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A whopping 75% of remote workers admitted to spending at least some time on social media during their shift. What makes you think some of your remote team members are not doing the same?
TRUST TRULY IS THE BASIS of a functioning remote team. However, trust alone is not enough.
When was the last time you checked up on your remote workers?
Do you have a system to help them and your company reap all the benefits of working from home (WFH)?
If these questions are not on your list of top priorities, you risk losing control over your remote teams and letting their productivity slide.
How can you reestablish it?
Read on to discover the top four strategies and accompanying tools, such as remote work systems. Learn how to avoid further erosion of your remote teams and their productivity.
The most common WFH distractions
The distractions that your remote workers face on a daily level can make their productivity and well-being plummet.
If you overlook these challenges, they can quickly wreck the output of the whole organisation and profoundly affect the company culture:
Remote work often blurs the line between personal and professional life. This situation can encourage children, spouses, and pets to constantly interrupt your workers. Without their noticing, their focus is derailed and they are working longer hours than ever before.
Working in areas not designated for productivity, such as the kitchen or living room, can lead to confusion and inefficiency. The absence of a proper setup—like ergonomic chairs, appropriate lighting, and minimal noise—can also cause distraction due to physical discomfort.
Without in-person supervision, the allure of non-work activities becomes more tempting. It becomes easy to procrastinate by scrolling social media, tackling chores, or taking unscheduled naps. Maintaining self-discipline is a constant challenge in the WFH setting, but its degree depends on your employees’ personalities.
(Image via Ben Holliday | Flickr)
The major consequences of WFH distractions
The consequences of untackled distractions your remote employees face while working remotely can be deep and manifold. Before long, you may start noticing:
The lack of concentration due to different distractions can cause your employees to work longer hours to compensate. This will result in heightened stress levels and potential burnout. In fact, 41% of remote workers report high-stress levels, compared to just 25% of office workers.
61.6% of employees admit to spending time on social media during work hours. Due to wasting their time on digital and other distractions, your employees must rush to meet deadlines. This further leads to the fragmentation of attention and consequent mistakes and subpar work.
Employees who primarily work remotely feel 182% less engaged than on-site workers. In addition to frequent interruptions and the lack of a structured work environment, this weakened sense of responsibility significantly impacts overall productivity.
How to tackle the distractions of home office
Leaving remote employees to tackle distractions on their own often results in diminished motivation and output — as well as higher turnover rates. These issues can strain your team’s dynamics and drain your company’s finances.
(Image via Microbiz Mag | Flickr)
Here are some practical strategies for you and your employees that can help you prevent these problems and maintain high productivity:
1. Setting boundaries with family & household members
Ask your employees to communicate their working hours clearly to their partners, children, or roommates. Suggest using physical cues, like a closed door, to signify they are unavailable.
In addition, talk to your employees about the importance of setting clear “do not disturb” times and postponing non-urgent visits. This can help them significantly reduce interruptions and keep their focus intact.
2. Creating a dedicated & isolated workspace
Setting up a dedicated and isolated workspace is another important step towards clearly dividing professional and personal life. Explain this to your remote employees.
Advise them to choose a spot with minimal foot traffic and a lot of natural light. A clean, light, and organised workspace with essential work materials fosters focus and helps employees mentally switch into work mode.
Help them further by offering an allowance for purchasing comfortable, ergonomic furniture. Also, consider offering them a set of noise-canceling headphones. This will help them block out noise and ensure a distraction-free work environment that promotes productivity and well-being.
3. Taking frequent breaks to avoid burnout
Working without a break is counterproductive and can lead to fatigue and burnout. Encourage your remote employees to take regular breaks to rest their minds. Suggest stepping away from their desks for a walk or a quick stretch.
These short intervals of rest refresh focus and boost overall productivity. Additionally, unplugging at the end of the workday allows employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance, which is crucial for long-term performance.
A scalable computer monitoring tool can give you better insight into your employees’ routines, including break habits.
(Image via Phil Dolby | Flickr)
4. Utilising computer monitoring software
Computer monitoring software can be a powerful tool for keeping remote employees focused and accountable. This software offers multiple features that help managers understand and improve employee productivity. Here are its three key capabilities:
This software monitors when employees are actively working, idling, and taking breaks. This helps managers assess whether everyone is using their work hours optimally.
By tracking the apps and websites employees use, the software can highlight distractions, such as social media or streaming platforms. It also enhances the security of employee and company data by alerting security officers if someone accesses a risky or unauthorized site.
- Calculating overall productivity
Combining all collected data, the software generates productivity reports that give insight into employees’ performance. Sharing these reports with your employees helps reinforce their accountability. The collected data also allows managers to give recognition and offer tailored feedback to every team member.
Strive to explain the benefits and functionalities of monitoring software to your employees. By doing so, you will foster discipline, promote a productive remote work culture, and improve overall performance.
Act now, and don’t let your remote teams waste another hour. Implement these strategies and tools to reboot your WFH employees’ productivity and motivation, and watch your business flourish.