Written by Amy Parvaneh and Anne Sandberg
Select Advisors now offers the Working from Home Productivity Test that reveals how individuals’ behavioral traits impact their effectiveness working remotely, rather than in a traditional office setting. Furthermore, we offer a study and peer mentorship group to help you not only survive, but THRIVE, in the working from home era.
The test is offered to both our coaching as well as our Study Group clients.
What is Remote Work?
Remote work is a working style that allows professionals, especially those who seek flexible jobs working from home, to work outside of a traditional office hours and environment. It is based on the concept that work does not need to be done in a specific place to be executed successfully. This has seen an explosion of co-working spaces across the U.S. (like WeWork).
Why Now?
Remote workers have been around for a while and have also been called “untethered workers” (source: Julie Albright); workers who are “unhooking from the traditional office nine-to-five and sprinting free”. Many untethered workers see themselves as digital nomads, living a glamorous life working from a high-tech van, sailboat, or beach. But in reality, untethered really means working by necessity from anywhere you can get connectivity and is really good for sales people, brokers, and agents who are in their cars often on the move.. Remote work when done at home can also help prevent the spread of illness, helping companies avoid lost productivity and protecting public health. The outbreak of COVID-19 prompted many employers to shift to a remote work model for all employees possible in a bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Remote Work has a Checkered Past
Remote work was very rare a decade ago. Working from home was usually only available as a special arrangement to accommodate families in specific cases. In the past, remote employees have had a bad reputation. Many employers believed their workforce would be too easily distracted at home, where their managers couldn't keep an eye on their direct reports.
Are Remote Workers Productive?
A recent study conducted by Airtasker surveyed 1,004 full-time employees – 505 of whom were remote employees – throughout the U.S. about their work habits and productivity. The results indicate that remote workers are actually more productive than their office-based counterparts. The study found that:
Remote employees work an additional 1.4 more days per month than in-office employees, which is nearly 17 additional workdays a year.
Remote employees take longer breaks on average than office employees (22 minutes versus 18 minutes, respectively), but they work an additional 10 minutes a day.
Office workers are unproductive for an average 37 minutes a day, not including lunch or breaks, whereas remote employees are unproductive for only 27 minutes.
15% of remote workers said their boss distracted them from work, which is less than the 22% of office-based employees who said the same thing.
Choice: Remote or Office?
HBR did a survey recently the measured motivation of people who worked from home vs. the office and found that the most important determinant was CHOICE. High levels of motivation are evident for BOTH office and remote work, however, those who had no choice in where they worked had the lowest level of motivation. This has enormous implications for the future when many of us will have a choice again about where we prefer to work.
Common Challenges of Remote Work
Lack of face-to-face supervision: Both managers and employees often express concerns about the lack of face-to-face interaction. Supervisors worry that employees will not work as hard or as efficiently (though research indicates otherwise, at least for some types of jobs). Many employees, on the other hand, struggle with reduced access to managerial support and communication. Employees working remotely often feel that their remote managers are out of touch with their needs and less supportive and helpful in getting work done.
Lack of access to information: Newly remote workers are often surprised by the added time and effort needed to locate information from coworkers. Even getting answers to what seem like simple questions can feel like a large obstacle to a worker based at home.
Social isolation: Loneliness is one of the most common complaints about remote work, with employees missing the informal social interaction of an office setting. It is thought that extraverts may suffer from isolation more in the short run, particularly if they do not have opportunities to connect with others in their remote-work environment. However, over a longer period of time, isolation can cause any employee to feel less “belonging” to their organization, and can even result in increased intention to leave the company.
Distractions at home: We often see photos representing remote work which portray a parent holding a child and typing on a laptop, often sitting on a sofa or living-room floor, which is pretty unfair. Employers should make sure that their remote workers have dedicated workspace. The current crisis caused a sudden transition to virtual work, so there is a much greater chance that employees will be contending with suboptimal workspaces and (in the case of school and daycare closures) unexpected parenting responsibilities. Even in normal circumstances family and home demands can impinge on remote work; managers should expect these distractions to be greater during this unplanned work-from-home transition.
Remote Work is Not Easy but can have Excellent Benefits
Research of remote workers continues to support the benefits of working from home for many people. While remote working is not easy, it offers some fantastic benefits if you set it up properly, including:
1. Better Output – Fewer distractions than an office
2. Higher Work Satisfaction – More freedom and control over life
3. More Time – no (or less) time burned up dressing, grooming and commuting
Working Remotely Requires a Mindset Shift (for some of us …)
When you are working remotely you need to shift your mindset because the routine and setting is so different than working in an office. Work first means that you plan your day around your work; that is, your work comes first. This does not mean that you work all the time or are a workaholic. It DOES mean that you get your work done FIRST every day and hold yourself accountable for your results. You must have the discipline to get your work done before you treat yourself to any other activity.
Assessing for Success as a Remote Worker and/or Remote Manager
REMOTE WORKER ASSESSMENT DEFINITION AND CRITERIA
Select Advisors has a new assessment (powered by Harrison Assessments) that includes two Behavioral Competencies that measure potential success for Remote Working. Here is a description of each:
Remote Productivity: Stays focused and productive while working remotely. Works autonomously by taking initiative and persisting despite potential home distractions. Keeps organized and focused on goals. Has a positive attitude and seeks self-improvement. Traits assessed:
Essential: Takes Initiative, Wants Autonomy, Persistent, Self-improvement, Optimistic, Organized, Analytical
Desirable: Manages Stress Well, Planning, Wants Challenge, Flexible, Authoritative, Pressure Tolerance
Traits-to-Avoid: Pay minus motivation, Scattered, Avoids Decisions, Rebellious Autonomy, Unresourceful, Defers Decisions, Inconclusive, Non-finishing
Remote Communication: Takes the initiative to communicate and collaborate to improve efficiency. Has a positive attitude and listens with an open mind. Doesn’t take things personally and is receptive to feedback. Seeks to ensure their communications are received by being straightforward while also being respectful. Communicates clearly and logically while also being sensitive to others. Traits assessed:
o Essential: Takes Initiative, Collaborative, Healthy Self-Esteem, Open/reflective, Optimistic, Team
o Desirable: Analytical, Diplomatic, Helpful, Stress Management, Warmth/Empathy, Frank, Tolerance of Evasiveness, Tolerance of Bluntness
o Traits-to-Avoid: Blunt, Defensive, Dogmatic, Dominating, Harsh, Evasive, Insensitive
MANAGING REMOTE WORKERS ASSESSMENT DEFINITION AND CRITERIA
Select Advisors now has two Behavioral Competencies that measure potential success for Managing Remote Workers. Here is a description of each:
Managing Remote Productivity: Effectively guides the productivity of remote workers by taking initiative, embracing challenges, setting clear goals, clarifying priorities, planning, and persisting through obstacles. Makes timely and mindful decisions. Assures remote workers’ accountability and productivity. Traits assessed:
o Essential: Takes Initiative, Wants Challenge, Authoritative, Enthusiastic, Persistent, Wants to Lead, Analyzes Pitfalls, Organized, Analytical
o Desirable: Assertive, Certain, Enforcing, Manages Stress Well, Planning, Pressure Tolerance
o Traits-to-Avoid: Permissive, Authoritarian, Blindly Optimistic, Harsh, Impulsive, Scattered
Managing Remote Communication: Effectively influences and collaborates with employees who work remotely. Is constructive and positive when communicating. Effectively guides and coaches from a distance. Is objective when exploring issues and is receptive to others’ views. Is straightforward and respectful. Traits assessed:
o Essential: Collaborative, Influencing, Wants to Lead, Analytical Enlists Cooperation, Open/reflective, Optimistic
o Desirable: Assertive, Diplomatic, Helpful, Self-acceptance, Stress Management, Warmth/Empathy, Frank, Teaching
o Traits-to-Avoid: Blunt, Defensive, Dogmatic, Dominating, Evasive, Harsh, Insensitive, Permissive, Defers Decisions, Inconclusive, Cool Permissiveness
What Should Managers be Doing for Remote Workers?
Here are some ideas that can help you manage your remote employees better:
Establish structured daily check-ins: Many successful remote managers establish a daily call with their remote employees. This could take the form of a series of one-on-one calls, if your employees work more independently from each other, or a team call, if their work is highly collaborative. The important feature is that the calls are regular and predictable, and that they are a forum in which employees know that they can consult with you, and that their concerns and questions will be heard.
Provide several different communication technology options: Email alone is insufficient. Remote workers benefit from having a richer technology, such as video conferencing, that gives participants many of the visual cues that they would have if they were face-to-face. Video conferencing has many advantages, especially for smaller groups: Visual cues allow for increased mutual knowledge about coworkers and also help reduce the sense of isolation among teams. Video is also particularly useful for complex or sensitive conversations, as it feels more personal than written or audio-only communication. There are other circumstances when quick collaboration is more important than visual detail. For these situations, provide mobile-enabled individual messaging functionality (like Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) which can be used for simpler, less formal conversations, as well as time-sensitive communication.
Establish “rules of engagement”: Remote work becomes more efficient and satisfying when managers set expectations for the frequency, means, and ideal timing of communication for their teams. For example, “We use videoconferencing for daily check-in meetings, but we use IM when something is urgent.” Also, if you can, let your employees know the best way and time to reach you during the workday (e.g., “I tend to be more available late in the day for ad hoc phone or video conversations, but if there’s an emergency earlier in the day, send me a text.”) Finally, keep an eye on communication among team members (to the extent appropriate), to ensure that they are sharing information as needed.
Provide opportunities for remote social interaction: One of the most essential steps a manager can take is to structure ways for employees to interact socially (that is, have informal conversations about non-work topics) while working remotely. This is true for all remote workers, but particularly so for workers who have been abruptly transitioned out of the office. The easiest way to establish some basic social interaction is to leave some time at the beginning of team calls just for non-work items (e.g., “We’re going to spend the first few minutes just catching up with each other. How was your weekend?”). Other options include virtual pizza parties (in which pizza is delivered to all team members at the time of a videoconference), or virtual office parties (in which party “care packages” can be sent in advance to be opened and enjoyed simultaneously). While these types of events may sound artificial or forced, experienced managers of remote workers (and the workers themselves) report that virtual events help reduce feelings of isolation, promoting a sense of belonging.
Offer encouragement and emotional support: Especially in the context of an abrupt shift to remote work, it is important for managers to acknowledge stress, listen to employees’ anxieties and concerns, and empathize with their struggles. If a newly remote employee is clearly struggling but not communicating stress or anxiety, ask them how they’re doing. Even a general question such as “How is this remote work situation working out for you so far?” can elicit important information that you might not otherwise hear. Once you ask the question, be sure to listen carefully to the response, and briefly restate it back to the employee, to ensure that you understood correctly. Let the employee’s stress or concerns (rather than your own) be the focus of this conversation.
Be careful about too many rules: Rules, processes and procedures that are too strict or confining can be counter-productive. You might get the tactical work done but not the more creative, big picture work. If people feel too constrained they’ll do the bare minimum and stop problem-solving and thinking creatively. Be sure to give people the opportunity to experiment and solve problems that really matter. Find ways the make sure that every employee feels like they have a challenge that they can help solve.
Talk to your people about their current level of motivation:
Ways to do this:
Ask questions like: How is the current situation affecting you at the moment? What tips do people have for how to stay motivated and find purpose in the current environment? Take time to listen and create a safe environment in which everyone can speak freely.
Make sure weekly routines are not focused on only the tactical tasks. Half of your week should be focused on adaptive performance, where there is no plan to follow, but instead, experiment and problem solve.