Global organizations experienced a rapid transformation of their operations, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some adopted remote working as a permanent approach, others implemented various return to office (RTO) measures, creating uncertainty among workforces worldwide.
Some employees believe that a remote or home office setup increases their productivity. A 2024 Forbes survey found that 35% of remote workers in global companies feel more productive when working fully remotely. This productivity increase is attributed to fewer personal interruptions and the ability to create a personalized work environment.
On the other hand, some employees report missing face-to-face collaboration with colleagues, leading to feelings of disconnection that negatively impact their mental health and productivity. For example, Gallup’s 2023 Global State of the Workplace Report found that remote workers experienced higher levels of stress and anger compared to on-site employees.
As the debate continues, let’s dive deeper to understand the pros and cons of both ways of working.
Remote work: an assessment of the pros and cons
Sophia, a product manager based in Singapore, was thrilled when her company announced a shift to remote work. Although she had always appreciated the dynamic work environment in the city, the prospect of working from home offered her a new level of flexibility and balance.
One of the biggest benefits for Sophia was the flexibility in working hours, as she no longer had to commute from her home in Orchard to the office in Marina Bay every day. This new-found flexibility allowed her to better balance her work with her personal commitments and achieve a better work-life balance.
Further advantages were:
- Improved concentration and productivity: Without the usual office interruptions, such as impromptu meetings and noisy colleagues, Sophia was able to focus better on her tasks. This improved concentration helped her meet tight deadlines and improve the quality of her work.
- Additional financial savings: Working remotely brought financial benefits, such as savings on travel expenses and work clothes. Sophia invested these savings in personal activities and hobbies.
- Improved wellbeing routines: The flexibility allowed Sophia to incorporate physical activity into her daily routine, such as walks in East Coast Park or yoga exercises at home.
When did the disadvantages begin to become apparent?
Despite these benefits, Sophia sometimes felt isolated. The lack of face-to-face interaction with her team led to a feeling of disconnection. She also faced other challenges:
- Blurred boundaries between professional obligations and personal time due to the lack of physical office space
- Disrupted workflow due to delayed resolution of technical issues that were easier to resolve in an office environment
- Missed spontaneous learning opportunities, mentoring and networking events that were more easily accessible in a physical office environment.
As a result, Sophia’s perspective changed and she requested to return to an on-site only or hybrid work arrangement.
On-site working environment: How helpful was it?
When Sophia returned to the office, she was able to enjoy several benefits despite ongoing problems such as commuting and office politics. Office days increased her productivity through immediate contact with colleagues, faster decision-making and valuable opportunities for professional development.
- Immediate feedback and spontaneous training opportunities that promote their spontaneous learning skills
- Direct access to office facilities and resources, further increasing their productivity and efficiency
- Attending company events provided her with new networking opportunities that she missed while working from home.
What hurdles did Sophia face when she returned to the office?
However, Sophia’s decision to return to the office came with challenges that initially impacted her productivity. Here are some obstacles she had to overcome when returning to the WFO environment:
- Difficulty adapting to face-to-face communication after relying on digital tools for an extended period of time
- Inhibitions in re-adapting to the physical office environment, including different work areas, noise levels and office culture
- Complications in recalibrating their productivity levels when introducing new performance metrics or expectations in the office environment
Sophia’s changing perspective and the challenges she faced illustrate the trade-offs between remote and on-site work environments. To balance these pros and cons, Sophia had to change her work habits and look for new ways to stay connected with her colleagues while still enjoying the benefits of working from home.
The dilemma of balancing her work and personal life that Sophia faced is a common problem faced by employees worldwide, but employers have different views on the matter.
How do employers perceive remote and on-site work environments?
Different leaders have different views on remote and on-site work situations. Some criticize remote work, calling it unproductive and setting them back in the competition, while others consider it indispensable.
For example, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has attributed the search giant’s poor performance in the artificial intelligence race to its prioritization of remote work and work-life balance over competitive thinking. In a speech at Stanford University, Schmidt criticized Google’s approach, saying it had given startups like OpenAI and Anthropic a significant head start in AI development.
Another incident occurred at Twitter (now X) when its former CEO Jack Dorsey announced a permanent WFO policy in May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when Elon Musk took over Twitter in November 2022, the policy was reversed. He sent an email to his employees explaining that they were expected to work at least 40 hours per week in the office and that failure to comply would be considered termination. This move from a flexible work-from-home policy to a strict in-person requirement caused several employees to resign.
On the other hand, several global giants like Microsoft once conducted an external research study and collected internal employee data to identify when it is important to collaborate with colleagues in person. To provide flexibility to its current employees, Microsoft introduced a work-in-office policy as part of its hybrid workplace model. It allowed employees to work remotely up to 50% of the time without seeking approval from their manager.
So what other unconventional approaches can companies and HR leaders use to increase the productivity of remote and on-site employees?
How can HR managers increase workplace productivity in different situations?
While several organizations have already implemented strategies to increase productivity and engagement regardless of work structure, there are a few more things HR leaders can do:
- Develop a unified culture and vision: Every employee should know the purpose of their work and the long-term and short-term vision behind it. This ensures that all employees, regardless of their work environment, are held to the same standards and expectations. For example, HR leaders can introduce Cultural Hubs by integrating digital tools and in-person experiences to bridge the gap between remote and on-site employees.
- Be flexible when changing perspectives: Employees like Sophia continue to exist, and so do their ever-changing perspectives. Sophia’s manager and HR understood her difficulties and helped him get back into the WFO structure. Consequently, it helped Sophia regain a work-life balance that she had eventually lost. All of this happened because her HR department was flexible in responding to her opinions and changing perspectives.
- Conduct regular feedback discussions: Frequent feedback from employees is always important. These suggestions help HR managers create consistent policies that promote a productive workplace. After listening to all the feedback, HR managers can develop personalized policies that contribute to overall company growth. For example, Grab, a multinational technology company in Southeast Asia, holds regular feedback sessions to address employee needs. Based on these suggestions, the company has introduced several initiatives. One notable program is the GrabFlex initiative, which offers flexible working hours and locations to support employee well-being and development.
In summary:
The discussion of employee productivity depends largely on how individuals manage their professional and personal boundaries. In an ever-changing environment, these perspectives will vary depending on individual circumstances. Implementing flexible, feedback-based policies that take this variability into account is a critical approach to effectively addressing these challenges.
