Future historians will easily pinpoint the COVID-19 pandemic as the catalyst for the surge in the work-from-home (WFH) movement. What started as a mandate has quickly turned into a popular preference and a new norm for many professionals. But despite its prevalence, there are challenges of working remotely that are important to discuss.
We want to address the challenges of working remotely and learn to overcome them so that individuals and organizations alike can thrive.
Here are six challenges of working from home and what you can do about them.
The Rise of Remote Work
While remote work existed pre-pandemic, it rose to prominence in 2020 when health concerns required in-person interactions to cease.
Data collected by Gallup in mid-2022 demonstrates just how prevalent remote work is today:
- 50% of surveyed employees are working hybrid (part-time WFH, part-time in-office) and 30% are fully remote.
- 94% of surveyed employees want to work remotely at least part of the time.
- 60% of fully remote and 30% of hybrid employees indicated they are “extremely likely to change companies” if not offered remote flexibility.
Buffer has been tracking the state of remote work since 2018 and their 2022 State of Remote Work report gives some key insights into its impact today:
- 97% of respondents would recommend remote work to others; the same amount indicated a desire to continue working remotely for the rest of their career.
- 61% describe their experience with remote work as “very positive.”
The above statistics point to two key phenomena: the majority of employees are working remotely at least part-time and they’re enjoying it.
It’s easy to understand why—working remotely has a number of potential benefits for employees:
- No commute.
- More autonomy over their schedule.
- Comfortable, flexible workspace.
- Decreased interruptions.
- Less interpersonal challenges.
- Greater work-life balance.
Hiring in a remote world also benefits employers through broader talent pools, increased employee well-being, and an easier time attracting candidates.
6 Work-from-Home Challenges of Remote Work
Despite these benefits, there are also challenges of working remotely that impact both employers and employees.
Here are six common ones and how to overcome them.
1. Effective communication
Different time zones, technical challenges, and virtual platforms can all make collaborating with colleagues more challenging.
- Solution: Survey your employees to best understand what’s working and what’s not. Then consider what platforms are most effective for your team and create policies to support communication norms.
2. Loneliness and isolation
One of the biggest challenges of working remotely is isolation. Even the most ardent introvert can find it challenging to be alone all the time. This is particularly true for independent positions that don’t require a lot of collaboration with other colleagues.
- Solution: Build intentional times for in-person connection into your workplace rhythms. This could be meeting for social events, hosting in-person team meetings in a bookable meeting room at a coworking space, or offering professional development opportunities.
3. Distractions
Many people are distracted by household tasks, family members, or personal affairs while working from home. The line between home and work life blurs, which can make it difficult to focus.
- Solution: Offer your employees the option to work from the office or a coworking space membership if your team is completely remote. A dedicated workspace can help remove distractions and promote focus. You can also check out our 5 hacks to help you focus at work.
Technology and equipment
To effectively work from home, your employees need the right technology and equipment to do their jobs. This can be costly as well as administratively challenging to set up. Employers also need to consider the cybersecurity implications of their employees working from home.
- Solution: Do a thorough audit of all positions to understand what tech needs they have as well as review your budget to see what’s feasible. You may consider hiring an external IT consultant to help set up your remote employees to ensure adequate data theft prevention measures.
Equitable policies
One remote work challenge for employers is creating fair and equitable policies. Not all positions can reasonably be done from home, and all employees have their own preferences and expectations. For example, an employee who lives in the city may be willing to commute to the office for meetings, whereas someone farther away isn’t—how do you make things fair?
- Solution: Create a remote work policy. This should be done in consultation with your team members and per industry standards. When you have a policy, make sure it’s communicated clearly and enforced to employees.
Logistics
The last significant remote work challenge for employers is managing the working schedule. Depending on the business, some employees may be 100% remote and some may be on a hybrid schedule. This introduces logistics challenges like scheduling and desk-sharing arrangements.
- Solution: Include logistics considerations in your remote work policy. This will outline how scheduling will work or how employees should book their workspaces. The important thing is to have a clear administrative policy that everyone understands.
Thanks to its many benefits, remote work isn’t going anywhere. But without addressing the challenges of working remotely, individuals and teams may flounder.
Luckily, with some careful planning, these six challenges of working remotely are easy to overcome.
If you’re looking for a flexible workspace for your team, book a tour of your local Launch Workplaces today.
