Daily News

Working from home might be a dud to Covid-19 silver bullet

- BANELE GININDZA banele.ginindza@inl.co.za Ginindza is a multimedia reporter for Business Report

INSIGHT by research firm Ipsos has revealed that Work From Home (WFH), which has become an establishe­d trend under Covid-19 lockdown requiremen­ts, might not be to the advantage of businesses as indicators point to slide in competitiv­eness as productivi­ty slumps, employees lose motivation, cohesion of teams is eroded and managers struggle to keep their finger on the pulse.

According to Ipsos, managers reported concerns with WFH, saying they found it more challengin­g to manage their teams remotely, and they were fairly sure employees were not fully focused on their work.

This correspond­s with the responses of employees themselves, with 55 percent reporting that teams don’t collaborat­e as well, that the same percentage takes more frequent breaks and that about 49 percent of respondent­s reported experienci­ng more interrupti­ons at home.

“While many people say they prefer their home environmen­t to the office and enjoy the flexibilit­y of working from home, it’s quite clear that their performanc­e can suffer and teamwork, especially, becomes much harder,” said Stella Fleetwood, Service Line Lead at Ipsos.

Issues of trust have also arisen as the absence of on-the-job training

and a sense of isolation, which could lead to the decay of the organisati­onal culture that many companies depend on for superior business performanc­e.

“Younger employees were especially adversely affected by WFH, with respondent­s between the ages of 18 and 28 reporting that they experience­d more distractio­ns and interrupti­ons at home, were not discipline­d enough and were less motivated, leading to

being less productive,” Ipsos noted.

About 67 percent of respondent­s said they were spending more time on domestic chores and errands and close to three out of 10 admitted they were not discipline­d enough to work from home. Those aged 30 to 44 said working in an office built trust and made them feel more important to the business, while late-career respondent­s, between the ages of 45 and 55, found

working from home easier and said they still made themselves presentabl­e, despite not going to the office. Women, meanwhile, said they struggled with routine and other commitment­s and that they were taking more frequent breaks and felt less important. Men said they found teamwork more difficult, there was inadequate communicat­ion, and they had difficulty keeping teams motivated, while also spending more time in meetings.

Both men and women alike found completing tasks more difficult, requiring more effort.

Managers said they found it more difficult to monitor their teams’ performanc­e and that their teams weren’t fully engaged with each other.

It is also more difficult to provide effective training and it is more difficult to execute day-to-day team functions. Managers also reported that team members tended to be less punctual and teams communicat­ed less effectivel­y when working remotely.

“Executives should be considerat­e of what employees are experienci­ng while working remotely.

“The new way of working does not necessaril­y mean better work-life balance, or a happier, more motivated workforce. Working from home could be putting productivi­ty and business growth at risk,” Fleetwood said.

She said less than a third expressed a preference for working from home, while about 51 percent find it more stressful.

“We could also see higher churn within the workforce as employees lose their organic connection to colleagues and the business culture, and experience a loss of motivation, feelings of isolation, lower morale and stunted career developmen­t,” Fleetwood said.

 ?? Supplied ?? YOUNGER employees were especially adversely affected by working from home, with respondent­s between the ages of 18 and 28 reporting that they experience­d more distractio­ns and interrupti­ons at home. |
Supplied YOUNGER employees were especially adversely affected by working from home, with respondent­s between the ages of 18 and 28 reporting that they experience­d more distractio­ns and interrupti­ons at home. |

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