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Remote work productivity: the (high) performance wears casual

The concept of productivity has returned to the agenda and, as it has not been seen for a long time, it consumes the lion’s share of the reflections of those in charge – or interested in – the management of human resources. But, all things considered, the ongoing revolution is bringing up news that are at all bad for remote work productivity.

44% of professionals consider that their productivity has increased with teleworking”; “Remote work is booming in the world but productivity worries companies”; “Almost 70% of companies want to keep telecommuting for all employees in the post-pandemic”… Daily press headlines are more than many. Sometimes contradictory. They translate a myriad of feelings, with uncertainties and fears to the mix – all understandable in the face of changing times.

But when more and more large companies, including multinationals, adopt flexible working models, and announce that they are doing it permanently, this is not an impulse … It is more than a sign. It is a trend, some say. An unstoppable movement, accentuate others.

Employees decide where to work, for the sake of remote work productivity

In any case, and for the sake of productivity in remote work, reality shows that there is no lack of brands to even let employees decide where they prefer to work from now on. At the company’s office. At home, homeworking. In a hybrid model. Or coworking, also at a distance, in collaborative spaces equipped with all conditions.

In fact, according to some studies, seven out of ten companies put on the horizon adopting a hybrid regime, that is, a week of work with some remote days and others in person. In another way, according to statistical studies by human resources companies, almost 65% of professionals believe that remote work will be a permanent change.

Also read: What is Coworking?…

Organizations try to adapt to a new world. To the point that the renewed working models are forcing many companies, on the ground, all over the world, to adapt even their own offices to the rules of another game. That happens equally out of doors.

Unsurprisingly, recent reports from global societies studying trends in the world of work show that there are more and more companies and organizations considering the digital workspace as “extremely important” or as “very important priority”. Always with remote work productivity in mind.

Hybrid, agile, scalable and cloud solutions

As a result, as the meaning of the workspace underwent an irreversible change in 2020 – since it is more disconnected from a specific geographic location – the era of the hybrid office (whether in coworking, homeworking or, as some call it, blended office, with variants ) is forcing the business community to provide employees with efficient (digital) work tools, adjusted to new needs, as well as additional technical support.

Consequently, we see a large majority of firms not only concerned with using budgets as efficiently as possible, but also favoring hybrid, agile and scalable solutions, hosted in the cloud.

Productivity in remote work: more punctual and efficient meetings

And the perception is that there has been greater productivity in remote work (less time spent on trips, meetings developed with more punctuality and in greater numbers, since they are more efficient).

In some countries, surveys by human resources firms show that almost 45 percent of the surveyed professionals consider that their productivity has increased by working remotely, with almost 90 being satisfied with the current teleworking situation.

These figures explain why the transformation, in many cases, has been monitored with new tools and accompanied by additional communication and coordination efforts between colleagues and work teams. The contact points between all employees are, therefore, normally marked as fundamental to the overall performance.

In fact, high performance now wears new clothes. And it is much more casual. But it doesn’t happen by chance. It also depends on each employee, on a daily basis, and on small routines that can make a difference – especially in a context where the boundaries between home and work are blurred.

New context, new routines

Teleworking blurred the timeline. And because this can negatively affect work performance, it is necessary for the teleworker to plan daily activities and set schedules. So that personal and / or family duties do not intercept professionals and hinder productivity in remote work.

It may seem like a minor issue, but in fact, the definition and organization of a (tele) work space is essential. If you do not have physical conditions at home, if you are unable to work with the usual distractions at home, or to be abstracted from them, in order to have the necessary privacy and concentration, then, perhaps, the solution may pass through a coworking solution – with the associated benefits.

Frequent work phone calls, videoconferencing meetings, Internet network speed, functional and ergonomic furniture (designed for long hours of work), adequate lighting and air conditioning are fundamental details that should be taken into account when dimensioning – in quantity and quality – the your remote workday.

In reality, flexible time management is one of the advantages of working at a distance, but it should be combined with the rest of the team. Who may also be working remotely.

Adapting to new contexts also requires gaining new skills. And this acquisition can be done through proactive online training, times to solve day to day issues. The worldwide information network has an endless amount of tutorials that can help to unlock momentary and unforeseen issues or disabilities.

In another way, if you want to increase productivity in remote work be sure to participate in online training. There are even many free courses or modules, and portals that add to the existing offer (including webinars, Ted Talks, among others). In doing so, you will be promoting what we will talk about next …

The importance of networking for remote work productivity

In teleworking, and in addition to the team work you develop with your company colleagues, networking takes on an even more conclusive importance. It is exponentiated in a coworking space, but, if not, you can recreate it at home.

Former colleagues, professionals or schoolchildren, friends and acquaintances can fill their network of contacts and lend added value to the activity they develop. So be sure to make a list of contacts. And to use professional social networks to establish connections, interacting regularly.

Linkedin, for example, is an informational torrent for many professional segments. It is a tool that leverages a lot of knowledge. And potential customers and businesses.

Joining online groups (alumni, industries or interest groups) related to the areas in which you move professionally is another suggestion that comes along.

Controlled breaks, dead times …

A considerable percentage of teleworkers complain that they have more tasks at hand, now that they are away from the office… And there is no shortage of people who claim that, according to the results of some surveys, some kind of motivational and psychological support would even be necessary to help maintaining productivity in remote work.

In fieldwork, some human resources experts have found, in several of these cases, that the reason is an inefficient use of working time and also the absence of breaks (derived from fewer interruptions by the work team, less downtime in the company’s corridors, etc.).

Summing up and concluding, the circumstance – and the contingencies – of teleworking makes it even more important the urgency of (controlled) breaks, to rest and decompress, and the use of dead time to cultivate not only your personal development, but also new important skills for personal growth.

É possível ser produtivo trabalhando remotamente?

Trabalhar remotamente pode ser um desafio para que nunca laborou neste regime mas, na verdade, este formato pode representar ganhos enormes em diversas fases do processo produtivo. Saiba mais sobre produtividade em trabalho remoto, esteja a trabalhar em casa ou num espaço de coworking.

Quais são as vantagens de trabalhar remotamente num espaço de cowork?

Geralmente os espaços de cowork são pensados para promover a produtividade, a criatividade e o bem-estar no trabalho. Para além disso, espaços e serviços como os da Cowork Lab, incluem uma série de vantagens que permite aos clientes focarem-se exclusivamente no seu negócio ou trabalho. Saiba mais sobre as vantagens de aderir a um espaço de cowork.

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