As more businesses are transitioning to remote work, some prominent CEOs remain opposed to the movement. Research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, suggests that the success of implementing remote work depends on the organization’s flexibility in adapting to individual employees and the available technology.
The authors argue that offering remote work as an option to employees can be a potent recruitment tool that can be implemented easily by organizations with the necessary resources. The key is to provide strategic and impactful human resource and information technology departments.
“Regardless of where employees are working, these two departments are vital to a healthy workforce,” they explain. “Many businesses are embracing this newer option because it opens up the potential for more applicants and workers.”
The right support
After analyzing multiple studies, the researchers discovered that companies with efficient HR and IT departments became even more robust when employees were given the option to work from anywhere, thanks to the increased flexibility it offered.
The outcome revealed that work accomplished by employees working from home did not differ significantly from work completed by those in the office. Moreover, regardless of their location, employees could complete collaborative tasks with similar levels of quality and quantity.
“Past research has shown that the performance of remote and in-person workers were not significantly different, even when employees were working on collaborative tasks that depended upon work from other employees,” the authors continue. “In fact, research has also shown that the people working from home exhibit no decline in their ability to collaborate.”
Support across the organization
Providing financial resources and workforce assistance to HR and IT departments enables businesses to enhance their readiness in tackling challenges like employee motivation and technical difficulties, which may arise during remote work.
“To help prevent burnout and inefficient hours, HR practitioners should tailor their motivational practices to ensure they meet the unique needs of their employees, including employees who need to or would like to work from home,” the researchers continue. “That takes time and effort, but prior research shows that this support ultimately leads to mutual gains or benefits for both the employees and the company.”
According to research, HR departments that consistently seek out innovative methods to motivate employees are more likely to foster positive mindsets and attitudes, potentially reducing the risk of burnout and uncovering optimal practices for individual employees.
“People are different,” the authors conclude. “Some are more efficient when working from home, and some are more efficient being around people in the office. Either way, the workforce is changing. Industries are changing, and if companies are preventing people from working from home, they are missing out on a valuable way to expand their profits, their personnel and company health as a whole.”
