Despite the wealth of evidence about the benefits of remote and hybrid working generated during the pandemic, an increasing number of employers are issuing return-to-the-office mandates. Many of these demands are driven by a belief that collaboration thrives when we’re face-to-face with our colleagues.

Research from the University of Delaware explores whether the kind of relationships that underpin effective collaboration are undermined by remote working.

A glimpse into our personal lives

The study used a mix of archived data, fieldwork, and experiments to explore how seeing coworkers’ nonwork lives on video calls affects workplace relationships. The researchers found that these glimpses of home life can make people seem more authentic, human, and trustworthy, which in turn builds stronger personal and professional connections.

The findings offer a more nuanced view of remote work’s impact on employee relationships and include practical advice for managers weighing the pros and cons of returning to the office. After all, most perspectives on remote work suggest that it creates distance between us rather than provides us with fresh insights into one another’s lives.

The study suggests there are three main ways in which remote work helps to provide us with a glimpse into the lives of our colleagues. The first of these is that we learn nonwork information about each other; the second that this information sharing is often unintentional; and the third is that because video is quite a rich platform, it provides a vivid look into people’s lives.

Authentic connections

The researchers hypothesized that providing such informal glimpses into the lives of our colleagues would help us to create the kind of trustworthy and authentic connections that underpin good teamwork and collaboration, not to mention the kind of workplace friendships that so many of us say we crave.

For instance, in one experiment they asked employees what they had learned about their colleagues during video calls when they worked from home (and how this made them feel). The researchers also harvested social media to collect thousands of comments on remote working from platforms like LinkedIn and Reddit.

This process showed that we tend to pick up a wide range of new work- and non-work-related information about our colleagues when we engage with them via the screen. This includes how they spend their free time, their religious or political views, and even how they parent.

They also conducted an experiment whereby employees were shown a video meeting with a new colleague where they were asked to collaborate on a task. The call was simulated in such a way that they learned some new work and nonwork information about their colleague.

The results show that people were much more likely to invest in both personal and professional relationships with their colleagues when they received nonwork-related information that was perceived as unintentional. This is because they viewed that person as more trustworthy and authentic after the “real” glimpse into their lives.

New mindset

With so many managers hell-bent on forcing employees back into the office, the researchers suggest that they may benefit from checking some of their biases about work and their employees. It’s very possible that they’ve absorbed the narrative about remote work harming relationships without ever putting it to the test or actually asking their employees. It’s something the Arbinger Institute refers to as leadership self-deception, and can undermine our ability to find win-win solutions for employers and employees alike.

After the adoption of a more open mindset, the Delaware researchers believe managers can start to see the relational possibilities remote work can provide. The process can provide a glimpse into the lives of colleagues and thus support relationships rather than harm them. They suggest a first step is to lead by example and not only work virtually yourself but also ensure that doing so provides a glimpse into your nonwork life. For instance, it’s common for us to blur the background on our calls, but this can limit the insight others can get into our homes, so should be used sparingly.

It might also be worthwhile dedicating some time and space on video calls for more personal conversations. Indeed, in a previous article, I wrote about research from Wharton that outlines how a series of easy-to-use questions can help forge strong connections, even over the internet. The research shows that distance need not be an impediment to good relationships.

With “relationship building” one of the reasons why managers are pulling employees back to the office, the research should provide reason to pause and question whether assumptions are actually valid or whether you’re mandating things that employees generally find unpopular based upon outmoded beliefs.