Over the past few years, our workplaces have undergone significant evolution, with more organisations offering employees the opportunity to work remotely or adopt hybrid working patterns. While remote or hybrid working has numerous benefits for both employees and employers, maintaining high levels of engagement can be challenging, especially for remote workers. It’s essential to remember that whether working in the office or remotely, highly engaged employees are more productive, make fewer mistakes, and are more likely to stay with you as their employer for longer.

So, the question arises: How do we ensure that remote workers remain engaged, connected and productive?

What are the benefits of hybrid/remote working?

Prior to covid, remote working tended to be a rarity or come about as a result of a flexible working request. Many organisations have experienced huge benefits for adopting a more flexible and open approach to remote working, these include:

• Flexibility: remote work arrangements allow employees to balance their professional and personal lives more effectively by offering flexibility in where and when they work. This can lead to increased job satisfaction and improved work-life balance.
• Increased productivity: Many employees report being more productive when given the flexibility to work remotely part of the time. Reduced commuting time and fewer distractions in the office can lead to higher levels of focus and efficiency.
• Cost savings: Both employees and employers can save money on commuting expenses, office space, and related overhead costs. This can contribute to overall cost savings for an organisation and provide financial benefits for employees.
• Talent attraction and retention: Offering remote work options can make a organisation more attractive to top talent, particularly for individuals who value flexibility and autonomy in their work arrangements. Recruiters have seen that candidates are more likely to be attracted to employers who offer remote working opportunities, whilst many employers have seen the offering increase retention.
• Diversity and inclusion: Remote working arrangements can promote diversity and inclusion by providing opportunities for employees with different needs and preferences to participate in the workforce. Remote work can also help remove barriers for employees with disabilities or caregiving responsibilities.
• Environmental impact: Reduced commuting and office space usage associated with remote working options can lead to a smaller carbon footprint and contribute to environmental sustainability efforts. Something that BCorps and socially conscious organisations (and employees/candidates) are keen on!

Gallup shows that hybrid working provided the flexibility for employees to work in ways that are the most effective for them and their personal and wellbeing is improved greatly as a result of being able to work remotely.

What are the challenges of hybrid/remote working?

Whilst we know that challenges can be overcome, it’ s important that employers remain aware of the potential pitfalls. Remote working can present several challenges for both employers and employees, including:

• Communication: Maintaining effective communication can be challenging when some team members are in the office while others are working remotely. Miscommunication, different streams of information, and feelings of isolation can arise if communication channels are not well-established and inclusive.
• Team cohesion: Building and maintaining a cohesive team culture becomes more difficult when team members are physically separated. Social interactions, team bonding, and spontaneous collaboration opportunities may diminish, impacting overall team morale and productivity.
• Work-life balance: Hybrid working can blur the boundaries between work and personal life, leading to longer working hours, burnout, and decreased well-being. Employees may find it challenging to disconnect from work when they’re constantly juggling between home and office environments.
• Technology issues: Reliance on technology for communication and collaboration introduces the risk of technical glitches and internet connectivity problems. Ensuring access to reliable technology and providing adequate IT support becomes crucial for seamless remote collaboration.
• Inequality and inclusivity: Hybrid working arrangements may exacerbate existing inequalities within the workforce. Employees with limited access to resources, such as dedicated workspace at home, may face greater challenges compared to their counterparts. Additionally, remote workers may feel excluded from important decisions or opportunities for career advancement when not at the ‘physical’ forefront of managers minds.
• Performance management: Evaluating employee performance and providing feedback can become more complex in a hybrid work environment. Managers may struggle to accurately assess productivity, contributions, and engagement levels, especially if they primarily interact with team members in the office.
• Organisational culture: Maintaining a strong organisational culture can become challenging when employees are physically dispersed. Sustaining shared values, norms, and traditions requires deliberate efforts from leadership to foster a sense of belonging and alignment with an organisation’s mission and goals.
• Infrastructure and logistics: Managing office space, scheduling meetings, and coordinating resources become more intricate in a hybrid work setting. Employers need to adapt their infrastructure, policies, and processes to accommodate the needs and preferences of both remote and in-office employees.

How can we ensure we keep hybrid/remote workers engaged?

The challenges associated with remote working can be overcome through proactive measures, such as investing in technical solutions, training of managers, ensuring open communication and collaboration, promoting work-life balance initiatives, and cultivating an inclusive organisational culture that values diversity and equity.

In order to create the best possible remote working environments, here’s your key focuses:

• Take the time to understand what motivates and engages your people
• Ensure your delivering regular and consistent communication – communication is key
• Set clear expectations for roles and responsibilities, and ensure that these are proactively managed
• Encourage collaboration using virtual tools and where possible, mix things up with in-person opportunities
• Provide recognition and feedback for achievements – celebrate the wins
• Ensure that professional development opportunities are available to all
• Promote work-life balance and flexibility across your organisation to avoid stigma
• Foster a sense of belonging through team activities, both virtual and in person
• Provide resources and support for remote work
• Continue to consider wellbeing and all your standard policies and values irrespective of where someone works!

Remember, it is important to address the human need for authenticity, team bonding and fun that used to be achieved from in person office working.

In recent weeks, we have also seen the unwinding of many remote working and hybrid working arrangements by big organisations such as Boots, demonstrating that some employers are reconsidering what works for their organisations! We are in an interesting phase of seeing how remote working arrangements will evolve, which organisation types it works best for and how employees will respond!

Should you wish to discuss employee engagement and managing remote working in more detail then please reach out to us here at ViewHR as we would be more than happy to support you.