According to FlexJobs, remote work has increased by a total of 44% in the last 5 years. Especially since the start of the pandemic a lot of companies are now in agreement with the remote working model. But how is remote work affecting HR and hiring? Well, to know about this here are some trends on the increasing remote work model and how the HR departments are facing it.
Challenges faced by employers
Checking out new ways of working
It was easier to work in an office environment but as pandemics came into the picture it became a necessity to search for new ways of working. Some of the following aspects were the most difficult to manage:
- Management of employees across various time zones
- Technology that will help with remote working and its smooth functioning
- Safety and security of data being shared online
Employees turnover and burnout
Employee burnouts are nothing new but as the pandemic hit it increased even more. While there has been more preference for remote work options it is found that there are negative effects on the employees’ mental and physical well-being.
Especially when there are blurred lines between both the working time and the enjoyment time. Managing these changes and bringing about a better work-life balance has now become difficult.
Communication challenges
Understanding what the person who is on another side of the screen is talking about can be a challenge especially when there are no definite non-verbal indications. Communicating with remote teams daily can also be a challenge as delivering feedback efficiently cannot be done. There could also be a lack of trust as you do not have honest and vulnerable communication as you’d normally have with your team leads when in an office.
Challenges faced by employees
Creation of boundaries
Remote work has created a blur in the line of boundaries that need to be set in terms of the workplace. The lower amount of face-to-face interaction will also lead to higher pressure when it comes to expectations and performance. This can in turn makes the employees feel less worthy than they might actually be.
Career progression will be slowed down
When talking about career progression it will affect the overall speed with which you’re proceeding. Due to lower communication and lower networking opportunities building a career can be a slower process. The following points will lead to slowing down of the same:
- Absence of colleagues through whom the new hires can learn a lot
- Struggle to learn and train under leaders
- Lots of interruptions may occur when trying to work from home such as family members, pets, or roommates which may reduce the efficiency.
Loneliness and isolation
Working at home might make an employee disconnected from the network in the office and also from belonging to a professional network.
Statistics that support Remote work
According to a survey by FlexJobs it was found that the following reasons were why remote work felt more productive:
- More comfortable working area (66%)
- Employees enjoy more focused time (63%)
- A lower amount of office politics (55%)
- Fewer amount of interruptions (68%)
- Quieter work area (68%)
Based on the respondent’s claim it was found that productivity at home was more than 7% of what they had expected.
Future of remote work
So is it true that remote work will be more in trend going forward? Well, there’s no knowing as to what turns the work pattern may take. However, with a lot of claims accepting this change, it is only a matter of time before remote work will be a part of the work structure. Knowing more about the advantages and disadvantages of remote work is also important when considering the options.
However, with SHRM analysis it was found that about 67% of the employees believe that remote work is detrimental to the employees’ health. Due to such numbers hybrid work is also being considered. Hybrid work allows for an adequate amount of socializing while getting to work in a better environment. Most companies have also now turned to such a solution for a better experience in the office and for the new hires to get a hang of the office.
Remote work is now also helping HR come up with the support of diversity and inclusion in hiring which is something that every company needs to follow.
How is TurboHire helping HR with remote work?
TurboHire is making sure that there is a smooth flow in the work of an HR professional without actually affecting the overall hiring process. This is possible due to the recruitment automation options provided by TurboHire. These options help HR professionals to choose a wise way to conduct their processes quite smoothly.
So, if you are worried about whether remote work is affecting HR and the hiring process, then definitely yes but are there solutions, well yes there so why not include them in your daily activities?
