In situations where employees work remotely either part or all of the time, it’s imperative that organizations provide technology that allows them to maintain productivity and feel in the loop no matter where they’re working. The technology must be adaptable to allow for the necessary flexibility.
While many employees do indeed telecommute full-time, even more prevalent are flexible work arrangements, in which people work at an office sometimes and remotely other times. Research by Global Workplace Analytics, cited in an article on CMSWire, found that 20 million people telecommute at least once a month and 3 million at least once a week.
Regardless of how much work is being done remotely, at its core the digital workplace is about improving employee engagement and satisfaction. But you’ll never achieve that if employees don’t have the capabilities to work remotely and still feel connected to the rest of the team.
And it’s not just about work. The author notes that working remotely can sometimes lead to loneliness: “Do you realize how crazy it can feel to have ongoing conversations with your dog or cat, or a reincarnation of that imaginary childhood friend? Do you understand the desperation you drip when you refuse to return the signature pad to the UPS man — just so you can engage him in small talk a few minutes more?”
We agree that it can be easy to forget about the human factor when thinking about flexible work arrangements and the digital workplace. However, there’s still a human socialization factor involved. For instance, seeing people face-to-face helps to build trust over time and can improve relationships. And collaboration isn’t always planned; some of the best ideas come from spur-of-the-moment conversations. A survey cited in the article found that 72 percent of people — including 60 percent of millennials — prefer in-person collaboration.
That’s why the end goal should be to create not only a physical work environment that allows for those interactions, but to the extent possible a virtual work environment that makes it easy for employees to feel connected and collaborate without restrictions.
Source: CMSWire, February 2014
