The past two years were only for discovering jobs with less or no human contact when the concept of remote jobs came into existence. Constant experimentation led to quick solutions that curbed down the pandemic effects on the job sector.
As such, a number of results were derived. For instance, people wanted to know more about remote work productivity and if it’s working well. Or have remote jobs simply reduced human motivation?
All this and many more summed up the era from 2020 and is still counting. So, let’s get started with this comprehensive guide and learn a little more about work-from-home productivity.
Trends In Remote Jobs
After an entire year of technological development, the concept of remote working was made possible. While a few things lasted, others passed out. The result? A few trends made entry into the employment market.
Let’s check out a few trends that lasted when it comes to work-from-home jobs:
CEOs Are Calling Workers Back To The Office
A hard fact about the whole remote working concept is that employees and employers are not on the same page. KPMG studied over 1,300 global CEOs and discovered that 64% of them want their employees back by 2026.
Another group of 87% believe in offering more lavish assignments, promotions, and raises to motivate employees to work on-site. Unfortunately, there’s a massive disconnect between CEOs and organizations when it comes to deciding the location of work.
The 2023 report by McKinsey and Company discovered that 77% of industries believe that on-site jobs offer a robust organizational culture. This can be a big reason why employers are calling back their employees.
Workers Are Not Willing To Return!
The fact that flexibility has become a priority for most employees is not a secret anymore. However, RTO mandates are not too entertaining for employees. In fact, most of them don’t pay heed to RTO calls.
One in every three developers says they prefer quitting rather than returning back to offices. Employees who were recruited during the pandemic settled for a wage excluding commuting and adjoining costs.
Hence, they are not willing to commence offices in such a compromised payscale. 41% of employees demand higher wages, while the rest, 39%, are not at all ready for on-site jobs.
What Do Statistics Say About Remote Work Productivity?
A study conducted by Upwork states suggest that 1 in 4 Americans want to work remotely. 70% of employees wish to complete work from home, while 64% can settle for hybrid jobs. Let’s dive deeper into some more interesting statistics:
Working from home increases 13% the performance of workers
A Stanford study encompassing 16,000 employees suggests that remote jobs have the potential to increase employee productivity by 13%. This increase in performance was caused by several reasons.
However, the primary reason was that they (employees) had to attend fewer meetings. They can concentrate better with fewer sick days and breaks. A similar study depicted an increase in work satisfaction.
Employee productivity before the COVID-19 pandemic
Before the pandemic, only a handful of companies allowed employees to work from home. This is mainly for two reasons: first- they didn’t find remote jobs necessary, and second, employers thought it would reduce employee productivity.
A 2019 study by Labor Statistics discovered that only 24% of employees were working from home. On the other side, 82% worked at their workplaces.
A similar study also suggested that 37% of workers employed in business, management, and financial operations worked from home. Distractions in home life can avoid remote work productivity.
Another study focuses on how the entire “office” will start underperforming if all the employees start working from home. Employees working for 8 hours a day were 70% less productive than employees who worked remotely.
Situations after the pandemic
Things have definitely changed after the pandemic as people have already adapted themselves to working from home settings. Productivity somewhat increased or was constant when people began working remotely.
A report by Prodoscore shows 47% remote work productivity since March 2020. This report was equally significant in showing that employees were most productive from Tuesdays to Thursdays.
Another Stanford survey points out that 65% of Americans can easily work remotely as they have a good internet connection. Another 42% of them have a perfect environment to operate from home.
Companies such as Microsoft and Splunk witnessed a massive spike in productivity during the first few months of quarantine. But that continued to drop down later.
How To Maximize Productivity While Working From Home?
It’s not easy to shift from an on-site job to a completely remote one. Some employees find it very difficult to make the switch. Hence, how to increase productivity while working remotely. Given below are a few ideas:
Make a comfortable workspace for yourself
First things first, working on-site keeps you motivated and focused. Hence, recreate a similar working space at your house by converting an extra room into a complete office set-up.
Make sure the space is comfortable and away from potential distractions like TV or home theatres. Install all tools and appliances you will need to complete your job.
Take one step at a time!
Another way of increasing remote work productivity is by committing to smaller responsibilities. When you take shorter breaks, you can focus more on the work.
For instance, if you are working continuously for 2 hours, take a small break of 10-15 minutes. After every single break, fix an online timer and keep working for the next 2 hours uninterrupted.
Don’t overwork
We are well aware of how work-from-home takes a toll on our physical and mental health. The whole routine gets disrupted since there is no pressure to commute or something.
Hence, it’s important to put an end to long working hours. Make sure to stick to the strict working hours and put all your focus on it. The motivation to stay committed eventually helps in creating consistency.
Organize a virtual commute
Research by the New York Times shows that the hardest part of remote work is loneliness. Employees have reported how they often feel a lack of social interaction, and they fear missing out with their peers.
But you can put an end to this by scheduling a regular commute time. Furthermore, you can meet your co-workers either physically or by digital means. This will help you reduce any fear of missing out.
What Are The Problems With Remote Work Productivity?
When it comes to remote jobs, perception becomes a problem. A report by Stanford shows how the productivity of employees was higher at home, but managers were much less productive.
As per an Atlassian poll, 10% of employees don’t want to work from home, as it paints an image of them being less productive. There are multiple challenges when it comes to operating remotely.
Team members cannot communicate with their team members efficiently. It is not possible to call or text someone which is way easier when being physically present.
Another problem was reduced connectivity. People are digitally connected but they aren’t present physically and mentally. This eventually takes a toll on their motivation, and ultimately, productivity lessens.
Employees who lack self-control and discipline also find it very difficult to manage their routine while working remotely. Hence, it would be safe to say that work-from-home jobs have their fair share of pros and cons.
The Bottom Line
If I were to put my opinion, I would 100 times choose remote jobs over on-site jobs. You ask why? The simple answer is flexibility.
The fact that remote working is distracting is simply a myth. Unless we have the motivation to work as efficiently as in the office, there’s nothing that can keep us off the track.
Having said that, the discussion on remote work productivity comes to an end. Thank you for reading it till the end. Do comment below and share your thoughts on this!
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