HOW TO KEEP STAFF WORKING FROM HOME PRODUCTIVE (March 2, 2021)

Life in a pandemic world is unpredictable. The only vaccination free method of controlling Covid.19 seems to be isolation – lockdowns, alert levels, managed isolation, international travel bans, and working from home (WFH). Is this our future?

Some employees have embraced the ‘work from home’ measures, while others hate it. For employers, one of the most significant issues confronting companies is the possible drop in productivity.

A recent Otago University study revealed that 92% of people started regularly working from home during the initial lockdown, but only 18% of the participants had any experience working from home.

B2binternational.com touches on a silent killer that people don’t often talk about regarding WFH – lack of motivation.

The idea that you know in your mind that you don’t have to get dressed and leave your house for the office sets up an internal struggle with the knowledge that you still have to get up on time. That you still need to be present to complete tasks set out for you via Zoom.us or Microsoft’s Teams app.

Use communication to keep people productive.

Instead of penalising employees when gaps in productivity emerge, companies can implement alternative strategies that consider the challenge it presents for some.

Jeff Revoy, Chief Operations Officer & Co-Founder at SpaceIQ (a workplace operations platform), says accountability and, importantly, acceptance is critical for remote employees.

“Any great leadership style starts and ends with communication. The blossoming office Internet of Things (IoT) makes it easy to stay connected with remote employees across town or across several time zones. Cloud storage options allow instant access to digital files and information regardless of time and day. No more waiting for files to be updated and emailed to co-workers for further revisions.”

IT services at our fingertips

Most have experienced the pain that it is trying to get your computer to do what it needs to even while in the office. In a remote working situation, it is even more crucial that there is IT support available because it helps make a difference to morale.

Have realistic expectations

Overloading employees with large workloads whilst they are at home is counterproductive, often because we assume they have more time on their hands than they do. It is an unspoken expectation that causes people to be anxious about workloads, performance and job security.

The upkeep of productivity in a WFH environment is still the employer’s responsibility, but it will require supportive and patient leadership from management.