Adapt Your Approach: HR in the Age of Remote Work – HR Affiliates Blog
It’s 2018, and a lot of people prefer to work at home. Or at a coffee shop. Or really anywhere that isn’t at work. In a technological climate where communication is constant, it’s never been more accommodating to work off-site. In this post, we focus on the conditions and importance of HR intervention in working remotely.
Your office is everywhere
About a year ago, IBM famously called its employees back to work in a physical location. A little further back in 2013, Yahoo did the same. These decisions have been critiqued because research has shown a dramatic shift in both worker preference and productivity. Specifically, a recent survey notes that 65 percent of employees believe they would be more efficient with a remote working schedule. That same survey also illustrates a whopping 86% of employees would prefer working alone to maximize productivity. Ironically, IBM also published research that proved workers were more engaged and less stressed when they worked remotely. To this end, it’s safe to say that working outside of the office will only become more common.
HR benefits remote workers
With more employees working remotely, it’s necessary to look at the role of HR in this untraditional landscape. At the same time that working remotely has its own set of expectations, HR has an incredibly significant role in treating the alternative work environment with more nuance. For example, hired remote workers rely on virtual mentoring and coaching, which HR needs to facilitate appropriately.
Stay tuned for more blog posts on remote work, but in the meantime, check out our blog post 7 Employee Retention Stats Every Leader Should Know.