By Sarah Evans 
This year, over 42% of the US labor force worked full time jobs from home. These numbers would have been unthinkable pre-pandemic, when only 4.1% of workers had the opportunity of remote work. Now that this new mode of working is so widespread, people are able to appreciate the benefits it brings to both workers and companies alike. Workers save money on transportation and related costs while gaining flexibility in their schedule. Meanwhile, businesses save on overhead and lower employee turnover rates.
Despite the perks of remote work, there are growing pains associated with the new system. Employers are struggling to trust employees they can’t physically watch as they work. Many businesses are questioning their leadership pipelines and managers feel new discomfort in communicating with employees. As a way to regain a false sense of control, some managers are resorting to micromanagement tactics with their remote team. Now, 1 in 5 employees consider micromanagement to be the most stressful aspect of their job. Micromanagement depresses morale and productivity in one, even causing employees to switch jobs when it gets too bad.
Managers need to avoid the trap of excessive control. To increase feelings of trust with their remote team, managers ought to communicate their expectations while also motivating employees to be transparent about their working needs. For many remote jobs, productivity is a better measure of employee engagement than hourly labor, and managers should recognize that. Finally, consider how artificial intelligence components can maintain open communication and save time.
Learn more on how to trust remote employees in the visual deep dive below:
Source: TrackTime24.com
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