If you’ve read anything about remote work, you’re probably aware of the endless list of fantastic promises made by proponents. If only you could work from home, you’d have no more dreadful commutes, be a productivity genius, have prettier hair, dance without making people uncomfortable, and your jeans would always fit flawlessly! What a fantastic life you’d have!
I won’t lie and say we aren’t a little culpable. We genuinely believe remote employment can make a difference in people’s lives. However, there are some severe drawbacks that we’d like to discuss.
Working Remotely Has Its Advantages and Disadvantages
Regarding remote work, it’s vital to distinguish between fully distributed teams and individuals who operate from home. If you’re the sole one working remotely, there are a variety of drawbacks. While more people are working from home, the bulk of employees, though, will still spend at least one day at work.
Growth
The remote-office difference might limit remote employees’ career chances if they work remotely between 20% and 80% of the time. According to Stanford University research conducted in collaboration with Ctrip, China’s largest travel agency, employees who worked from home were promoted at half the rate of those who worked in the company’s headquarters.
Similar findings were found in a study posited that management was 9% more likely to describe in-office workers as “consistent” and “professional,” according to the survey.
This is one of the most common work-from-home fallacies, and it’s a significant reason why it’s still seen negatively. Remote working lowers overhead costs; 83% of employees prefer to work from home, and 77% say they are more productive than in the office. Despite several studies proving the reverse, many people still feel that remote working reduces productivity for unknown reasons. Though there may be a learning curve, this misconception will be thoroughly refuted once you get through it.
Productivity
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to work from home, and even those who are won’t have automatic access to what other team members or teams are up to. Managers of remote workers are in the same boat, as they may not know what their employees are working on. Communication and trust are the keys to success. These two are critical pieces of the remote working puzzle and must dispel typical work-from-home fallacies.
This is where software comes into play.
Executives have traditionally been expected to monitor the work of their immediate reports. Working remotely does not alter this; it changes how executives must check-in. New processes like daily check-ins or virtual meetings will replace in-person catch-ups. In contrast, tech platforms such as G-Suite and Asana allow managers and staff to access and share assets remotely and update schedules as tasks are accomplished.
Communication Gaps
Another one of our work-from-home myths. Technology improvements have also made it easier for us to communicate with one another remotely, similar to cloud-based storage. Not only are devices becoming more affordable to manufacture and purchase, but the infrastructure for connecting them is also improving, and as a result, the ways we communicate are changing. It was email and phone 10 years ago, with a fax machine thrown in for good measure. We now have all of those things as well as a lot more. Every microsecond of the day, tools like Slack, Workplace, Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp, iMessage, and even Instagram link people and ideas.
The Office Culture
This is a problematic notion, especially amid a global pandemic. Many employees now work from home not because they want to but because they don’t have any other options. Remember, they’re the fortunate ones; some people cannot work. Employees are entering new routines with new distractions and challenges, in addition to the uncertainty of COVID-19. Employers can ensure that their employees are engaged and happy when working remotely by improving data accessibility and communication. Encourage employees to share their WFH setup or introduce themselves to the other people in their “office” by holding regular virtual get-togethers.
Remote work is here to stay, and millions of individuals worldwide value and support this form of work flexibility.
Though stereotypes about working from home continue, remote work allows millions of Africans to work in occupations they enjoy while balancing the demands of life — and doing so successfully.
Are you a tech talent looking for remote gigs? Are you interested in working for top firms worldwide to ensure the safety of your apartment? Then Prodevs is for you.
Sign up as a tech talent on prodevs.io today!
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