8 Productivity Killers That Affects Remote Employees

While many have found benefits in remote working, the lack of face-to-face interaction, discussions and meetings makes it more difficult to predict, diagnose and slumps in productivity. As a leader or manager, you must first understand what not to do in order to assist your team members in overcoming a prolonged period of inefficiency.

1. Avoid micromanagement at all costs

There’s a common (albeit false) perception that remote workers are lazy and prone to slacking off. In response, several organizations and leaders resort to a measure that happens to be one of the greatest productivity and morale killers – micromanagement.

Micromanagement is bad in almost any situation, but it's a sure deal-breaker when it comes to remote working. When a manager micromanages, it sends the message that they do not trust their team members, and as a result, even the best-performing employees are less inclined to give their best effort.

While it may appear tempting to micromanage your employees to ensure that they are giving their all, doing so can lead to disastrous employee engagement levels in the long run. A good manager is aware of or strives to learn more sustainable ways of evaluating productivity, such as effective goal setting through OKRs and KPIs.

2. Lack of appreciation

Recognizing employees has understandably taken a back seat as corporates deal with the various challenges that the pandemic has bought. However, this might prove to be your biggest mistake since meaningful appreciation is extremely beneficial in boosting employee morale and happiness as well as relieving anxiety and stress.

According to one expert, employees' desire to be recognized increases by about 30% during challenging times. Positive forms of interaction are clearly much needed, especially when people feel low or demotivated about their work-life.

The act of receiving recognition for a job well done can be the bright spot in someone's otherwise bleak day. A good manager takes the initiative to ensure that appreciation happens in a frequent, timely and value-based manner. When people feel proud of their work, they feel inclined to perform great in the future.

3. Poor communication tools

It has been famously stated that communication is “the oxygen of a distributed company,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Unless you've worked remotely before, it's easy to downplay the importance of communication in overall team productivity. The operation of a team is based on simple actions, such as being able to pop into each other's cubicles to discuss an urgent matter. A lack of these things in a remote team can be the cause of poor business outcomes.

Thus, having an agile communication toolbox is perhaps one of the most important things you can do to elevate the productivity levels of a remote team.

A well-planned communication strategy is a powerful tool for keeping workflows as smooth and seamless as possible. It promotes greater transparency, which aids in the removal of any impediments and distractions from a team member's path to doing great work.

4. Lack of a good project management tool

Every work arrangement necessitates the use of a good project management tool. However, when it comes to remote working, its impact is certainly amplified.

While micromanagement is out of the question, it’s critical to find an alternative to help manage employee goals, project timelines and encourage employee accountability. A project management tool can do all of these things and more. It is a medium through which employees can proactively share their progress with not only their boss but also the rest of the team.

Managing multiple projects with cross-functioning teams in a virtual work setting can prove to be a nightmare without sound project management skills and tools. In a way, it’s one of the most important investments you can make to ensure that remote work productivity doesn’t suffer and that deadlines are met on time.

5. No clear work-life balance

Remote working may have been a dream for most employees in the past, but post-2020, many have found it challenging to juggle housework, teach their kids and answer late-night calls from a manager that doesn’t understand that work ends at 5pm. It’s a recipe for disaster to expect remote workers to operate whenever the manager requires, without even the usual breaks or downtime.

As a result, dissatisfaction and resentment will build until your remote workers are so exhausted and stressed out that they get burnt out.

If you expect your employees to be productive, you must first accept that they are humans, not computers. To bring their best selves to work, people need to rest, rejuvenate and maintain a stable work-life balance.

6. Neglecting employee wellbeing

It’s common knowledge that employees who are in good health are satisfied and way more productive. In fact, according to Deloitte's 2020 Global Human Capital Trends report, 80% of companies said employee wellbeing would be important or very important for their success over the next 12-18 months, while only 12% said they were equipped to deal with this issue.

Since 2020, the trend of putting one's health first has been on the rise, and rightfully so. However, it’s important to note that it’s not only a lack of physical wellness that’s causing a productivity dip among your people. It’s their mental health too.

Even though mental wellbeing is critical to an employee's ability to work and not burn out, many companies still base their corporate wellness plan solely on physical wellbeing. As a leader, it’s critical that you address the importance of overall wellbeing and take strong actions to promote it among your remote workforce.

7. Are you being transparent enough?

Transparency isn’t only limited to workflows: it’s also about how a leader communicates with their people. It’s even more critical when it comes to facing a crisis, and people are more susceptible to hysteria, speculations and panicking.

With new complications arising due to the pandemic, the future of every company is uncertain. Unsurprisingly, it’s a major reason why employees feel too anxious or stressed to perform at their best

To help alleviate any lingering tensions, leaders should ensure that they clearly communicate where the company is headed and how employees will be affected in those scenarios. However, it’s critical to do so in a diplomatic manner; otherwise, your workforce will be in a state of panic.

Transparency, however, should not be limited to crisis communications. When leaders make it a core principle to be followed daily, employees feel more at ease and start to trust the company. It also motivates employees to take feedback more seriously and, as a result, behave professionally when they receive a negative performance review.

8. Bad managers

According to a 2019 survey conducted by the staffing firm Robert Half, nearly half of the workers polled quit due to a terrible boss. But even when people work remotely, they are not immune to the consequences of a bad manager.

Employees will leave their jobs sooner or later if they are led by a poor manager, regardless of how great the company is or how many incredible employee benefits are provided. As a result, it is critical that companies measure and evaluate managers’ performances in the same way that they do to their employees.

Final takeaway

Remote work is more than just a fad – it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future. That makes it critical for leaders to understand the various factors influencing their remote workforce's productivity and devise a strategy to address these issues as soon as possible.