Since the pandemic hit in early 2020, the topic of remote work has been thrust into the spotlight. There have been strong advocates for both sides of the coin, with some experts being staunchly opposed to remote work and yet others in total favor of it.
Like most things in business and in life, too much or too little of anything is usually not the answer. As you’re determining whether remote work is right for your business, you must consider the position of the employee and their personality. Outside of that, you should also consider the impact of remote work on your office culture.
Not All Positions Are Created Equally
One of the first things business owners should consider when examining the pros and cons of remote work is the positions of the employees who would potentially be working remotely.
There are some roles that are ideal for remote work, due to their level of communication with coworkers, their technical aptitude, and their hands-off nature when it comes to the actual products the business provides.
- Designers: Graphic designers, web designers and developers, and product design engineers tend to spend a lot of time working in isolation on their computers. That’s not to say they aren’t involved in meetings daily, but they spend the majority of their time working on their designs. They’re also highly technical people who know their way around a computer, making remote meetings and collaborations second-nature.
- Sales Reps: The remote environment is nothing new to outside sales reps, who have spent their careers working in the cars, in coffee shops, and in hotels. Field salespeople, like designers and engineers, are masters of mobile communication. Inside salespeople who have traditionally spent most of their time in an office setting may not be as well-equipped as their outside counterparts to handle the change to remote. That said, they are used to spending most of their day on the phone or sending emails, so it should be something they can adjust to quickly.
- Buyers: Another group that spend the majority of time on the computer is buyers. They analyze inventory levels and handle requests from coworkers to place orders with the company’s suppliers, but they aren’t often on the shop floor physically counting product. Thus, their role is well-suited for remote work if they can effectively manage the inventory from their computer, as most already do.
- Accountants: The money managers of your business rarely ever speak face-to-face with customers, and in some cases, may not communicate with 90% of your workforce either. They typically communicate with upper management and handle customer invoicing and collections via email, so their positions are ideal for remote work.
- Customer Service: The fact that customer service positions have been outsourced overseas for many years says it all. While their in a benefit to having in-house customer service if your business gets a lot of walk-in customers, like at a car dealership, most customer service positions would not be impacted by transitioning to remote work.
Personality Matters
This is where your leadership acumen comes into play. You must know your employees to be able to gauge whether they will be productive in a remote role. Even if they hold a position that is well-suited for remote work, their personality may not be.
Some people are easily distracted at home and have a hard time staying on task. Others have the ability to focus on the job at hand no matter where they are, leaning on a strong internal motivation to do a good job.
If an employee is one that tends to just do enough to get by while they’re in the office, they may not be a candidate for remote work where nobody is watching over their shoulder to hold them accountable. On the flip side, if an employee is a consistent over-achiever whose performance is driven by their own desire to succeed, not just the desire to punch the time clock, they would probably thrive in a remote setting.
Office Culture is a Fragile Thing
If you run a business, you know that one of the most difficult parts of your job is managing the office culture. This is because you’re dealing with a variety of different personalities and balancing employee satisfaction with company needs.
The satisfaction of your employees should be a constant thought, since happy employees are more productive employees. If you’ve worked hard to create a positive work environment and generally have a group of happy employees, the remote work subject can be a scary proposition simply because you will probably not be able to offer it to everyone.
This can create turmoil within your office. The employees who aren’t eligible for remote work, such as those in manufacturing or customer-facing roles, may not take it kindly that their counterparts no longer have to fight the traffic every day and deal with the extra hours they put in to commute.
When this happens, it can disrupt an previously stable work environment and cause loads of problems. This is why it’s very important for you, as the owner, to understand those feelings and anticipate them ahead of time. If you are planning to offer remote work to a certain group of employees but not others, consider making it up to the ones who still have to commute in other ways.
Perhaps the money you’ll save by going remote for some will allow you to offer a small pay raise for those who don’t have that luxury. Or, if that is not an option, find other ways to show the commuters that they are not undervalued, like company lunches or increased vacation days.
The bottom line is, you must understand the potential disruptions to your culture that could occur and stay ahead of them before they become a major problem that you can’t reverse.
Conclusion
Ultimately the decision to offer remote work must be one that doesn’t harm your business. If remote work won’t hinder productivity and won’t hurt your office culture, then it should be considered as a viable option.
Remote workers are often happier due to the increased level of control they have over their daily activities and the elimination of stress caused by commuting daily. This increased happiness can lead to greater productivity, longer tenure, and better outcomes for your business. If implemented properly, with the right employee personalities, the right employee roles, and the proper planning to take care of the ones who must commute, going remote might be one of the best things you can do for your people and your business.
