London, UK 26.05.2023 – Remote work has become the norm for many businesses and employees, offering numerous benefits in terms of productivity and flexibility. However, addressing the social aspects and feelings of isolation that can arise from remote work is essential. RemoteWorker, a leading online jobs board specializing in remote work positions, calls on HR professionals and leaders to invest more in team-building activities to foster collaboration and a sense of belonging among remote staff.
According to Joseph Boll, CEO of RemoteWorker, while remote workers have proven to be highly productive, the social differences of working from home have been a topic of debate. “Instead of using these challenges as a reason to revert to in-person work, companies can proactively tackle them by placing greater emphasis on team-building exercises and social support for their remote employees,” said Boll.
Several studies have highlighted that some remote workers miss the easy face-to-face interactions they experienced in traditional office settings. Despite the drawbacks of water cooler gossip, many employees realized they missed the spontaneous social connections when the pandemic forced a shift to remote operations. Even now, with COVID-19 restrictions easing, research indicates that remote workers can go days without personal interactions outside of their homes.
New employees, in particular, face the challenge of adapting to company culture through virtual messages, where it can be difficult to gauge their colleagues’ moods or establish meaningful connections. Recent research by The Hackett Group suggests that the feeling of isolation from the team, rather than remote work itself, negatively impacts collaboration – a point often used by remote work opponents to advocate for a return to the office.
Boll emphasizes that creating a sense of inclusion and connection among employees is a straightforward solution to address the relatively few issues associated with remote work. “By ensuring that employees feel connected to their team, we can reduce feelings of isolation and foster an inclusive company culture,” said Boll. This approach allows employees to collaborate and interact confidently with their colleagues, promoting a more robust social bond and benefiting the entire organization.
RemoteWorker encourages businesses to prioritize team-building initiatives and support mechanisms, starting from the leadership level. By actively investing in team-building exercises, companies can enhance the remote work experience, improve collaboration, and create a positive and engaging work environment.
About Remote Worker (UK):
Remote Worker helps to connect the UK workforce with remote or work-from-home jobs in their chosen line of work. We are affiliated with Remote Worker (US), ClickJobs.io, EcoCareers.org and Caribbean Employment Services Inc.
For more information, visit https://www.remoteworker.co.uk/ and for direct contact use hello@remoteworker.co.uk
