Remote work is the latest evolutionary trend in the modern business world. As per statistics, the changeover from office work style to working remotely has increased since 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the reports, there has been a 91% increase in the popularity of remote work over the past 10 years. Many businesses have embraced the concept of remote work post-pandemic for many useful reasons.
Remote work has many advantages, like higher productivity, timeliness, decreased absenteeism, flexibility, less work pressure, cost savings, etc. However, despite many advantages, remote work has its share of disadvantages as workers face multiple challenges daily.
A recent survey by Intuition found that there is an increase in production when employees work remotely than in conventional offices, but there is also an increase in stress levels, work-home interference, vulnerable to working long hours, frequent disturbances, etc.
This article will address the top seven remote work challenges and the best possible ways to overcome them.
Table of Contents
What is meant by working remotely?
Remote work is transitioning from traditional working in conventional offices to working at home, in convenient co-working spaces, or even at coffee shops or other locations. After the advancements in internet bandwidth and related technologies, remote work is a prominent work style many businesses adopt as there is a visible increase in productivity. Undeniably, businesses save money on office space and supplies when employees work remotely.
However, remote work is advantageous only when there is a disciplined work style and a well-maintained schedule, as remote workers face many distractions compared to regular employees. Dan Springer, CEO of DocuSign, shared his view on remote work in an interview with Fast Company. He stated, “Working from home makes it much harder to delineate work time from personal time. I encourage all of our employees to have a disciplined schedule for when you will work, and when you will not, and to stick to that schedule.”
Also Read: Open The Window For Hybrid Work And More Security
Top 7 remote work challenges and ways to overcome them.
The remote work style has its share of challenges that remain unconsidered or unaddressed. Remote work requires a refined way of approach to the way you work to bring the best results. Here are the top seven challenges and the ways to overcome them.
1. Lack of concentration and consistency
Working from home requires a lot of focus as the employees face many distractions from household chores. This affects their work efficiency as the consistency in work is disturbed.
How to overcome?
- Regular yoga sessions boost concentration.
- Exercising keeps you active and focused throughout the day.
- Always feel responsible and concerned about your company’s objective.
2. Social isolation or loneliness
Many employees feel lonely when working remotely. Initially, remote work might appear flexible, but it makes you feel isolated from others as time goes by. Remote work contradicts the traditional office work style, where your coworkers surround you.
How to overcome?
- Set up to meet for lunch with your colleagues who reside nearby.
- Working from a coffee shop for a few hours is helpful to escape loneliness to an extent.
- Find a co-working space where you can be around other working people.
3. Distractions and procrastination
You may find it difficult to work efficiently with many social media distractions. Remote work might look convenient, but the employees also face many distractions. One immediate distraction that comes to mind is social media. Yes! Recently ExpressVPN’s research found 1/3 of remote workers waste time online.
How to overcome?
- Pomodoro timer is a time management technique and a proven productivity strategy that encourages employees to work in the time they have. This timer entails working in 25-minute sprints with five-minute rest periods in between and a longer pause after four sprints.
- Motivate and encourage your team to stay focused with the right strategies and tools.
4. Vulnerable to working long hours
Commuting to the office gives a break from work and a change of mind. However, you never really leave your workspace when working remotely, especially from home. Remote work makes you vulnerable to working long hours as you do not have to go home. This work style increases a lot of physical and mental stress.
How to overcome?
- Engage in other activities like sports and other hobbies.
- Spend quality time with family and friends.
- Schedule lunch or dinner breaks with friends away from home.
- Set a fixed time to shut down your laptop or computer and not open it until the next day’s working time.
5. Feeling disconnected
Most remote workers feel disconnected from other team members. The traditional conventional office style, where you can interact with other team members, is missing in the remote working style. A vibe and connection seem missing.
How to overcome?
- Texting and video conferencing are ways that keep you connected with your team.
- Team leaders or managers can organize team-building meetings at convenient locations.
6. Lack of required productivity
A few remote workers find it difficult to be more productive as they face unavoidable distractions like kids, pets, family to take care of, meeting responsibilities, and many more. These distractions may impact the output of productivity. It becomes stressful to manage flexible working hours.
How to overcome?
- If you have kids to look after, schedule your working hours when they are taking their naps.
- Take 5-minute breaks after working in bursts of 25 to 30 minutes.
- Take the help of friends or other relatives in accomplishing important responsibilities if you have an intense work period.
7. Facing technology issues and unsafe internet connection
Remote workers may face some technical problems which they cannot fix on their own. In an office workspace, other employees come to your rescue when you face technical issues. When remote employees work from other spaces like cafes, parks, libraries, etc., they are more likely to connect to unsafe internet connections, which cause security breaches.
How to overcome?
- Install good antivirus software, strong firewalls, and device trackers on all company devices.
- Use a reliable VPN network to establish connections and safeguard your data from cyber-attacks.
- Use cloud storage to save important company information.
Also Read: How To Provide Recognition To Remote Workers
