Working from home permanently is a leadership dilemma. The pandemic has subsided and sixty-two percent of Americans have worked from home. Many workers who left their offices vacant to work remotely don’t want to return to traditional work environments. According to a McKinsey Study, when given the option to work remotely by their employers, 35 percent work from home full-time, and 23 percent can do so part-time. A flexible working environment is of the top three motivators for finding a new job. The benefits of a home working arrangement are creating permanent change.
Remote work environments can save money for both employers and employees. From an employee perspective, they can spend less on car maintenance, gas, and parking. The cost of childcare could be reduced for working families. These savings can average up to $6500 per year per household.
From an employer’s perspective, they can realize significant savings from a work-from-home policy. Employers can impact their bottom line by downsizing office space, utility, and employee retention costs.
The Pros and Cons of Remote Work
Company leaders have noticed better morale and higher productivity, while their team members are reaping the benefits of more time with family and less traffic. There are two sides to the remote work coin.
Some employees find themselves feeling isolated from the rest of their group. When you as a leader better understand the pros and cons of working remotely, you can offer suitable arrangements to compete for outstanding team members.
Understanding the Pros and Cons of Working Remotely- A Leader’s Perspective
It’s vital to understand both the pros and cons of working remotely.
- Pro – Increased productivity: Not having friendly coworkers popping in and chatting about last night’s football game can help your team members remain focused on their projects.
- Con – Other interruptions: There may be other distractions and interruptions within a home environment pulling your employees in multiple directions. Think – dogs barking during zoom calls.
- Pro – Better work-life balance: Team members will enjoy more family time – perhaps enjoying a second cup of coffee with their third-grader before the bus, in exchange for the 30 minute commute time they had driving in to the office.
- Con – Less social Interaction with coworkers: It’s easy for anyone to get lost in their work and not talk to a coworker all day. Leaders face the same challenge. However, it is up to the leader to make a concerted effort to reach out to their team members, for information, for support and to show their involvement.
- Pro – Flexibility: Both you as the leader and your team can benefit from the ability to dash out to a doctor’s appointment or pick up a child; as long as the work gets completed.
- Con – Not knowing when to stop: Leaders should encourage their team members to find a dedicated work space within their home environment; somewhere they can walk away from, and either physically or mentally shut the door to the office. It’s too easy to check your email, or get a head start on tomorrow’s project if the laptop is always out in plain sight.
- Pro – Technology makes connecting easier: Leaders and teams alike love the new technologies of Zoom, Skype, Slack and other software tools offering the means to keeping everyone connected.
- Con – Communication Gaps: As everyone learned during the pandemic; nothing beats face to face time. Your team needs to be able to read your face, as you need to read theirs. Body language is an important factor in communication. As a leader, you are responsible for being proactive in ensuring your message is received and understood.
Remote working arrangements offer many perks for thousands of people jumping on the bandwagon. To have the best experience, evaluate which practices suit your organization.
Want to talk about your teams and how you can influence higher productivity and success? Why not schedule a discovery call? Just click on the link below to pick a time that is convenient for you.