More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, some companies have gone from wondering if employees should leave the office to pondering if they should come back at all.
“This prolonged work-from-home period has changed attitudes toward what remote work is, and what can be done in the future,” said Roshni Raveendhran, an assistant professor of business administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Raveendhran conducts research on the future of work – particularly how technological advancements influence companies and employees – and also consults with company executives who are now weighing if and how their employees should return to work.
We spoke with her about how views on remote work have changed among companies that were able to work remotely, and what might work best for employees and employers going forward.
Q. How might this prolonged work-from-home period change attitudes toward remote work in industries that are able to accommodate that?
A. Over the last few months, I have been in conversations with several companies that are asking very similar questions, and toying with the idea of a hybrid approach or more permanent remote work for their employees.
Roshni Raveendhran says many employers are leaning toward a hybrid in-office and work-from-home model. (Darden School of Business photo)
Previously, remote work was seen as more of a privilege or a perk, but these circumstances have proved that remote work is possible for prolonged periods of time, and that it does not in fact bring down productivity. Several studies have shown that productivity has actually increased. One from Harvard Business School found that the average workday increased by 8.2%, and that employees sent more emails per day while working from home – which of course poses its own set of challenges.
I think companies have realized that remote work can save costs by cutting down on office expenses or travel, and that it does not hurt productivity. So, it comes down to what employees actually want, and that is what companies need to seriously consider. What model works best for their employees? How can they match employees’ needs to the needs of the business? So far, it seems that many people see a hybrid model, combining remote and office work, as an optimal solution.
Q. From an employee perspective, what are some important concerns or trends you have noticed?
A. Employees have also realized that their productivity did not go down – and may have actually increased – and many have struggled to find a balance or to impose separation between their work and home lives. There is also a tradeoff between productivity and social connection with colleagues, which many have missed since being in the office.
Balancing those tradeoffs will come down to individual preferences that have been solidified over more than a year of this life. Some employees have found that they prefer going into an office and having that forced separation between work and home; others have found that they prefer a more flexible schedule and like finishing up work at night after their kids go to bed, for example. My advice to companies is to really attend to those preferences and work to understand what individual employees want and need. This cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution, and companies that don’t pay attention to shifts in their employees’ mindset and preferences will run into problems.
