take on crucial, tedious tasks – all so you won’t have to. Whether you’re just starting a remote team or are planning to expand your current one, we can help you out.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
