According to the latest data from the Office of National Statistics, 44% of adults work from home or undertake hybrid working at least once per week.
During the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home swiftly became the norm. That new reality saw an abundance of platforms, tools and apps quickly emerge to help us stay productive and connected when not in the office.
As we learnt, for the most part it was entirely possible to continue to fulfil our duties and carry out our roles remotely. Business wheels continued to turn, clients continued to receive high levels of customer service, and it was still possible to speak to a customer service representative or sales agent if necessary. Projects were completed and products dispatched, albeit in a slightly different setting.
Given that working from home allowed many businesses to survive the pandemic, you might think that home working has really earnt its place at the table. It may surprise you to learn that isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, many business leaders remain unconvinced about productivity gains.
A disconnect between workers and business leaders
There’s a growing body of research which suggests workers are more confident in their ability to remain productive outside of the office. According to one study, 76% of workers who work remotely some or all of the time describe themselves as being more productive when not in the office. Another study by Microsoft has that figure at 81%. What’s more, 44% of decision makers say they themselves are more productive when they work from home.
However, this sentiment doesn’t appear to be shared by team leaders. In fact, research suggests that 65% of workers suspect their bosses consider them to be less productive outside of the traditional office setting.
This disconnect may stem from a lack of communication or, eroding trust. Younger generations feel that sense of mistrust more keenly, with 81% of those aged 18-24 saying their supervisor is concerned about productivity levels for at home workers.
This contrasts with older generations, with just 48% of workers aged 55+ agreeing that their boss has productivity concerns for those working remotely.
Are there benefits in returning to full-time office working?
There’s no denying the Covid pandemic forced many of us to reassess what we want from life. For the working age population with more time at home on their hands, it was a rare opportunity to consider what a good work-life balance looked like. We’re still feeling the impact of that today. Microsoft has named this the ‘worth it’ equation. That is to say, what workers want from their careers, balanced by what they are willing to give up to get it.
For some, that means embracing the ability to work from home. In contrast, those calling for a permanent return to the office cite the many benefits of being a cohesive group in one location:
- It’s easier to schedule and hold meetings when needed.
- It’s easier to communicate with other team members and foster greater levels of collaboration.
- It also removes the sense of loneliness and isolation that some remote workers report
- It’s easier to foster a strong company culture.
- It’s easier to offer immediate support to those who may be stuck or struggling with a particular task.
What about the benefits of working from home?
While a fully home-based set-up is unlikely to work for every person and every company, finding an equitable balance with a hybrid system could be a suitable compromise.
For that to happen, team leaders and team members need to foster a sense of trust. That could entail having productivity tools in place to ensure accountability, clear targets to achieve and regular check-ins.
The post-Covid reality is that many workers appreciate the ability to work from home at least some of the time. Tools such as Zoom, Monday.com and Teams make collaboration that much easier, but they can also be used to help build trust and nurture satisfactory productivity levels.
As with many aspects of building a strong team and culture, breaking down the barriers and empowering teams to feel trusted and capable while working remotely could come down to one simple trick: communication.
