It is necessary to dispel a few urban legends that still seem to prevail in some companies:
• It is false to believe that a person present works more than an employee in remote mode: studies show that remote mode allows great efficiency and employees appreciate being able to deal with certain files in peace.
• It is also wrong to think that Mondays and Fridays should not be conducted remotely because of the “extension” of the weekend. What is required of the employee is to be efficient and effective and to deal with the files entrusted to him/her within the time limits. The question is more: how does the manager manage and measure the productivity of his/her employees?
• It is always wrong to claim that the best efficiency is achieved with all employees in the office at the same time. Coming to work to spend the day writing emails and answering the phone is not the best way to interact with colleagues, is it?
It is more important to ask ourselves why staff do not come back to the office regularly. Let’s try some ideas:
• Travelling to and from the office is time-consuming and by reducing this, more time can be spent working
• The physical environment (location, premises, space) is no longer adapted to the wishes of the staff
• The employees’ job description allows for a good distribution between face-to-face and remote work
• Management is simply not up to scratch and generates more problems than solutions: employees therefore “flee” the presence of the boss…
• Staff can organise their day better by being remote because they are less disturbed by “unplanned” operations.
These are just a few assumptions, of course. To please some bosses, let’s add the fact that a very small percentage of the employees take advantage of the situation…
It is important to find together - managers and employees - a solution that is as effective as possible in the specific context of the company. Copy and paste’ does not work in these situations. It is the right combination of options and dialogue that will lead to a common goal. Without this, staff turnover and distance learning have a long way to go!
Have a good read, a good week, and good thoughts.