Did you, like most businesses and companies, spend almost all of 2020 and 2021 working remotely and managing a remote team? Indeed, these years were when the remote work trends really reached its highest peak, due of course to COVID-19.

But even as restrictions ease due to high vaccination rates and offices are allowed again, more workers and employers are choosing to work from home as they discover its benefits.

And while there are benefits, it’s normal to realize there are some drawbacks of remote work too. The best thing to do is take the learnings and insights and use them to improve for the new year.

Would you say there’s room for improvement on how you and your remote team operate? Here’s a list of challenges taken from surveys about remote work and how you can support your team through them so that everyone works better.

Challenge: Distractions at home

According to Statista, 47% of remote workers who took their survey said they had trouble with managing distractions while working at home. This is understandable as it can be hard to adjust when the lines between work and home have suddenly become blurred. 

Solution: 

People who are new to remote work soon find that drawing boundaries between work and home life is necessary in order to actually get work done. Because there’s no longer a physical difference between your home and an office, it’s no surprise that home life can occasionally intrude on work life.

Setting boundaries can mean asking other people in your house not to disturb you during your work hours and designating a room in your house to be your office so you don’t do work in the bedroom, among other things.

How you can support:

Of course, not everyone is the same and what works for others may not work for the rest. For example, people who have kids may not find it possible to not interact with them for hours straight. Or people who live alone need to do chores in between work on some days. 

What employers can do about these cases is to offer flexible work hours, wherein they can split their work hours within the day to give time for stuff at home which can be equally important.

Challenge: Unplugging from work

A survey from Buffer shows that another challenge that 18% of remote workers face is the inability to completely unplug from work during rest days. This is again an issue of work and home life overlapping but with the former bleeding into the latter. 

Solution:

When the home also becomes the office, it can be difficult for some remote workers to turn their minds off work and completely rest during off hours and the weekend. Things like clear physical boundaries such as an office separate from the bedroom can help with complete relaxation as well as having things to look forward to during the weekend such as quality time with family or friends, hobbies, and interests.

How you can support:

However, the culprit can also be employers not respecting boundaries and communicating about work during non-work hours. As a manager handling a remote team, especially if the team comes from different time zones, you need to be aware of each member’s work hours so you don’t mistakenly email or call them during off hours. Being explicit about how you want your team to have good work-life balance can also encourage them to not overwork themselves.

Challenge: Working with other teammates

35% of remote employees also faced challenges with collaboration in a remote setting, according to Statista. With teams working in isolation, it becomes difficult to form relationships with colleagues and working together feels awkward.

Solution: 

Good relationships with colleagues are necessary to work well together, be productive, and more importantly have happy employees! Feeling like one truly belongs in a team does wonders for collaboration, proactiveness, and productivity.

How you can support:

Make sure none of your employees feels left out by constantly telling your team that each member is important, indispensable, and necessary in your company’s shared vision and goals. Prepare a rousing message before everyone goes on holiday to inspire them for the new year.

You can also take the lead in creating avenues for your team to bond besides work. Host virtual get togethers and do fun activities together such as movie nights or karaoke. Offer incentives for participation such as small prizes or company shoutouts. The holidays are a good time to do this with activities such as virtual Christmas parties and gift-exchanging. 

Challenge: Preferring remote work over office work

This particular challenge is for employers since a survey by Owl Labs revealed 1 in 2 people won’t stay in jobs that will no longer offer remote work. After people realized how much more efficient, comfortable, and convenient remote work is, they’ve settled into the culture and are no longer willing to return to the office.

Solution: Partner with a recruitment agency

Since more people are interested in remote work, that means managing a remote team will continue for a lot of businesses and companies. 

If you’re looking to grow your remote team next year, we can help you find reliable virtual workers that can match the roles you’re trying to fill as well as your company culture. We also help with onboarding, payroll, and HR once you’ve chosen your Workmate.

Interested in growing your company with the best virtual workers? Talk to us by scheduling an obligation-free consultation where we can discuss your recruitment needs. Just click the button below!