By: Victor Tran, SFU Student
COVID-19 brought new difficulties to our workforce, while also presenting an opportunity to transform society for the better. One of those opportunities is the emergence of a flexible working mode: work from home (WFH). Though some might argue that an in-person setting fosters greater productivity, research says otherwise.
Before COVID-19, in-person work was the industry standard. According to Forbes Insights, eight out of ten executives prefer face-to-face meetings for three main reasons: more rapport development, better comprehension of body language and facial expressions, and more interpersonal interactions. Studies have shown an in-person workplace allows for better relationship establishment due to a few biological reactions: emotional contagion and mirror neurons. These reactions allow us to feel others’ feelings by being in close proximity, which accounts for better relationship establishment. According to Harvard Business Review, a face-to-face request is 34 times more successful than an email. In-person workplaces can result in better persuasion as workers transmit spoken and non-verbal information more effectively.
All these benefits sound great — however, they are not always necessary in every business scenario. According to a McKinsey study on 2,000 activities in over 800 occupations, some tasks that can fully take advantage of an in-person workplace include jobs like teaching, counselling, and coaching, among others. Yet, tasks like updating knowledge and learning, interacting with computers, creativity, and information processing can be done remotely with little to no productivity loss. In-person workplaces are not necessarily the best settings for all business tasks. Furthermore, forcing onsite work limits flexibility for workers, many of whom might have unique circumstances such as caring for children or managing disabilities that impact their ability to consistently work in-person. This can drive productivity down further and increase business costs — both of which can be easily avoided by adopting remote working.
Remote work settings offer great benefits to both employees and business owners. WFH allows employees to adjust their work schedules, resulting in better task prioritization and productivity. A Harvard University study revealed that while remote work rose during the pandemic, employees spent 12% less time in large meetings and 9% more time on external tasks such as interacting with customers. Prodo — a leader in employee monitoring software solutions — confirmed that employee productivity increased by 47% each year. Researchers measured an increase in activities like telephone calls and email responses throughout the pandemic, highlighting that a physical office isn’t necessary for many tasks.
The flexibility of WFH leads to better job satisfaction. 80% of workers from one US study agreed that WFH helps them manage a work-life balance as they have more time for themselves and their families in a comfortable environment. Higher worker satisfaction will reduce businesses’ job turnover rates and absenteeism while increasing efficiency. During the pandemic, 95% of employers who adopted WFH models saw a positive impact on employee retention, while 75% of teleworkers were less likely to resign.
Although an in-person workplace offers strong team building and persuasive advantages, not all business tasks benefit from these characteristics. Meanwhile, WFH presents itself as the next transformative tool of the business world, having the potential to increase employee satisfaction, accessibility, and productivity while cutting costs. Businesses must realize the necessity of the WFH model and carefully consider tasks that can take full advantage of a remote working environment.
