Work has drastically evolved in recent years, and it continues to change at a breakneck speed. As a result, firms of all sizes have been compelled to quickly adapt and restructure their business models. In many cases, this has necessitated a shift from traditional office-based work to remote work.
It, therefore, does not come as a surprise that more and more businesses are encouraging their employees to work remotely. Since 2005, the number of people working from home has surged by 140 percent according to Global Workplace Analytics.
While a remote work model has its perks, it also poses some challenges – both for business managers and employees. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common remote work challenges and how to overcome them.
What Are The Challenges Of Remote Work?
When done correctly, remote work can be an incredibly rewarding experience. However, there are a number of challenges that come along with it.
Challenges Employees Face:
Here are the top challenges and the best practices you can use to overcome them:
1. Distractions at home
With so many potential distractions when working from home, it can be easy for employees to get sidetracked by things that are happening around them. From family members to pets to general household chores, there are a number of things that can pull an employee’s focus away from their work.
Statistica conducted a study about the obstacles of working remotely in 2020. According to the survey, handling at-home distractions is one of the most difficult aspects of working remotely for 47 percent of respondents.
To overcome this challenge, set clear expectations and guidelines for employees regarding what is considered acceptable behavior while working from home. It’s also important to provide employees with the tools and resources they need to minimize distractions, such as noise-cancelling headphones and separate workspaces.
3. Loneliness
When you’re used to working in an office, it can be quite jarring to suddenly be working remotely. One of the biggest challenges that people face when working remotely is loneliness.
This is because you no longer have the opportunity to interact with your co-workers on a daily basis. This feeling of isolation can quickly lead to loneliness. As per the 2022 State of Remote Work report, 24% of remote employees face the challenge of loneliness.
To combat this, encourage employees, through provisions in your remote work policy, to connect more with their co-workers. They don’t have to be physically in the same place. Social media, group chats or virtual coffee meetings can help alleviate isolation, preventing loneliness from creeping in.
Additionally, encourage the extroverts in your remote team to work from a co-working space nearest to them. Co-working spaces provide the social interaction these employees crave, which can help the feeling of isolation dissipate.
3. Overworking
The line between work and home can often become blurred when working remotely. The lack of the physical separation of an office can make it an obstacle to delineating between work life and home life. Consequently, many remote workers find themselves working longer hours and taking less time off, which can lead to burnout.
The most prevalent challenge remote employees face, according to Buffer’s 2019 State of Remote Work report, is unplugging after work, which 22 percent of respondents claimed they face.
Furthermore, in a 2022 study by Statistica, 25% of respondents said that being unable to unplug was their main challenge when working remotely. Because the majority of individuals who work from home don’t have a dedicated workstation, they have a conflation of their workspace and their living space.
To avoid this, it’s important to set boundaries between work and home. This can be done by creating a designated workspace, setting regular office hours, and taking scheduled breaks throughout the day. Additionally, it’s important to make sure that you’re taking time off when you need it — and don’t feel guilty about doing so.
4. Staying motivated
Motivation can be a challenge for any employee, but it can be even more arduous for those who are working remotely. When you’re not in an office surrounded by co-workers, it can be easy to lose sight of your goals and become less driven.
Having all employees working under the same roof in an on-site setting can help to create a sense of camaraderie and motivation. However, the sense of togetherness can quickly vanish if an employee is always working alone from home.
When an employee can feel the presence of his/her teammates, it can be difficult to stay motivated. As per Buffer’s 2019 State of Remote Work report, motivation is a struggle for 21% of remote workers.
There are a number of ways to stay motivated when working remotely. One way is to connect with other remote workers and create a sense of community. Additionally, it’s important to set clear goals and deadlines and to reward yourself for meeting them.
Employees have a 2.8 times higher probability of being engaged when goals and accountability are explicit, according to research. Positive outcomes are more likely to emerge when staff work together to create clear goals.
Challenges Business Managers Face:
1. Communication Breakdown
Since remote work relies heavily on communication, any breakdown in this area can quickly lead to a number of unforeseen challenges. When a manager doesn’t communicate effectively with employees, it can lead to a loss of productivity, miscommunication, and hig turnover.
According to the 2022 State of Remote Work report, collaboration and communication are a challenge for 17%
There are a number of ways to deal with communication issues, including:
- Investing in the right communication tools is critical for any business with remote employees. This could include video conferencing software, group chat platforms, and even project management tools.
- Establishing clear guidelines and expectations regarding communication, such as how often employees should check-in and what type of information should be communicated.
- Ensuring everyone is on the same page by holding regular team meetings (either in person or via video conference) to discuss any updates or changes.
- Managers should make an effort to over-communicate with employees to ensure that there are no misunderstandings.
- Setting up clear communication channels and protocols that all employees can follow.
2. Technology Issues
When working remotely, technology can be your best friend — or your worst enemy. On one hand, it allows you to connect with co-workers and customers from anywhere in the world. On the other hand, it can be unreliable, which can lead to a number of challenges.
Some common technology issues that remote workers face include:
- Difficulty connecting to video conferencing tools
- Poor internet connection
- Issues with collaboration tools
- Security concerns
- Software compatibility issues
According to a global poll conducted by Riverbed, an IT company, in June 2020, 94 percent of CEOs claimed that technology issues had impacted their organization and staff while they worked remotely. The four main issues that remote workers encounter, according to survey respondents, are poor quality video for meetings, getting disconnected from corporate networks often, slow response time for apps, and slow file downloads.
To overcome these challenges, it’s important to have the right remote work software stack in place. This includes having a strong internet connection, using secure collaboration tools, and having a backup plan for when technology fails. Additionally, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest technology trends and developments.
3. Time Zone Differences
Remote work has opened up a whole new world of opportunity for businesses by allowing them to hire talents from any part of the world. However, with this newfound freedom comes the challenge of time zone differences.
When you have employees working in different time zones, it can be difficult to schedule conference calls, video meetings, and other forms of communication. Furthermore, keeping track of deadlines and ensuring that all employees on the same page can be difficult.
Researchers from Boston University and Harvard Business School argued in the Harvard Business Review for a reduction in modern “meeting madness.” It’s quite typical in today’s work culture to spend a whole day in meetings. As a matter of fact, managers can spend up to 23 hours per week in meetings.
While time zone differences can create some challenges when working remotely, there are a number of ways to overcome them. One way is to use a tool like Google Calendar, which can help you keep track of events and deadlines in different time zones.
Additionally, it’s important to be aware of the different time zones of your co-workers and ensure that you’re taking them into account when scheduling meetings and deadlines. You should have clear protocols in place for deadlines and project management.
Learn From The Best…
One company that has successfully overcome the time zone challenge despite being fully remote is Zapier. Zapier has always worked in multiple time zones as a distributed team.
It began in the United States and today in 17 time zones spanning 24 countries and has done so for the past eight years. This company relies extensively on Zoom video conferencing for communication, with such a huge and geographically dispersed crew.
Prior to Zoom, Zapier explored Google Hangouts and another service, but they could not manage huge groups of video conference users at the same time. Zoom, on the other hand, did not disappoint. Its performance has been flawless and has helped them keep their culture alive.
Understand These Challenges to Find Proactive Solutions
The challenges of working remotely can seem daunting, but they can be overcome with the right mindset and approach. By being aware of the challenges, you can put systems in place to avoid or mitigate them.
Additionally, staying up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in remote work can help to ensure that your business is prepared for the future. With the right tools and protocols in place, you can successfully navigate the challenges of working remotely and reap the benefits of this growing trend.
