Overcoming the Challenges of Remote Work: A Checklist for HR Leadership

Fueled by employee demand for greater work-life balance and flexibility, remote work has surged over the past few years. In fact, recent findings from the Pew Research Center reveal that among those who work from home most of the time, 34% would prefer to have the choice to work remotely all the time.

Because of the sheer number of businesses that have introduced remote and hybrid work options in recent years, a great deal of data exists on the pros and cons of remote work. We now know that even though remote work can greatly improve employee satisfaction, it also has the potential to introduce new challenges.

Remote work isn’t going away anytime soon, though — which means that today’s businesses must find ways to tackle potential drawbacks proactively. In this article, we’ll discuss several common pitfalls of remote work and provide a quick guide for preventing their occurrence.

The Challenges of Remote Work for Companies

Companies that have transitioned their workforces to remote work have encountered a number of challenges over the past few years, such as:

1) Security concerns

With disparate personal networks, devices, and potentially unsecured connections scattered throughout remote workforces, organizations are left vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches.

2) Poor communication

While advances in technology have made it easier to communicate virtually, there’s nothing like face-to-face interaction. Entirely-virtual communication is more likely to hinder real-time collaboration, lead to misunderstandings, and slow down decision-making.

3) Employee disengagement

Employee disengagement is when employees start to lose interest and passion in their work. Disengagement is much more common when workers aren’t interacting with one another on a regular basis, and its consequences are severe: lackluster performance, increased absences, and higher turnover.

4) Worsening productivity

Whether it’s due to increased distractions, limited managerial oversight, or technical problems, remote workers face a number of unique challenges that can undermine their productivity.

5) Increased rates of burnout

Remote work has been found to heighten burnout by blurring work-life boundaries — leading to extended work hours and elevated stress levels due to the challenge of disconnecting from work.

6) Difficulty establishing a cohesive company culture

It can be a challenge for companies with remote operations to develop a strong work culture, as the absence of in-person interactions hampers the development of shared values and team bonding. Without a solid work culture in place, companies are more likely to suffer from employee disengagement and dissatisfaction.

The Drawback of Remote Work for Employees

Employees appreciate that remote work gives them greater flexibility to juggle personal and professional demands. However, this benefit tends to be accompanied by a notable drawback: career growth opportunity.

Recent research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York revealed that younger employees who work remotely have lower promotion rates. This has been attributed to the fact that remote employees are lacking the “power of proximity” — in other words, they receive less feedback from senior employees and are thus curtailed from effective skill development.

Ineffective Solutions Reveal the Need for a New Approach

In an attempt to eliminate the above pitfalls, many companies have chosen to either enforce on-site work or use productivity monitoring software to track performance. Yet these efforts have largely fallen flat or even backfired.

1) Enforcing on-site presence

Once pandemic restrictions were lifted, some companies began to require on-site presence five days a week. However, these attempts to revert work standards to pre-pandemic times have largely been futile. When faced with mandates to work on-site every day, employees are likely to actively protest. Additionally, these policies shrink talent pools and require greater investment in real estate budgets.

2) Deploying productivity monitoring software

Software solutions that monitor employee activity have become appealing for companies struggling with worsening productivity among remote workers.  However, these tools often end up inadvertently damaging workplace relationships, eroding trust, and driving valuable employees away. Coupled with a lack of evidence supporting their efficacy, investing in such tools has by and large proven to be an unwise allocation of resources.

The Key to Remote Work Success: Employee Engagement

Engagement is the driving force behind employee performance and business outcomes. When transitioning to remote work, companies should be sure to take steps to encourage a more engaged culture. Some good practices include:

• Setting reasonable working conditions
  Employees should have clear expectations of their job responsibilities, communication habits with colleagues, and work hours. Boundaries should be implemented and encouraged to prevent burnout.
• Developing a wholesome company culture
  By prioritizing a meaningful work culture, employees are likely to feel a greater sense of pride, unity, and purpose.
• Implementing an employee engagement program
  Virtual team-building, regular check-ins, and recognition initiatives ensure that remote employees feel valued, enhancing their motivation and overall engagement.

The HR Checklist for a Remote Work Setup

Engagement is an important piece of the remote workforce puzzle — but it’s not the only one. Through our extensive experience supporting businesses as they’ve gone remote over the past few years, WorkProud has discovered which tactics can improve outcomes for remote workforces. Here’s a helpful checklist of some best practices to guide businesses as they transition to remote workforces:

Technical readiness

• • Implement remote desktop technologies
  • Ensure stable internet access for all employees
  • Set up remote desktop protocol (RDP) and VPN for secure access
  • Set up secure cloud storage and file-sharing systems
  • Consider using a task management platform
  • Ensure that IT regularly checks and updates all hardware and software used by employees
  • Develop an emergency action plan for device loss
  • Provide clear instructions on how to contact tech support

Effective communication

• • Regularly update remote work policies
  • Encourage managers to be transparent, positive, and uplifting when communicating
  • Set KPIs and deadlines
  • Utilize collaborative communication and workflow tools
  • Schedule regular video meetings
  • Provide meeting follow-ups and summaries that clarify assignments
  • Ensure that management talks to each employee every day
  • Don’t micromanage
  • Develop an organizational chart to ensure that everyone knows one another
  • Keep business communication limited to normal business hours
  • Demonstrate that employees’ best interests are always in mind

Employee development

• • Dedicate sufficient time for employee onboarding
  • Create a company knowledge base
  • Sponsor high-quality online courses for skill development
  • Launch a structured workplace mentoring program
  • Foster idea-sharing through surveys and contests

Company culture development

• • Train managers on how to respond to various situations while staying aligned with company policies and values
  • Organize in-person events
  • Acknowledge, recognize, and reward employees for their achievements
  • Offer diverse reward options Provide meaningful, relevant feedback and motivation
  • Spotlight employees when they go above and beyond to inspire others to succeed
  • Use employee recognition software like WorkProud to foster effective peer-to-peer recognition

In today’s business landscape, offering remote work options is crucial — but it comes with the responsibility of safeguarding employee engagement and productivity. As companies adapt, they must prioritize strategies that ensure that remote employees remain connected and motivated. And fortunately, it’s that much easier to do so with the help of modern technology and employee recognition software. By harnessing these tools, companies can confidently navigate the path to sustained success in the era of remote work.

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