Remote working - does it make us more or less productive?

A recent study of more than 30,000 US employees claimed that one day per week spent working from home could boost productivity by 4.8%. GlobalAgenda FutureofWork WorkforceandEmployment COVID-19 Remoteworking-doesitmakeusmoreorlessproductive? COVID-19causedawidespreadtransitiontoworkingfromhome. Image:REUTERS/HannahBeier 06Sep2021 SeanFleming SeniorWriter,FormativeContent UpLink-TakeActionfortheSDGs TakeactiononUpLink Foruminfocus Wearehelpingplatformcompaniesimproveworkingstandardsinthegigeconomy Readmoreaboutthisproject Explorecontext WorkforceandEmployment Explorethelateststrategictrends,researchandanalysis Workingremotelyislimitingvaluablerelationshipsatwork,accordingtoanewreport. Itmayevenbestuntingsomepeople’scareerdevelopment. Hybridmodelsofworkmaybethefutureformanyorganizations,buttheywillhavetoworkhardtocreateahealthyculture. Gettingbackintotheofficemightbethebestthingformanypeople,theiremployersandforproductivity,accordingtoADPResearch,aUS-basedlabourmarketanalyst. Itsreport,On-site,RemoteorHybrid:EmployeeSentimentontheWorkplace,isbasedondatafrom9,000employeesintheUSandconcludesthat:“Onthewhole,employeesworkingon-siteenjoycrucialadvantagesovertheirremotecounterparts.” It’sgoodtotalk Mostofthoseadvantagescomefromincreasedsocialinteraction,clearerboundariesbetweenhomeandwork,andevenimprovedcareeropportunities. Morespontaneousconversations,strongerfeelingsofconnectionandreceivingconstructivefeedbackareallareaswhereon-siteworkersgavemorepositiveresponsesthanthosewhoworkathome. On-siteworkingcanallowforstrongerfeelingsofconnection. Image:ADPResearch Spontaneouscommunication Beingon-sitemakesitmorelikelythatyou’llhaveadhocconversationswithco-workers–77%ofon-siteworkerscomparedwith60%ofremoteworkerstoldADPthatwasthecaseforthem. Ofthat60%,menworkingremotelyweremorelikelytohavespontaneouscatch-upchatsthanwomen,only55%ofwhomsaidtheirworkingweekwaslikelytoincludeunplannedconversations. Haveyouread? 9outof10organizationsareswitchingtohybridworking,accordingtoaMcKinseysurvey Home-office,HQ,hybridorwork-from-anywhere?Thisiswhatbusinessesareplanning 4thingsweneedtoconsidertomakehybridworkingasuccess Longerworkingday Ifyou’vebeenworkingfromhomealotinrecentmonths,youmayhavenoticedyourdayisgettinglonger.Remoteemployeeshave,onaverage,alongerworkingday–anhourlonger,accordingtoADP. Formany,home-schoolingandchildcareresponsibilitiesmayalsohaveledtodisruptionduringregularbusinesshours,andaneedtocatchuponworkintheevening.“Parentsreturningtoon-siteworkcanlookforwardtoamorefocusedandshorterworkday,”ADPsaysinitsreport. FormanyCOVID-19ledtodisruptionduringregularbusinesshours. Image:ADPResearch Ahybridfuture? AsCOVIDrestrictionshavebeguntoeaseinmanypartsoftheworld,somecompanies,suchasFacebook,havedecidedtomakeremoteworkingavailableasapermanentfixture.Othersareadoptingahybridmodel,whereattendanceinanofficeisexpected,butnoteveryday. Arecentstudyofmorethan30,000USemployeesclaimedthatonedayperweekspentworkingfromhomecouldboostproductivityby4.8%.Timespentworkingratherthancommutingtoworkwaslargelyresponsibleforthatestimate. TheADPreportalsofavoursthehybridmodel,saying:“Giventheupsidesanddownsidesofon-sitework,a‘hybrid’option–workingparton-siteandpartremote–mayactuallyprovideworkerswithmostadvantageouscharacteristicsofbothon-siteandremoteworking.” Inadditiontotheflexibilityhybridworkingoffersemployees,therecouldbesomeimportantcareerdevelopmentbenefits,too.Some67%ofhybridworkersfeelmorevisibleandthattheirgrowthisbeingsupportedbytheirmanager.Bycomparison,49%ofon-siteworkersfeelthatway.Similarly,72%ofhybridworkerssaidtheyreceivedconstructivefeedbackabouttheirwork,comparedto57%foron-siteemployees. Therecouldbesomeimportantcareerdevelopmentbenefitstohybridworking. Image:ADPResearch TheWorldEconomicForum’sFutureofJobsReport2020examinedthehybridworkingmodel.Itfoundthat78%ofbusinessleaderswereanticipatingsomenegativefall-outonproductivityfromremoteworkingduringthepandemic. Butthepandemicalsodemonstratedtomanybusinessestheresilienceoftheirofficeworkersandthesuccessofpivotingtoahybridmodel,thereportsays.Italsostressestheneedtomaintainahealthycorporatecultureinthefaceofallthischange. “Ensuringemployeewell-beingisamongthekeymeasuresundertakenbybusinessleaderslookingtoeffectivelyshifttoremotework,”thereport’sauthorswrite.“Inparticular,34%ofleadersreportthattheyaretakingstepstocreateasenseofcommunityamongemployeesonlineandlookingtotacklethewell-beingchallengesposedbytheshifttoremotework.” Share LicenseandRepublishing Writtenby SeanFleming,SeniorWriter,FormativeContent TheviewsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthoraloneandnottheWorldEconomicForum. 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