Realising that remote work isn’t for everyone is how businesses can set themselves up for success

The global pandemic has helped to create a new chapter in the history books based on the unprecedented shift in work dynamics. Remote work is no longer a buzzword, and ‘working from home’ is having serious implications for senior leaders and board members. We’re noticing big players asking their employees to return to the office. The Guardian states that “Amazon has issued a warning to staff who are not spending at least three days a week in the office. Meta wants its workers to do the same from next month. And if further proof were needed that working from home has officially been replaced by return to office, it was provided by Zoom. The firm, whose revenues jumped 300% during the first year of the pandemic, last week asked employees to come in for at least two days a week.”[1]

As CTO consultants, we've helped many clients decide whether to roll out fully remote working so that they can get such a strategic move right from the very beginning. While the idea of saving money and having more flexibility is appealing, there are some important things to consider, especially when it comes to your business type, employee mindset and your company's culture.

Before you allow your workforce to work remotely, it's essential to know that some studies have shown that fully remote setups can lead to a drop in productivity rates.

WFH Research published some of its working paper results in Forbes, revealing a "10%-20% decrease in productivity for fully remote workers.”[2]

This might sound concerning, so let's dig deeper.

We'll briefly mention hybrid setups, where some work is done remotely and some in the office. These setups can balance out productivity, maintain a sense of community and help with employee retention. But for now, let's focus on the primary debate: the pros and cons of fully remote work.

The productivity puzzle is complicated. The success of remote working depends on whether you've got all your pieces in the right place. It hinges on the type of role and industry your business sits in. Some roles benefit from more collaboration to be productive. This is why there are so many arguments for and against remote work. It's not clear-cut. But here's the bottom line: there's no one-size-fits-all solution.

Saying that remote work is great for every company just isn't true; we continually see advocates of remote working in the media saying that it is, that everyone and all companies can adopt this approach. Of course, journalists will tell us that fully remote working is the only way a business can become futureproof – the nature of their work means working from home is better for them. However, the danger is in the sweeping statements that are being made when referencing remote working across all industry and sectors.

From our experience of working with different businesses, we've learned there are vital factors that make remote work successful or not. One of the biggest is company culture. Do your operations support this way of working and how people need to communicate? Remote work only works well with trust, responsibility, and good communication. Without these three things, remote work can lead to teams feeling disconnected and siloed.

emote work reduces employee relationship building and the ability for employees to benefit from mentorship and networking. How will you ensure your remote work model doesn't impact these career-building and business growth opportunities?

Another important factor to consider is how competent your managers are as leaders. Swapping to remote work isn't just about flicking that switch—it's a significant change that needs leaders to embrace the new, focus on results instead of just checking boxes, and give employees more control. Changing their approach from just looking at numbers to what gets done can be challenging, but it's critical to success.

And what about your systems? Companies need to be properly equipped with a digital infrastructure that successfully supports employees working from home.

In our experience, we've seen businesses do well with remote work. But it's also clear that remote work isn't for everyone. What works well for one company might not work for another. While saving money with remote work is tempting, you must also think about other things. Are your employees happy? Can they work together even when they're not in the same place? Does remote work fit with your company's long-term plans?

It's easy to get excited about the idea of remote work, but you need to consider if it's right for your business. Hitting the green light on remote working and then having to roll it back later down the line will have a huge impact on your reputation, profits and employee morale. As CTO consultants, we don't just tell companies that remote work is the future; we help them figure out if it's a good fit first.

To summarise, switching to remote work is immense but not impossible. There are lots of things to think about beyond just the idea of being able to work from anywhere. The success of remote work depends on your team, your company culture, your systems and how ready you are to make changes. It's a significant shift that can bring great rewards, but only if you do it correctly. So, take your time, ask the right questions, and make sure you're ready before you take that leap.

Contact us if you’re ready to start creating a remote working model. We’re here to help.