Remote workers are finding new solutions.
Another major employer is embracing the remote work culture: Google has announced that their employees work from home until summer 2021. Working from home is here to stay as companies are committing to greater safety, flexibility and online collaboration. A new survey conducted by Prodoscore shows that the vast majority of remote workers - 90% - are open to a proposed increase in productivity. This move could create greater confidence from managers as well as remote workers. This key element builds on the kind of accountability that’s often missing in an out-of-office business model.
In a survey where 77% of respondents are currently working from home, trust is a vital aspect of employee effectiveness. Productivity, in a remote work culture, is a key concern for managers - but also for employees. Visibility is the key factor in delivering and measuring productivity. And 90% of respondents are open to their employers having greater insight into their daily productivity. Productivity and visibility are directly linked for survey respondents - and their companies.
One of the drivers of the openness to employers using visibility tools relates to recognition. Almost half of respondents (47%) said they have been frustrated by their efforts not being recognized. Everyone wants to be heard, listened to and understood. Having your work acknowledged can be a particular challenge, even in the times before COVID-19 when everyone was working in an office. No one likes to be overlooked, especially when working from home can cause a feeling of invisibility that didn’t exist before.
So what’s the key to being successful in a more visible remote work environment? Karen Mangia says, “Success is not a location.” Karen is part of the Work From Home Taskforce at Salesforce, where she serves as Vice President of Customer Insights. She’s the author of Working From Home: How to Make the New Normal Work for You, due out from Wiley next month. “Most people did not choose to work from home. I’ve observed that there have been three phases in that experience. The first was adrenaline: ‘we’re going to do what we’ve got to do to keep our customers satisfied,’” she shares, pointing to the initial enthusiasm as commutes disintegrated and productivity soared. People were working 3-4 more hours per day, on average.
“Phase II is where we realize that the honeymoon is over,” Mangia continues. “Now we’re in Phase III, where people are wondering, how long is this going to last?” While that answer remains elusive, enthusiasm around greater visibility and measurement is growing. The reason? Recognition.
It’s easy to feel isolated when working remote. You may feel that your work speaks for itself - but of course it never does. If it did, your portfolio and a spreadsheet would be enough for your next job interview. Great output doesn’t mean much if the right people don’t get to see your efforts. What are you doing to broker greater visibility? Or, if you’re a leader, what are you doing to increase your virtual observation and create online opportunities to listen to your team? In an online world, we all have to be deliberate about where we place our attention.
If you’re looking to make an impact in your career, take steps towards greater visibility. Your company may invest in software tools; how about you make an investment as well? Communicate a greater level of accountability - and broker the visibility that remote workers crave.
“We were not surprised to learn that the majority of employees surveyed were not only open to giving employers visibility into their workday but welcomed it,” said Sam Naficy, CEO of Prodoscore. For the remote workforce, greater visibility might be the most important tool for your team, your organization - and your career.
