Unlocking 7 Reasons to Embrace Remote Work for Your Team

Increase innovation, productivity, and wellness through remote work.

I’ve heard all the myths about remote work. Managers will lose control of their teams and projects. Employees won’t be as productive. Teams will be disconnected and isolated. Communication will be too difficult. We’ll lose out on the sense of community we have in the office.

But what managers often seem to overlook is that quality teams are made up of quality employees.

And those employees?

Well, you can trust them wherever they are.

They’re good communicators and already know how to communicate by phone, video, and email. They’re innovative and creative and hardworking and focused. Wherever they are. And if you’re a strong leader, you can create a sense of community and team, wherever you are.

1. Your rockstar employees will be productive anywhere. The people you lead who are motivated and excited by their work, those employees who are reliable and creative and collaborative, will be focused, motivated, and innovative -- wherever they work, and whether or not you’re watching. In fact, a review of studies on remote work, reveals that  employees who work remotely are 35% - 40% more productive than those working in an office (Farrer, 2020).
2. Slacker employees can slack in an office just as easily as they slack at home. Sure, they may not be taking a nap if they’re in the office, but just because they’re sitting at a computer doesn’t mean they’re working, either.  Instead of penalizing everyone because a couple employees need constant oversight, help the slackers develop focus -- and give the rockstars freedom to work when and where they want.
3. Just because we’re in the same building or on the same campus doesn’t mean we connect authentically -- or frequently. With Zoom, we can now connect face-to-face regularly, whether we’re in a different building on campus or a different state. And often, even when we’re on the same campus, our meeting schedules or individual work means we don’t connect regularly. So, why drive across town to sit in an office by ourselves?
4. Gossip is harder to engage in when it requires a phone call. When employees are distributed across the city (or across the country), it takes a lot more effort to engage in gossip. If you’re upset about something that just happened in the meeting, you have to pick up the phone or schedule a time to meet, and often, by the time you do connect, emotions have simmered down, and the conflict doesn’t seem to matter so much. Gossiping seems like a waste of time – and simply too much effort. Instead, your team members are more likely to simply grumble a bit, and then move on with their day, focused on the work that matters, not the gossip mill.
5. The wellness gains of working from home not only benefit employees – but employers, too. When your team members are well-rested, have time for exercise and childcare, and live a less rushed life, they are better able to focus on their work. They have more time for deep work, and more time for creative thinking.  And if you give them a flexible schedule, they may just knock it out of the park more efficiently so they can squeeze in an exercise class as well. Research shows benefits to workers’ wellness, including “no commuting, reduced distraction, work-life balance and increased flexibility, creativity, and motivation.” (Kowalski et al., 2022).
6. Working from home can increase focus.  Although our homes include many distractions (the fridge, Netflix, our kids, anyone?), studies have found that those who work from home are often more focused. They can avoid what Proffitt (2023) labels “presenteeism – their boss watching their every move or colleagues interrupting them when they’re trying to focus.”
7. Creating connected teams doesn’t happen by accident – wherever you are. Just because you’re on campus doesn’t mean your team members connect with each other. While serendipitous conversations happen (online or in person), leaders of remote teams can do so much to create connections between team members – and they should. Providing space in meetings to share challenges and celebrations can be a powerful way to connect. Asking people how their day is going, how their family is, or following up on something they shared previously can go a long way to connecting people. And, Farrer (2020) notes that remote workers are actually more engaged – and less likely to be absent from work, with absenteeism up to 41% lower for remote workers.

I transitioned to working remotely before the pandemic, and I’ve experienced all the benefits listed above. I work hard (and a lot!). I’m productive and creative and focused. But I also enjoy yoga, more time to cook, decreased conflict between work and life responsibilities, and (bonus!) healthy lunches.

I hope you’ll join me for the next part of this 3-part series as I share a bit about my own personal work-from-home journey.

Sources:

Farrer, L. (2020). 5 proven benefits of remote work for companies. Forbew. https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/2020/02/12/top-5-benefits-of-remote-work-for-companies/?sh=4912cd9c16c8

Kowalski, G., &  Slebarska, K. (2022). Remote working and work effectiveness: A leader perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public health, 19(22). doi: 10.3390/ijerph192215326

Proffitt, K. (2023). Benefits of remote work for both employees and employers. HR Morning.  https://www.hrmorning.com/articles/benefits-of-remote-work-for-employees-employers/