As the world discovers alternative methods of working without human interaction, the work-from-home workforce is undergoing a transformation. The majority of non-essential workers must complete their work from home. Amid a pandemic, could working from home actually increase your efficiency?
According to a report by Owl Labs, by 2021, 70 percent of those who worked from home during the pandemic will report that virtual meetings are less stressful, and 64 percent will prefer hybrid meetings. Multiple studies conducted over the past few months indicate that working from home is more productive than office work.
Those who work from home waste 10 minutes less per day, work one additional day per week and are 47% more productive on average.
Those who work from home are more consistent, put in more hours, and accomplish more during the workweek. This immediately does not sound right. How can you improve your concentration while working at home?
Determine how professionals with flexible work arrangements accomplish more outside of the office.
Work from home can increase productivity by up to 13%
Working from home increases productivity by 13%, according to a nine-month Stanford study of 16,000 employees. This performance improvement resulted from a quieter, more conducive working environment and working more minutes per shift due to fewer breaks and sick days. In the same study, employees reported greater job satisfaction, and attrition rates were reduced by fifty
percent.
Working Remotely Can Boost Productivity by as Much as 77%
According to a survey by ConnectSolutions, 77% of those who work remotely at least a few times per month are more productive, with 30% doing more work in less time and 24% doing more work in the same amount of time.
Before COVID-19
Numerous businesses fear allowing employees to work from home because they believe they will be less productive. This is not entirely incorrect. It is easier to become distracted, procrastinate, and complete less work at home than in the office. In 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 24% of employed individuals did some or all of their work at home on working days, while 82% of employed individuals did some or all of their work at their workplace. Workers employed in financial operations, business, and management occupations (37%) and workers employed in professional and related occupations (33%) were more likely than those employed in other occupations to do some or all of their work from home on workdays.
According to a 2012 study, office workers who were assigned tedious tasks performed better and more quickly in a typical office setting. If you do not enjoy your work, you are more likely to be derailed by distractions from your home life, preventing you from producing quality results. However, this study found that more creative work yielded more productive results. In brief, the fewer limitations placed on a task, the faster it will be completed.
The same study demonstrates that an entire “office” will perform poorly if everyone works from home. Each individual will contribute the same amount of effort. In other words, nobody wants to do more work while others ride their coattails. According to a more recent study, the longer a person works from home, the less productive they become. Those who work from home full time (8 hours/day) are 70% less productive than those who do not.
Since COVID-19
Changes have occurred since 2012. Working from home has become simpler, and communication software is improving.
Surveys conducted in the past few months indicate that working from home improves project turnaround time and increases productivity.
Great Place to Work compared employee productivity between March and August of 2020, the first six months of stay-at-home orders, to the same period in 2019.
A two-year study of 800,000 employees found that remote work productivity was stable or increased when employees worked from home.
Since March of 2020, productivity has increased by 47% (compared to March and April of 2019), according to Prodoscore, which has also determined when people are most productive. According to the report, employees are most productive on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The typical workday is still from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and more employees use email and Customer Relationship Management software to communicate with coworkers.
According to a survey conducted by Stanford, only 65 percent of Americans have internet speeds sufficient for video calls. With 42% of Americans working from home and 26% working at the physical location of their employer.
According to a survey conducted by Airtasker in March of 2020, employees who work from home spend 15% less time avoiding work, work 1.4 more days per month, and take more breaks. Workers who work from the home report being less distracted by coworkers, spending 30 minutes less per day discussing non-work-related topics, and 7 percent less time conversing with management.
The New York Times interviewed Nathan Schultz, a senior executive at Chegg, about the company’s productivity now that the workforce is at home. His initial inclination was to monitor employees constantly, but once he backed off, productivity increased, and employees began completing projects early. The current increase in productivity does not guarantee that it will continue indefinitely. According to the same New York Times article, social isolation is a problem for some companies’ employees. Over time, employees’ mental health will begin to impede productivity and diminish employee satisfaction. In the first couple of months of quarantine, companies such as Splunk, Affirm, and Microsoft saw a significant increase in productivity, but over time, the isolation of working from home has a negative impact on both productivity and job satisfaction.
This is the reason why many businesses are now adopting a hybrid work model.
To Summarise
Depending on your setup, working from home can be a more productive work environment than the typical office cubicle, thereby improving your work-life balance. The current pandemic has altered the way we work, and more businesses are implementing work-from-home solutions. Ensure that your employees are healthy, organized, and comfortable so that their productivity remains at company standards for months.
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