In a study conducted by Owl Labs, a very interesting fact was revealed. People working from home were happier 22% more than those who worked from the office. This might actually come as a surprise to most people, probably because of the way we have been conditioned to live and work. Actually, we might not even have imagined the culture of remote work if it wasn’t due to the advancement in technology in the last couple of decades and the Covid Pandemic.
When the pandemic hit us out of the blue, billions of people across the globe would have lost their livelihood if it wasn’t for technology. Working remotely became a necessity and over time, made us realize how it solves multiple problems that employees (and employers) had because of working from the office and that has eventually led to employees being happier. As a result, we ended up becoming more passionate and productive at work.
Let us now take a glance at the reasons that contribute to remotely operating teams becoming a more passionate and productive workforce.
For generations, we have known commuting as the only way to work. We have been used to commuting for hours every day to and from work. But working from home due to a global calamity made us realize that technology has advanced enough for us to permanently work from home.
Commuting every day used to put a lot of pressure on the employees, especially with the stress of reaching their office on time. Some research even showed that long commuting negatively impacts our health, increasing the risks of obesity, insomnia, stress, somatic pain, high blood pressure, depression, etc.
Letting go of commuting has reduced the stress and thus, people don’t reach work, already tired. Telecommuting allows people some time for themselves, calmer mornings, and the ability to start their work with a fresh mind. Thus, making them more productive.
The ability to have flexible work options, such as the freedom to choose when, where, and how to perform their work, has become a growing priority for young professionals and one of the key factors in a fulfilling career. They no longer have to constantly worry about anything else apart from providing high-quality work on the stipulated time.
Working remotely has given the employees a sense of having a work-life balance as never before. They can now squeeze in time for the things they love to do, which has in more than one way made them much happier and restored the passion they had for their jobs.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a big economic cost of mental illness ($1 trillion per year) stems from workers’ reduced productivity. Quite obviously, with bad mental health, the employees will not be able to give in their best to the job. While much has been discussed on increasing the focus on mental wellbeing by various organizations to improve work output, we seldom realize that workers’ wellness can really benefit from good working practices. Being able to make time for themselves and the decreased stress of working from the office could help contribute to the improvement of employees’ mental health and hence, their productivity.
Not just the mental health, but being engaged in their office the entire day didn’t allow them to focus on their physical health. Now, they have the liberty and energy to engage in physical activities to take care of their overall health and wellbeing.
Working in offices generates a lot of interruptions, like meetings, water cooler talks, and just the overall ambiance. The days seem long but the work rarely happens as efficiently as it can. The ability to be alone with your thoughts is an undeniable advantage of working remotely. It allows people to create a zone for themselves that allows them to enjoy working and therefore, be happier and more productive.
Until a few years ago, thinking that being able to travel as much as one wanted to while having a corporate career would have been impossible. The acceptance of remote working in more organizations has allowed everyone, especially young professionals, to live their life to the fullest, travel as much as they want, and still have a corporate job that they are passionate about.
One of the most crucial benefits of remote working is the ability to be influenced by different environments by sitting in different cafes every day, moving around to different cities, or anything the employees want. It allows them to reset their mind and be able to see more perspectives than they normally could do sitting in the same cubicle, seeing the same old office floor as their view every single day.
A change of scenery has led people to generate all sorts of new ideas. Such variety also translates to their work and has an impact on the way they think. Hence, giving them the ability to come up with new and more efficient solutions to any problem.
Now that we have established that remote working is here to stay and brings in more productivity and passion to the employees, let us see what you, as an employer, can do to ensure that your employees are happier and more productive.
Ensure you have provided your employees with the basic equipment to work- laptop, portable internet, etc. This will give them a sense of ownership and also reduce stress levels.
As a manager/employer, you should be able to engage with the employees and have a healthy rapport with them. This allows them to have loyalty towards the organization and discuss issues with the team which would further increase the overall productivity.
The employees need to have a good and healthy relationship with each other. Working in a good team would lead to great ideas and smoother functioning.
Celebrate all the achievements of the employees- small or big. This would bring the employees closer and motivate them to work better to stay on track.
Allowing the employees to work remotely would also entail for the managers and employers to be more flexible concerning the boundaries of the employees. A mutual sense of respect would add to the passion with which the employees work.
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