To work remotely or not?
I have been working away from the rest of my colleagues for more than two years now. Although our offices are only a 20-minute drive apart and I regard myself as a generally independent worker, not being within my colleagues’ sights hasn’t exactly been plain sailing.
There were many instances when I was brainstorming a new project and wanted to receive quick feedback, but never was able to have anyone around to lend me a listening ear. Communications are often either belated or transient and I have also lost touch with the happenings in the office. Cutting the mindless banter and interruptions have increased my productivity but the rapport, which is usually built and developed over shared experiences, are one of the things I miss working in a team environment.
Sitting alongside me are my clients who are working remotely from their colleagues, as they have relocated to Singapore to develop their companies’ market expansion plans. Being in a foreign land, they have to grapple with additional complexities and “out of sight, out of mind” is now compounded by different geographies and time zones.
I have heard too often my clients’ frustrations over their headquarters’ insufficient attention to them; outcries such as “they are busy rolling out another project and don’t have time to look into this” and “my boss asked someone else to look into it” are uncommon. In one extreme case, I had a client whose management not only did not take time to understand his observations and recommendations for the business but also neglected his basic employee welfare as a remote worker. After toughing it out for six months with no resolution, he eventually called it quits.
Catching up with the concept of remote working during Covid-19
Working remotely or telecommuting are not unfamiliar concepts for some types of businesses, particularly those residing in larger countries or in the technology sector. It has been reported that remote work has grown by 44% in the US over the last five years¹ and 16% of global companies are fully remote². The lifestyles of digital nomads, who are a subset of remote workers, are envied upon and places such as Bali, Estonia and Buenos Aires are often promoted as ideal destinations for digital nomads.
Covid-19 has shifted remote working* to a new paradigm. Over the span of a few weeks, the workforce globally was forced to work from homes. More employers are awakening to the realities which remote workers and telecommuters are facing all this time. Some, employers and employees alike, are welcoming to the concept while the rest are struggling as work-family boundaries are blurred.
There is a flurry of debate if remote working will be the future of work; tech giants such as Twitter and Facebook have announced that remote working will continue to be in place for their employees post Covid-19. Companies worldwide are figuring out how to cope with this new norm and there may be avenues to smoothen this onerous process.
For Employers
- Online for efficiency, offline for empathy and relationship-building
By now, most of us would have tapped into online communication and video tools e.g. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Slack in place of face-to-face meetings with colleagues, customers or family. They deliver messages in the timeliest manner you can imagine (until someone invents mind-reading tools…) but it can be counterproductive to leverage on them to convey empathy.
Some of my best memories in my international roles were when I was able to interact and communicate with a colleague or client in-person, and forming a bond with him/her over a period of time. Offline activities to strengthen team culture and building connections are memories an employee would remember in years to come, and it’s worth the investment especially if you don’t see them often.
- Empower your teams by trusting them
Hiring remote workers naturally means you won’t be able to see them or ‘monitor’ their work as much as you could if they are situated in the same office as you. It is important to establish a trust mechanism with your employees — in fact, this is important regardless your employee is remote or not. As this author³ beautifully puts it, “when trust is in place people will act in certain ways and it is those behaviours that will eventually lead to outcomes that drive performance.” For remote hires, because it’s already difficult for them to easily access their team mates, empowering them with a reasonable level of authority or autonomy signals the trust you have for them to act in the most favourable manner for the business.
- Create an open communication culture
Having seen a lack of open communication channels and feedback loops in my clients’ companies, I have observed not just a slowdown in task delivery but also a dip in morale. Equally important is the regular check in with your employees. It indicates your willingness to care about their individual well-being and your empathetic leadership can go a long way in retaining employees.
For Remote Workers
- Establish if you are suitable for remote working
I’ve said it here — remote work is not for everyone and it’s not your fault! There are personalities who thrive better in groups and they can lose attention or motivation quickly when they operate alone. If you know what kind of work environment is more suited for you, then you will know how to cope with remote working (or don’t try at all).
- Find your tribe
You don’t need to be in this alone. Co-working spaces, meet-ups, networking events are different avenues to meet like-minded remote workers who are probably going through a similar journey, joys and frustrations inclusive, as you.
Converting to a remote work environment cannot be an overnight job and we can take a leaf from those who have the experience. I’d encourage you to speak with as many employers and remote workers before embarking on this new type of working.
*note: remote working and telecommuting are used interchangeably hereon.
