In 2020, only 6% of U.S. workers worked remotely. During the pandemic, that number grew to 50% and in 2024, it has fallen to 28%. While many organizations are pushing to move remote workers back into offices, those experiencing the highest levels of success recognize remote work is here to stay.
A Harvard Business Review survey explains that executives expect hybrid work cultures to continue to grow, which means leaders of high-performing teams must understand the ramifications of remote work to manage their teams effectively.
Why remote work will continue to grow
Employees like working remote and opt for remote work when available. For technical high performers, remote work is non-negotiable. Stack Overflow’s annual survey of professional developers found, for the third year in a row, that flexibility is the most essential reason why developers stay in a job.
Luckily, the evolution of remote work has also forced the evolution business as it’s done today:
- Tools supporting remote work are growing. Since the pandemic, patents for technology supporting remote work have increased.
- Recruiting from a wider talent pool. Firms looking to find top talent can find talent worldwide and are not limited to a geographic area. With cost of living variances, talent can often be found at lower prices than in traditional tech hubs like the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Reduced attrition. A recent survey found that one in three developers would quit if they could no longer work from home.
- Reduced overhead. Agencies and organizations are finding reduced costs from shutting down offices and moving to a remote work model.
- Continuity during disruptions. Pandemics aren’t the only disruptions to business, but we certainly learned in 2020 that a health crisis and requisite lockdowns can be disruptive. Natural disasters and other issues can cause problems for business continuity. When workers are remote, processes and procedures already in place make remotely working during disruptions much easier.
- Reduced commuting time. With remote work, the reduction in commuting time means more focused time for projects, free time for workers, and less strain on the environment.
The return to the office movement
Already in 2024, organizations like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Google, Facebook, and even Zoom are pushing to get employees back into the office.
According to an August 2023 report from Resume Builder, 90% of companies have plans to implement return-to-office policies by the end of the year. Of the 1,000 companies surveyed, almost 30% would threaten to fire employees who don’t comply with in-office requirements, while only 2% of business leaders said they would continue remote work.
Leaders cite several reasons for their push to end remote work.
- Productivity concerns. Some studies show that productivity in remote environments may be 10% lower than in-office productivity. The research is non-conclusive, however, with statistics from different studies showing both decreases in productivity as well as increased productivity for remote teams.
- Collaboration and communication difficulties. Remote work requires intentional communication and collaboration strategies. Those organizations looking for greater ease of collaboration can cite this difficulty as a primary reason for the return-to-the-office movement.
- Lack of employee engagement. Spontaneous meetings and coordination of different functions can be challenging when workers are remote, especially so when workers are more productive asynchronously.
- Company culture. Organizations often advocate for in-office work to foster a strong corporate culture, as physical presence enhances team cohesion, facilitates spontaneous collaboration, and strengthens employee interpersonal relationships. They cite these spontaneous conversations as critical for maintaining a unified organizational identity and instilling a sense of belonging and commitment among workers. A Harvard Business Review study found that companies with strong cultures saw revenues increase by four times as much as those with weaker cultures over ten years.
- Security concerns. The LastPass breach in 2022 occurred because one developer working from home had an unpatched media server on their home network, affecting the organization as a whole.
While organizations have several reasons to find concerns around remote work, the need to retain and attract top talent tips the scales.
A competitive leadership edge: More effective remote work
With highly recruited workers demanding flexibility and remote work options, this shift in employee preferences has significant implications for talent acquisition strategies. Organizations that can adapt to these demands by offering flexible schedules, remote work opportunities, and a culture that supports work-from-anywhere policies are positioned to attract top talent.
Elite professionals, who often have multiple job offers to choose from, are increasingly likely to favor employers that provide these perks and the management recognition of employee fulfillment and satisfaction. By recognizing and meeting these expectations, companies not only gain a competitive edge in recruiting but also enhance their employer brand, making them more attractive to the workforce of the future.
This advantage is crucial in industries where the war for talent is fiercest, enabling forward-thinking organizations to build dynamic, satisfied, and highly productive teams.
Helping remote workers succeed
To set remote workers up for success, our jobs as leaders must evolve. There are plenty of reasons to do so. Better talent and high performers on your team mean that your business outcomes are naturally better. Innovation is a natural byproduct of happier workers with more creative freedom to try new things.
The growth of remote work and high performers’ desire for a remote-first environment means that the job of leadership must evolve with the requirements of the job. As our workers and their needs evolve, our requirements as leaders must evolve as well.
Intentional leadership and vision
Balancing greater freedom and flexibility with adherence to policies and procedures requires intentional leadership. Establishing a corporate culture that accounts for this new way of working requires a proactive vision and effective communication.
Communicating the roadmap
Know the organization’s goals and how you plan to achieve them. Clarity in your communication about the team’s goals and the organization’s overall vision provides clarity in your team’s day-to-day activities.
Clearly defined tasks and objectives
Creating clear and easy-to-understand guidelines for your team with specific steps to achieving success with daily tasks. Be prepared to answer questions and provide direction.
Communication tools
Ensure your team has what it needs to connect, get clarity, and communicate in real-time and asynchronous ways to get everyone connected and on the same page. Getting communication right minimizes misunderstandings and conflict.
Asynchronous schedules
Not everyone works the same way at the same time. Some people do their work well before sunrise, while others work well into the night hours. Find what works best for individual team members and provide what they need.
When high performers say they want more flexibility in their work and schedules, they’re not asking for flexibility to get away from work. They often seek opportunities to bring their best work to your team.
Know your people
As a leader, your job requires you to understand your organization’s roadmap, clearly communicate processes and goals, and understand team members individually and collectively. You have to know what motivates each of member of your team and how they respond to your leadership. Your ultimate goal is to achieve objectives efficiently, but the path to the finish line can sometimes be non-linear.
In a remote-first environment, leading a high-performing team might seem harder. Instead of serendipitously and reactively learning about your people when thrown into the same physical environment, you’re now required to proactively get to know each team member.
Assessments like the Motivation Code can help manage remote teams as you create more effective communication strategies and channels.
Supporting the whole person
If your organization allows, provide benefits that support the whole person. Mental health support, health club memberships, or at-home exercise equipment can help remote workers get the needed movement for their overall health and well-being. People can bring more to their role when they get the support they need.
Retreats and team building
As with day-to-day communication, schedule periodic retreats with your team to find time to connect in person. Don’t overschedule these events, and allow conversations to occur naturally. Suppose your organization is looking to save costs. In that case, there are plenty of options for inexpensive retreats at properties with views that provide a subtle encouragement for big-picture visions and expansive innovations. We’re partial to retreats at Wander properties, where our teams can relax, engage, and make big things happen.
What to watch for in high-performing remote teams
Remote work can have its issues, so watch for fundamental problems with remote workers and remedy them quickly.
Burnout
According to a survey done by Monster during the pandemic, over half of remote workers said they felt burnout. Consistent check-ins with remote workers can help you watch for signs of burnout, overwork, or pushing harder than organizational expectations. Encourage these workers to find balance and recharge.
Burnout can also indicate a more significant problem where workers try to be something they’re not. If you’re passionate about a project and committed to the outcome of a project, burnout is rarely a factor. But if a worker is trying to act as an Orchestrator, for example, when they are a Relator Motivational Dimension, they can become exhausted by not using their talents. Leaders can remedy this by better understanding their team members’ Motivational Dimensions.
Always on
Remote tools can give us freedom of movement during workdays for greater flexibility. For some, working part of the day at a coffee shop might give them the social buzz they need. But on days off, flexibility might encourage some workers to feel that they must always be on. Encourage these folks to set appropriate boundaries with their technology so that they take time off when they are taking paid time off.
Isolation
A variety of factors can cause disconnectedness and isolation. These feelings can also happen in an in-office environment, but lack of intentional connection in a remote environment can create feelings of isolation, disconnection, or a feeling of being out of the loop in a remote environment.
A lack of interaction in critical conversations may allude to feeling disconnected from co-workers. If an employee spends all day in front of their computer churning out work, they may also feel disconnected and isolated from their team, friends, and family.
Again, knowing your team members and their Motivational Dimensions can help determine if there is a problem for your team members. Encourage these team members to take breaks and intentionally reach out to others for social connection. For those who find it difficult to reach out, leaders can identify Relators on their team that prioritize team cohesion, belonging, and connection. Tasking these Relators with ensuring remote team cohesion uses their talents for the good of the entire team, while also giving these unique individuals another way to find fulfillment.
Misunderstandings and conflict
Misunderstandings and conflict can arise on any team, but it might go unnoticed on a remote team. Frequent check-ins with direct reports with appropriate questions can highlight misunderstandings so that everyone is focused on the same goals.
If conflict arises, ensure that team members know there are open channels for communicating dissent. Demonstrate that team conflict is resolved quickly to ensure your teams develop high trust in a remote environment.
Remote work is the future. Are you ready?
All evidence points towards remote work as the future of work. At Motivation Code, we’re excited about this trend as we’ve seen what remote work can do for high-performing teams. Becoming prepared for the future of remote work requires knowing your team members individually and collectively and making proactive choices on how your teams are led and managed.
Motivation Code is based on decades of research, science, and experience, and we’re seeing how it helps teams perform better, retain top talent, and prepare for the future of work.
If your team needs help with the question of remote work, productivity, or retaining top talent, Motivation Code can help. Learn more, or contact us to find out how this groundbreaking assessment is helping organizations like yours prepare for the future of work.
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