The Love/Hate Relationship of the Virtual Workplace

By: Katie Cummins, HR Consultant

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies rapidly switched towards remote work environments. Seven months later and we are still doing this. Remote work continues to be on the rise and is here to stay.  The pandemic has forced many to go from lively office environments to remote workplaces, often met with pros and cons from both employers and employees.

While the Coronavirus outbreak is a good opportunity for some to test working from home at scale, there is a growing love/hate relationship now (and still) working in a virtual workplace.

With almost 69% of businesses already built on remote working policies in the United States, this year marks a historic transformation towards virtual workplaces. While trending it was not a transformation that anyone could have predicted for 2020 at the pace in which it was trust upon many.  Of course, it did not occur without its pros and cons.

Some of the benefits of working remotely are also met with challenges.  Lack of commuting, for example, offers reduced expenses for employees and more time at home for family or work/life balance.  However, many employees report that the time they spent commuting has become fair game for work – meetings are being scheduled during this time, and more e-mails are being exchanged.  No commute means more hours to work, and for many, it can lead to burnout.

So how can we make the virtual workplace work?  Here are some tips on improving your virtual culture to bring more love, less hate to your remote work environment.

Communication Matters…A LOT!

Communication is key!  Be sure that you are having consistent and routine communications with your team and know their communication preferences.  Intentional, but informal communication can go a long way to help teams stay connected while remote.  Working from home requires you to be over communicative, and some employees may prefer or need more communication than others.  For some, they want to communicate multiple times a day or have daily check-ins, while others are fine simply sending e-mails and meeting once a week.  Customize your communication to the needs of your team.  We recommend establishing a communication rhythm that can be counted on. 

Find Time to Disconnect

In countless surveys, employees report that the amount of time they spend working in front of a computer screen is too many.  While employees have become video conference masters after having never used this meeting format, many are now facing “Zoom fatigue”.  While there may not be a way around working remotely without increased screen time, there are ways to embrace different ways of working.  Try blocking off some screen time to work in other ways – a time for thinking, reflecting, and an opportunity to come up with some fresh ideas.  The cure to writer’s block might just be taking a break from the computer.

IRL vs. Virtual

On the internet or in social media, IRL stands for in real life.  While our world has become remote and virtual, sometimes what we need are IRL experiences.  This will not work for every team as there are geographic and safety considerations, however, when possible, consider ways to connect and meet in real life. Meeting at a forest preserve and having a walking meeting, wearing masks, getting a cup of coffee outside – if these are possible for your team, it can help to connect better and break up the monotony of virtual meetings.  When this isn’t possible, consider attending your virtual meeting at a new location – even if it’s just the backyard or your front porch.  A change of scenery and fresh air can do a lot of good! At HRBOOST®, we are taking a team bike tour this Friday with a city business we wanted to support. Check them out! Bobby’s Bike Hike

What Should You Do Next?

At HRBOOST®, we recommend the following steps:

• Learn quick, fail fast, and celebrate success!
• Be proactive, not just reactive, and forward thinking when it comes to the way we work
• Find new ways to make the most out of virtual work experiences

Today’s COVID-19 pandemic could permanently shift working patterns and the way we work in the future.  Embracing remote work and virtual collaboration is one of the most impactful thing companies can do today.  Together, we can find ways to make the most out of virtual work experiences and focus on the future of work, and the future of remote teams.

At HRBOOST®, we can help!  We believe every team and business (big or small) should have support to manage their people challenges.  Let us give you the boost you need.  Give us call, we are always on standby!