3 Obstacles to a Successful Remote Workplace

When done correctly, remote work can be a win-win for everyone. From an employer’s perspective, remote workers provide the business unfettered access to a larger pool of talent than the business’s traditional geographic area. Allowing workers to work remotely from anywhere offers the opportunity to reduce overhead costs. 

From an employee’s perspective, the ability to work from home results in increased job satisfaction and increased productivity levels. For example, a recent study from Future Forum found that workers with full scheduling flexibility report 29% higher levels of productivity and 53% improved focus levels than their counterparts without schedule flexibility. 

However, remote employees are only more productive when the employer takes affirmative steps to solve the most demanding challenges to successful remote work:  

• Communication and Collaboration Matters 
• Isolation and Loneliness  
• Work-Life Balance  

Problem #1: Communication and Collaboration Shortcomings 

Remote workers face difficulties getting answers to their work-related questions. They also have reduced opportunities for impromptu conversations with their colleagues. Those impromptu discussions often lead to brainstorming solutions to real-world problems on projects. 

Remote workers also report fewer opportunities for face-to-face interaction and teamwork among team players. As social animals, we rely on facial and vocal cues to develop the understanding behind a colleague’s words. 

And it’s harder for remote workers to maintain a sense of camaraderie among teammates. They need a way to continue to experience the culture and the team spirit so crucial to work-life on-site. 

So, what are employers to do about this situation? Employers may: 

• Establish clear communication channels, such as email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and periodic team phone calls; 
• Make sure remote workers remain aware of the designated communications channels to contact teammates or superiors and when to use those channels; 
• Set expectations for how often team members should communicate with each other;  
• Encourage on-site workers to contact remote workers just as they would if everyone worked on-site; 
• Encourage regular check-ins with each other for project updates and just to say hello; 
• Schedule video conferencing more frequently because it is easier to communicate with co-workers when facial movements and gestures are also visible to remote workers. 

Employers must design their staff policies and procedures to accomplish those goals if they want more productive remote workers. 

Problem #2: Isolation and Loneliness 

Working alone instead of in an office filled with co-workers can engender feelings of loneliness, especially for remote employees who live alone.   

The good news is that employers can create an atmosphere of belonging to the on-site social atmosphere by encouraging: 

• A sense of community that all workers can share, such as volunteer opportunities; 
• Remote workers to build social relationships with colleagues who work on-site to negate feelings of loneliness; 
• Participation in online forums, social media groups, and virtual communities that relate to your business’s interests; 
• Opportunities for virtual socializing, such as games and prizes for social activities; 
• Reward remote workers with largesse for productivity instead of on-site lunches and other perks; 
• Online team-building activities, virtual coffee breaks, or online games; 
• Provide resources and support and communicate those support systems to remote workers; 
• Access to counseling services, online support groups, or wellness programs  

Problem #3: Work-Life Balance 

The apparent boundaries between work and home life become blurred when the workspace is also where employees traditionally relax after work. Remote workers may miss the decompressing time found during even short commutes. In the final analysis, remote employees miss that “end of the workday” demarcation. 

There are several ways remote employees can address the blurred boundaries between work and home life: 

1. Establish a routine: Set a schedule for when you start and end work each day and stick to it. This will help create a sense of structure and routine to help you mentally transition from work to personal time. 
2. Create a designated workspace: Designate a specific area in your home as your workspace. This will help create physical boundaries between work and personal time. 
3. Take breaks: Take regular breaks throughout the day to step away from your computer and do something else, such as walking or doing a quick workout. This can help break up the workday and create a separation between work and personal time. 
4. Find alternative ways to decompress: Since remote workers may miss the decompressing time during commutes, find alternative ways to relax and wind down after work, such as reading a book, listening to music, or doing a mindfulness exercise. 
5. Communicate with your team: Let your colleagues know when you will be available and when you will be off the clock. This can help set expectations and boundaries for communication outside of working hours. 

Making Remote Work… Work 

Working towards a common goal of employee productivity in the workplace is a laudable goal. Employers can put systems in place to help remote workers. Those systems can help employees achieve work-life balance. Remote workers can aspire to initiate efforts against isolation and loneliness. Employers can prepare communication materials, protocols, and systems to assist remote workers. Such efforts go a long way to increasing employee productivity and retaining valued workers through improved job satisfaction.