Habits, relatives: what prevents the spread of remote work in the US - ForumDaily
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Habits, relatives: what prevents the spread of remote work in the US

In the US, in 2016, at least part of their time, almost 43% of employees worked from home. Udalenka allows you to reduce office costs, hire the best employees and build a round-the-clock mode of operation, using the difference in time zones. But not all employees can (or want) to work from home, not all clients and partners trust companies without an office and not all managers can manage from a distance. What pitfalls prevent the spread of the practice of remote work in the US and how to overcome them, said the publication Inc.

Фото: Depositphotos

According to report UN World Labor Organization, the drivers for the development of remote work in different countries vary. In the US, teleworking is promoted mainly as a business model that allows you to attract talented employees and save on administrative costs. In Brazil - as a way to reduce the harmful effects of transport on the environment. In Japan, it is an opportunity to attract new labor resources (young women with children) in an aging population. In Russia - as an opportunity to overcome the impending consequences of the demographic failure of 90-x and the possibility of reducing costs.

Organizing the company's work remotely allows you to quickly scale up, hire the best in your business, wherever they are, and opens up unexpected possibilities — for example, using remote employees from different time zones allows you to organize inexpensive round-the-clock customer support. A business with a distributed team is more resistant to various economic shocks due to the absence of significant fixed costs. But which hidden sides of distant work are often forgotten?

Not every employee can work from home.

It is possible that some of your employees are not against a couple of days a week working outside the office - many large companies are already giving this opportunity to valuable personnel. But if you close the office at one moment and start working from home to everyone, this will not end with anything good. In my experience, on average, adaptation to a new, completely remote mode of operation, when it is necessary to independently form and maintain an operating mode, can take from six months to a year. Some employees will never be able to adapt for a number of reasons - from domestic (as the absence of a normal workplace in an apartment) to psychological (when working remotely, orientation toward achieving goals becomes important).

Фото: Depositphotos

Many employees are confused by household members. Several times from both hired employees and business owners I heard the same similar story: one spouse goes to work in the office, and the other tries to work remotely from home - and this work does not add up: it is assumed that the one who stayed at home, should also deal with life. But after doing all the household chores, only a few hours can remain on the “remote”, and the spouse, who returned from the office in the evening, will assume that he, unlike “some,” is really tired. Older people in general often do not take the “sitting” at home seriously and constantly suggest thinking about “serious” work.

Sometimes the employees themselves are not ready to change their office to work from home - because of this, they even have to part with the team and recruit a new one.

What to do:

  1. To start a new business in a remote format, recruit employees from those who have already had successful “remote” experience for at least a year.
  2. Those who are just trying to work from home will need help. Some companies subsidize renting space in coworking or one-time help to equip a workplace at home. But help can be intangible: in the form of advice on organization and planning, in the form of psychological support and short training on self-organization.
  3. If you intend to close the physical office and transfer employees to remote operation, then be prepared for the fact that for this you may have to dial a new team.

Communication problems

For effective communication at a distance, a manager must master the skills of high-quality and intelligible writing. If in the office, face to face, you can quickly explain the task "on the fingers" and immediately see or even feel the reaction of employees, then everything goes slower and more difficult via the Internet. The difference in time zones, the impossibility of non-verbal communication, technical interference complicate communication.
What to do
  1. If possible, at least once every six months, assemble a team in person, so that employees can rest for a few days, work and communicate with each other. According to a study conducted among 1,2 million employees in 52 companies in the US, for 6 months even in the office, the motivation of employees falls by 85%. A face-to-face meeting will also accelerate mutual understanding between employees in the future, and help newcomers to meet colleagues and quickly “soak up” the style and work culture.
  2. Learn to clearly express your thoughts in writing, and to convey important strategic information, use stories and images. To practice, start a blog, try to write a few articles, work with a professional editor.
  3. Make regular video calls with employees, discussing not only business issues, but also just talking. Some companies even arrange virtual coffee breaks via video call during the working day.

Not all partners and customers are willing to collaborate remotely.

It is important for many large customers to meet and talk in person, and also to make sure, albeit “for show”, that the company has an office. And although those who are no longer surprised by the distributed team are becoming more and more, the presence of a special place where several employees are sitting is still perceived as a sign of a successful business. And potential partners for the formation of trust is often not enough communication by correspondence or through calls, and they are in no hurry to share important information.

What to do

  1. Some companies, after moving to a remote office, move to a small office and leave there only client managers and a secretary, so that customers have a place to go.
  2. Others immediately openly declare his absence - this narrows the circle of potential customers and partners, but at the same time helps to find them faster among those who already use such an approach.

Without getting up from the couch, big business does not build

Let's look at the facts: there is not a single case where a large company was built entirely on the “remote”. Yes, there are many entrepreneurs who develop their business, traveling to exotic countries or living in the countryside in nature - but usually it is a micro or small business, self-employment. Building a multi-billion dollar company and its rapid development is still associated with face-to-face communication — with customers, employees, partners, investors, and market colleagues, which, in turn, requires a presence in an office in the city. Do you dream to build a large business, working only remotely from a small resort village? Forget about it.

What to do

  1. If you, as an entrepreneur, do not want to live in a megalopolis at all, an intermediate option is possible: create a schedule of conferences, events, meetings and regularly travel to the city. Perhaps some of those with whom I would like to communicate, will come to you themselves, if you settled in a pleasant and nice place.
  2. If you already manage a company remotely, but live in a small town, try to estimate the total cost of regular trips. According to the results of the analysis, it may turn out to be more profitable to live in a good and expensive metropolitan area within walking distance from the events and clients that are needed.

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