The demand for a strong and diverse workforce in today’s competitive marketplace means that employers must be open to flexible working arrangements to secure the best talent. The productivity of remote workers has often been debated. While many employees feel that they are more productive when working from home, there is often a perception by some managers that employees are not as productive.  So what are the best strategies to increase employee efficiency?

Whether or not employee efficiency when working remotely is an actual or perceived issue, here are our tips for ensuring your employees make the most of their remote working experience (thanks to Shopify):

• Separate spaces for living and working
• Decluttering your workspace
• Getting ‘dressed for work’ (not working in your PJ’s)
• Investing in ergonomic furniture
• Potentially working from a co-working space
• Getting food organised (so you don’t need to cook or prepare food during ‘work time’)

Larry Alton, writing for Forbes Magazine: ‘Are Remote Workers more productive than In-Office Workers’, argues that the multitude of technology available to workers (email, video conferencing, chat, cloud collaboration software) means that they can conduct just about any task remotely. A 2016 US study by TinyPulse, an employee engagement firm, of 509 full-time remote US employees (as compared to over 200,000 employees across all work arrangements) found 4 key findings:

• Remote workers are happier with work
• They feel more valued
• They are more productive when working remotely
• They have a lower relationship with their co-workers

If remote workers feel that they have experienced work-related issues because they were not in the same place in their team, how should this be resolved?

Forbes has recommended a range of activities that help remote workers feel more connected to their team mates – these include:

• Utilising communication channels and apps such as Slack to ensure staff are engaging with each other
• Injecting some humour and fun into meetings
• Ensuring that remote employees see how they fit into the future of the business
• Planning activities that engage remote workers with the team, such as attending events together

If your business wants help to increase employee efficiency, speak to the HR Consulting team at Flexi Personnel.