Improving Productivity For Remote Workers In 2024
Remote working seems to be the new world order in our contemporary world.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuNov 17, 20241.2K Shares22.6K Views
Remote working seems to be the new world order in our contemporary world. Actually, a recent report by Notta revealed that 16% of the world’s companies are fully remote. As if that was not enough, the number of employees switching to remote jobs increased by 24% from 2021; those who prefer hybrid work increased by about 16%.
And you may actually be surprised to learn that the number of employees who work remotely in countries like the US is almost a third (27%). In fact, some studies believe that the US takes the lead in remote job opportunities. But with the convenience of working at home comes other challenges like distractions. So, how do you ensure that you are still performing well remotely as you would in a physical office? This article will answer such questions. Let us set off.
The power of technology
Sometimes, when working from home, you may need to respond to emails, calls, etc. In the event of doing this, you may encounter digital distractions like social media notifications, which may greatly affect your mental focus. In fact, do you know that, according to the University of California Irvine, such distractions can take up to 23 minutes to get back to the original task?
Using a website blockercan really come in handy in such situations. And depending on your needs and preferences, you can always implement them in different ways. One could use them as simple add-ons on web browsers or apps on computer devices for a more customizable feel. Another option would be to directly restrict your home router from accessing certain sites across all connected devices.
How could we fail to mention the role of artificial intelligence? This technology is making its way into almost every sector. Now, with AI, you can schedule meetings and coordinate schedules across different time zones, automate repetitive tasks, improve communication and knowledge sharing across teams, and streamline administrative tasks. Tools like Trello’s Butler and Zapier can really help you with this.
Of course, we cannot ignore the power of cloud computing. Have you used Zoom or Microsoft Teams for communication in your organization? Cloud computing has made all this possible. Tools like Office 365 and SharePoint now allow employees to share and modify documents in real time. And if statistics mean anything, a recent Statista surveyindicated that about 59% of companies had implemented cloud-based access management tools to allow employees to access applications remotely.
Does remote work and productivity relate?
This is one of those questions that experts are yet to totally agree on. Some believe that working from home reduced productivity by 8-19%, while others found productivity to increase by 13%. Productivity declined because workers could not clearly distinguish between personal and professional life, resulting in burnout.
At the same time, when employees work from home, they have minimal exposure to the social interaction that a physical office environment offers. That may affect how they connect with the company and make them less motivated to perform better. Those who claimed that productivity increased gave the following reasons.
Extended work hours
Do you actually know that remote workers could work for 10% more every week than in-person employees? Research by Owl Labs revealed remote employees worked one more day every week, making them more productive than in-person counterparts by 47%.
However, as much as that could be true, the duration an employee can work from home can also depend on their age. For instance, according to the Canadian HRReporter, about 48% of those aged 26 to 40 claimed to work for longer hours than 31% of those below the age of 25.
Great mental and physical health
Some studies have found that those who work from home experience less stress than their in-person counterparts. Well, when working remotely, you mostly have control of your clock-in and clock-out times, so the pressure from top management is reduced. There is also little or no commuting involved, which some believe can improve mental and physical health.
Improved work-life balance
Anyone who has worked remotely can agree that this type of employment is highly flexible. You have the liberty to design your work schedule around your own preferences and activities. That allows you to meet family demands as well as personal obligations seamlessly. When such needs are catered to, an employee might feel more satisfied with the job, thereby becoming more productive.
Strategies to improve remote employee’s productivity
Provide resources for employee’s physical and mental health
As a good employer, you want to ensure that your workers are whole because that determines how productive they can be. Working from home can, sometimes, cause employees to drop healthy habits they would have otherwise kept if they worked from the office. At the same time, they may develop unhealthy habits like being overly dependent on unhealthy snacks.
Increased time in front of their laptops might also not be the best, especially if not properly handled. So, what can you do to minimize such events? By the way, according to the Remote Work Wellness Survey, companies that offered wellness plans to remote employees increased productivity by 28%.
The following hacks can help you get started:
- Allow for a flexible schedule that does not affect team collaboration
- Provide a library of useful mental health resources
- Consider adding mental health days, where an employee can take an off without being physically ill
- Provide wellness perks
Reduce low-quality meetings and implement inclusive company communication
In a low-quality meeting, an attendee will usually be required to multitask or attend several other meetings simultaneously. Such meetings can negatively impact productivity. Instead of having a meeting for almost every update, why don’t you consider team communication apps or emails? At least have some days when employees can fully focus on their work.
You may also want to make communication as inclusive as possible. In fact, McKinsey Global Institute believes that if a company goes in this direction, it can improve productivity by 20 to 25%. Communicating effectively can help ensure remote employees are in touch with the company’s pulse. Consider video calls a great way to strengthen relationships and collaboration between workers.
Wrapping up
The internet has really changed a lot of interactions in our modern world. Today, you can interact with someone on a different continent as though you were in the same room, all thanks to video calls. Therefore, it is not surprising that work can actually be completed remotely.
But with all these possibilities, workers and companies have to collaborate to ensure minimal distraction and optimal productivity. Technologies like web blockers, AI and the cloudcan really help with this. Plus, several other strategies, like offering mental health resources and improving communication, can help enhance productivity.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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