It’s now been years since lockdown first sent us packing up our things and hurriedly setting up desks in our bedrooms, and yet we still haven’t fully nailed the art of working from home. The very idea of remote working remains divisive (just look at all the people proclaiming that WFH-ers are lazy layabouts), we’re still trying to strike the right balance between in-office time and the zero-commute life, and the little sticking points – from certain colleagues yet to figure out the mute button to those who feel excluded when not with their team IRL – remain, well, sticky. 

What needs to change? New research suggests the success of remote work comes down to a few key factors, primarily centred around true flexibility, trust and communication. 

The study, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, took data from employee reviews on Glassdoor to suss out what made working from home better… and worse. Researchers found companies that empowered employees to work independently, fostered collaboration, had flexible policies, and catered to employees’ interests performed the best. 

The key, it seems, may be in giving employees the freedom to work how they like. That means allowing workers to pursue their own goals and interest areas, and to shift their remote working hours and days to suit them best. 

“We found that cultural aspects matter the most,” said Munmun De Choudhury, an associate professor in the School of Interactive Computing, who led the research. “We found these keywords in reviews like ‘work-life balance’ or ‘flexible work’ occurring frequently in the pros section of good companies.”

These findings were echoed in the latest Workplace Trends survey from UK recruitment agency Aspire, in which more than 900 workers shared their opinions on the current state of work. This report found that while the majority of people enjoy the flexibility of remote working, ranking it as the third most important factor when searching for a job, there’s a widespread call for employers to offer dedicated mental health and wellbeing support specifically for remote workers. 

A third of employees reported low motivation at work, saying they wanted more team social events with colleagues in a bid to improve morale, integration and team dynamics. This makes a lot of sense. Remote working is great for many reasons, but it can be a tad lonely. It’s easy to feel disconnected from the people you work with if you’re not in the same room with them, so it’s essential that bosses provide opportunities for that social bonding. 

“Hybrid working has become mainstream, giving workers flexibility and freedom in how and where they work,” said Terry Payne, Aspire’s global managing director. “It’s also opened up new opportunities for businesses to hire from a wider talent pool rather than being restricted to only local candidates. 

“This approach has delivered benefits for businesses and individuals. But we’re all more aware than ever of the importance of mental health and wellbeing – in the workplace and at home. And full-time remote working clearly doesn’t work for some.

“As well as offering proper mental health support through an approved or accredited provider, businesses should be identifying opportunities to bring staff together for work and social events. By making support available to staff and building team dynamics, employers can reduce feelings of isolation – helping workers to feel more connected, motivated and happy at work.

“This approach will also go a long way towards attracting staff, too. And it will give employers the flexibility to cast their nets wider and source skilled candidates from further afield, overcoming skills shortages.”

Images: Getty