4 Common Causes (And Solutions) For Underperforming Remote Employees [Forbes, June 2021]

Title:

4 Common Causes (And Solutions) For Underperforming Remote Employees

 

Author:

Sabina Nawaz

 

Published:

Forbes, 28 June 2021

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sabinanawaz/2021/06/28/4-common-causes-and-solutions-for-underperforming-remote-employees/?sh=6d49b967721e

 

From the article:

The trend toward remote work is unlikely to be reversed. But distance and virtual work limit what managers can see, especially when employees aren’t meeting expectations. Minimal interactions and no drop-ins obscure why an employee isn’t making expected progress. Managers need new ways to connect with underperforming employees and maintain productivity.

 

Is working from home the new workplace panacea? Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for the future world of work [Scholarly Article - SAJIP, June 2021]

Title:

Is working from home the new workplace panacea? Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for the future world of work

 

Authors:

Jeremias J. de Klerk, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Stellenbosch Business School, Bellville, South Africa 

Mandi Joubert, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Stellenbosch Business School, Bellville, South Africa 

&

Hendrikjan F. Mosca, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Stellenbosch Business School, Bellville, South Africa

 

Published:

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, Volume 47, a1883, 21 June 2021

https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/1883

 

Abstract:

Orientation: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of employees to work from home as governments implemented lockdowns.  

 

Research purpose: This study examined the impact of working exclusively from home on employee engagement and experience, and determined beneficial and distracting factors.  

 

Motivation for the study: Remote working trends have risen steeply since the onset of COVID-19 and are unlikely to taper off soon. Organisations need to understand the impact of remote work when reconsidering working arrangements.  

 

Research approach/design and method: A dual-approach qualitative design was followed. The sample comprised 25 employees (N = 25) who were forced to work exclusively from home during COVID-19. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews.  

 

Main findings: Working from home for protracted periods rendered paradoxical outcomes. Employees could work effectively with improved employee engagement and experience, but there were challenges rendering adverse effects. The experienced benefits of working from home created expectations that this practice would continue in future, along with some office work.  

 

Practical/managerial implications: Organisations need to continue, though not exclusively, with work-from-home arrangements. The ideal ratio of remote work to office work was seen as two to three days per week. However, support and cultural practices would have to be put in place.  

 

Contribution/value-add: The COVID-19 lockdown provided a unique environment to study remote work. For the first time, employees and organisations were placed in a situation where they could experience working from home in a stark and compulsory form, devoid of idealistic fantasies or romanticism.