Sync Work vs. Asynchronous Work: Which Is Better When Working Remotely?

Synchronous work, in which tasks are completed in order and communication happens in real time, has been the standard of the traditional office job. But when the office became distinctly non-traditional, employers had to find ways to adapt. Asynchronous work has been a staple of digital nomadism and the work-from-anywhere lifestyle for a while now, but it’s now increasingly utilized among other companies thrust into remote work - and it’s a trend that might be here to stay.

Among remote employees, a flexible work schedule is listed as their biggest benefit. And it’s no wonder. The last year and a half has seen the lines between professional and personal life get noticeably blurry, and while balancing work, family, homeschooling and overall sanity, many remote workers seized the opportunity to work where, when and how they wanted.

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But which is better: asynchronous or synchronous work? I’ve found that combining elements of both sync and async work deliver the best results and promote a thriving and communicative culture. I’ll tell you how, but first, let’s look at the upsides and pitfalls of each, so you and your employees are equipped to navigate this brave new world, anytime, anywhere.

Benefits of synchronous work

We get it — in-office meetings are so 2019. But there’s a reason synchronous work (and the standard 40-hour workweek) has persisted this long. Actually, there are many reasons:

• Real-time communications help ensure the whole team is on the same page and that any questions are answered immediately
• Synchronous work is orderly and organized and allows tasks to be completed, monitored, and checked off easily
• It contributes to the socialization of employees and builds relationships that can result in increased collaboration and better communication
• Communication happens in the moment, which can feel more natural, lessening the pressure of needing to have everything documented and filed
• This communication builds culture because it happens simultaneously in real time
• Employees are more easily able to block out work time and plan around meetings, so they don’t feel they’re “always on”

Benefits of asynchronous work

Just like sync work, asynchronous work can contribute to a positive and productive work environment, but it does so in different ways, including:

• There’s less pressure to respond to requests or questions in real time, because the expectation that there will be delays is already set
• Meeting fatigue is reduced and it combats the “this could have been an email” mentality
• It makes it easier to accommodate employees working across multiple time zones
• Employees are able to work on multiple projects and different tasks on their own timeline and when they work best, which can increase their productivity
• There’s greater flexibility to manage both work and personal tasks, leading to more autonomy and a better work/life balance

Whichever methodology you currently use, there are some downsides to each. Understanding them can help you better prepare for them or find opportunities to use tactics from both sync and async methods to increase productivity and strengthen relationships.

Drawbacks of synchronous work

Some might view sync work as too old-fashioned, while others see it as tried and true and proven to work. Even if your team is fully remote, some employers want to stay on track with synchronous communication. No matter your views on sync work, there are some pitfalls it pays to be aware of:

• Planning meetings around everyone’s at-home schedule is challenging and doesn’t account for personal needs like childcare, necessary errands and appointments
• It forces employees to work in set blocks of time, creating the feeling that if they aren’t seen online at those times, managers might suspect they aren’t doing their work
• It demands immediate answers to questions and requests and creates a sense that everything must be accomplished in a certain window of time
• Synchronous work doesn’t accommodate employees in multiple time zones or those who simply work better and more productively outside of regular office hours
• Employees are required to wait for dependencies before moving forward with other projects or tasks
• Employees become more susceptible to meeting fatigue and face challenges with video calls and technology

Drawbacks of asynchronous work

Async work has been pitched as the answer to all the challenges listed above, but it, too, has its own issues that employers must understand in order to encourage employees and ensure work is completed accurately and on time. The pitfalls of async work include:

• It makes employees more prone to micromanagement or increased pressure to feel that they’re always available
• They may get stuck in their old “sync mode,” where they feel they have to respond to messages at all hours, never having uninterrupted work time
• Meetings are few and far between, which can lead to less overall communication and reduced collaboration
• The challenges of working with colleagues from afar increases loneliness and hampers relationship-building
• It further blurs the line between home and work life, which can lead to stress, frustration, and eventual burnout
• A lack of visual cues leads to lessened emotional intelligence and potential miscommunications and misunderstandings, as it’s difficult to convey feelings through text

Both sync and async work come with extensive lists of pros and cons, as noted above. So how do you reap the benefits of your chosen method without facing its unique challenges? You pull ideas and strategies from both to tailor a work methodology that works for your business and your employees.

Can sync and async work coexist?

Absolutely. In fact, if you want employees who are satisfied, productive and loyal, they have to. Here’s how (with some examples):

1. Kick the email habit

There’s nothing wrong with sending an email, but it doesn’t always convey a sense of urgency or immediacy. The trend these days is to block out time to respond to emails all at once, which means they can sit in someone’s inbox for hours or even days. We rely more heavily on our project management platform, Asana, and our instant messaging tool, Slack, for daily communications. Responding to threads or within channels creates a conversational flow that feels more natural, while still allowing users to check in when it works on their schedule.

2. Build a smart strategy for meetings

Zoom fatigue is real, and constant meetings interrupt the flow of work, making the transition from one to the other harder than it would have been in an office setting. Instead of endless meetings, schedule only those that are absolutely necessary. For everything else, set up a weekly standup that can act as a check-in for employees to give status reports, ask questions, and let you know about any blockers they’re facing.

This is how we do it, and it works. For most meetings, we don’t require cameras to be on, lessening some of the pressure of feeling the need to be “on” at any given moment.

3. Manage time zones effectively

We have experts positioned around the globe, and when many are working “normal” office hours in the U.S., our international teammates are sleeping or enjoying time with family. Asynchronous communication is a must in these situations, but it can be easily managed with the right strategies.

For example, we always record Zoom meetings so they can be shared with team members who aren’t able to attend. We also utilize Vidyard, a video recording platform, so our team members in time zones outside the U.S. can create and share videos to kick off projects, provide tutorials on new softwares and platforms, or give status updates. And, of course, Slack is great for both sync and async communication, offering the ability to have instantaneous conversation or dip in and out as schedules allow.

4. Set expectations around response time

When you have employees in multiple locations and potentially multiple time zones, questions often won’t be answered immediately. Make sure employees know where they can go if they have a request that needs a response right away (a project manager or leader who can access the information they need) and provide an accessible document that indicates every employee's typical work times, daily availability and time zone.

We build our expectations around a schedule that combines both sync and async approaches. We ask that our experts maintain dedicated work hours from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CT. How they manage the rest of their workload and their schedule is up to them. And in fact, we don’t manage how or what they do during those hours — we simply ask that they are available at that time so we can plan meetings and respond to client needs and requests. This is communicated to our clients via a statement of work (SOW), so everyone involved is on the same page and has the same expectations.

5. Use statuses to build a better workflow

Whatever communication tool you’re using, make sure it has the ability to allow employees to set clear statuses that are visible to the entire team. Consider creating standardized statuses for out-of-office time, vacations and sick leave or when they’re just stepping away for a bit. More critically, give them a way to indicate dedicated blocks of time (an “In the Zone” status, for example) when they can focus on work without interruption or expectation of a response.

We rely on statuses in our Slack channels, where we can make urgent requests and get answers to client questions quickly. Statuses indicate who might be in meetings or out of the office and who is active and available to provide support.

6. Share calendars for better visibility

You can use a tool like Calendly, or simply use a Google calendar, but whatever you do, make sure employees regularly update their schedules with their regular work hours, scheduled appointments, and meetings. Even better, ask them to include blocks of time when they aren’t available, so meeting planners and coworkers will know there’s no wiggle room in scheduling time.

7. Limit unnecessary communications

Don’t blast your entire team with emails that don’t apply to them, and avoid using instant messenger tags like @here or @channel for communications only intended for certain employees. Designate a person, like a project manager or team leader, who can be the go-to when employees aren’t sure who can answer their questions to keep them from bombarding the rest of the team.

8. Treat your employees like the professional adults they are

Avoid the temptation to micromanage or spend the day looking for a green dot by their name. Instead of monitoring the time they’re spending at their computer, measure their results. Are they completing work on time, with little intervention or reminder? Is the work up to or beyond the standard you expect? Are they able to find answers to their questions? And are they finding ways to work creatively and collaboratively with coworkers across locations and time zones? Ultimately, their work will bear out the results of your combined sync and async methods, and you can then look for ways to improve and adjust accordingly.

Overall, giving employees autonomy and flexibility, built around a structured and organized approach, is the best way to maximize their productivity and improve their communications, no matter where, when, or how they work. I’ve learned a lot about the ins and outs of both synchronous and asynchronous work, and I’ve found that combining elements of both is the best way to find the right fit for your team and keep them satisfied, connected and productive.