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5 Remote Work Myths Businesses Need to Debunk Right Now

Remote work: A quick introduction

The pandemic brought with it challenges that no business had ever faced before. It created concerns like maintaining social distance, shipping and delivery of goods during global lockdowns, and extreme levels of hygiene. These pushed both companies and customers into adopting never-before-used practices and embracing an entirely new set of habits. 

The global public health crisis seems to have drastically altered traditional methods, perhaps for the better. Today, approximately two years into the worldwide pandemic, one of the fastest-growing trends is that of employees starting to full time from home.

This allows employees greater flexibility in their daily routine, saving them time and money spent on commute, and allows them to work from anywhere. It also offers them a higher level of safety by reducing their mandatory exposure to the outside world.

According to a report by BBC, a survey of 4,700 knowledge concluded that about 72% of them would prefer a hybrid remote-office model to full-time offline work in the post-pandemic world.

Remote enables employers to hire diverse and uniquely skilled from all across the globe, ultimately benefitting both the organization and employees. 

What are some of the most common remote work myths?

A significant number of companies and managers continue to remain sceptical about the nature of remote . This blog takes a look at some of the most common myths related to the work-from-home culture and how 2021 may be the perfect time to leave them behind.

  1. Remote working can get lonely

The unprecedented reduction of offline interaction among humans has undoubtedly raised concerns about how work-from-home can render employees into sedentary, isolated lifestyles.

While it is believed that remote working can cause a certain amount of loneliness, it most definitely is not a deal-breaking pitfall. An added misconception to this situation is that employees who work from home do not know how to be good at teamwork.  

The company must organize activities where employees can socialize with each other without having to be physically present. Hosting regular team-building activities and non-formal meetings via video calls can act as a much-needed respite for today’s work culture.

Particularly in hybrid, where some employees handle ground operations while their co-do their job online, it is essential to hosting activities and interactions that give them enough space to get to know and understand one another. 

  1. Work-from-home results in unproductivity 

An image-search of remote on Google brings up pictures where employees can be seen attending virtual meetings from exotic vacationing locations, taking calls in their pajamas while lying in bed, etc.

The theory that a remote workforce doesn’t enough owing to the lack of supervision and constant monitoring has been debunked time and again. 

The truth of remote is very different from what Google images and other websites have to offer. Some studies claim that remote, in fact, have longer hours than onsite employees in some cases.

Indeed, employees remotely do not have their bosses constantly hovering over them, but they still can execute tasks assigned to them better because their goals are very properly communicated.

  1. Remote working fails to build a strong team culture

The presumption that the remote doesn’t get enough opportunities to interact with their co-is misplaced. 

Traditionally, a company’s culture is often defined by the communication and relationships that are formed offline, as colleagues spend a big part of their day together.

Remote inculcates several ways that can be followed to build a strong company culture online. And, as long as a company knows how to implement its core values properly, it will be starting off on the right foot.

Holding regular happy-hour video calls where employees can interact casually with each other can be a great way of ensuring workplace bonding. Brands can also organize offline meet-ups every few days or weeks while maintaining appropriate safety precautions.

Remote is no more a trend that will pass, and is in fact, maybe here to stay. The sooner businesses accept this new reality and take necessary steps to facilitate it, the better.

  1. Remote working may compromise data privacy

As remote becomes the new norm, companies must adopt enough measures to keep their data safe. If highly sensitive information is accessed using local coffee shop WiFi, it can prove to be a massive cause of concern for the company. 

A robust cybersecurity policy in addition to a clearly outlined security protocol that employees must comply with is essential. In accordance with the same, a set of guidelines that makes it easier for to adhere to this protocol will be of huge help. 

Employees must be encouraged to use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to make sure company data is not jeopardised in any way.

Other protective measures such as enabling password managers to store and generate strong passwords, implementing two-factor verification systems, installing anti-virus as well as anti-malware software can help establish a sound system of managing, accessing and storing company data.

  1. Work-from-home requires strict and careful monitoring

Companies and executives feel pressured to maintain stricter surveillance on remote employees because of the common misconception that the work-from-home model reduces productivity.

The two most common measures that companies take to keep a check on remote are time-tracking software and incessant communication. Time-tracking software helps organizations keep track of how employees spend their hours.

Incessant communication, on the other hand, is a method that can backfire. In some cases, senior officials maintain hourly checks on their employees and extremely tight deadlines to ensure nobody is wasting hours. 

While team monitoring is essential, supervision should turn into a privacy intrusion. Going overboard with regular checks and maintaining discipline in the virtual workspace may make employees doubt their seniors’ trust in them.

This can lead to lopsided culture and create a sense of suspicion among everyone involved in the business. Managers and other employees at higher positions need to keep faith in their employees to maintain a healthy environment. 

*Recommended Read: https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/04/12/three-popular-remote-work-myths-to-leave-behind-in-2021/?sh=162a40492150 

Debunking work myths for a brighter future

Plenty of researches and studies conducted around remote working debunk most of the myths commonly associated with it. Managers and executives of modern-day businesses need to keep in mind that work-from-home in the post-pandemic world is a culture that will only grow and expand. 

As more and more employees wish to continue from home or at least become part of some sort of hybrid work culture, today’s companies do not have much choice but to comply mutually. 

While some brands continue to be critical about these evolving trends in the market, it is essential to remember that such cultures allow employees to do the work they enjoy doing and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Written by
Suza Anjleena

Suza Anjleena is a Blogger, Tech Geek, SEO Expert, and Designer. Loves to buy books online, read and write about Technology, Gadgets, Gaming, LifeStyle, Education, Business, and more category articles that are liked by most of her audience. You can contact me via Email to: Beautyanjleena@gmail.com Thanks

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