The Impact of Remote Work on Corporate Culture

The “New Normal” 

While remote work as a whole is not a phenomenon that was fully created by the pandemic, it was the reason that it became more mainstream. Before the pandemic, remote work was more of a perk given to selected people such as special skilled hires overseas. It was a temporary arrangement when an employee cannot leave their residence due to a reason such as bad weather or when they are not feeling well enough to come to work, but are able to work from home. 

In 2020, however, everything changed!

The need to find ways to work without having to be present in person at an office space arose almost overnight. Other than the businesses that required essential workers such as healthcare and retail, everyone had to adapt to working with fully remote teams. Many people had been conditioned to leave their work mindset at the office. There were also the added distractions of household work and childcare that came with staying at home during work hours. Therefore, both the physical and mental effort required to stay productive while working remotely was massive for many. 

Surprisingly enough, however, businesses adjusted quite well. Both employers and employees alike found surprising benefits to remote work. While there were concerns about productivity while working in a home setting, the research showed that the productivity levels remained steady for many companies. In fact, some of them even reported heightened levels of productivity, especially in settings where added challenges such as caregiving were not involved. 

Yet, a lingering question remained as to how a proper corporate culture could be maintained when the only time team members see each other was through small squares during a Zoom call. Is there an added sense of belonging in a team when people share a physical space?

The Benefits of Remote Work on Corporate Culture

The remote work experiment that the entire world participated in was largely a success. Especially when approached with a strong strategy and intention, it was possible to further strengthen certain aspects of corporate culture while practicing fully remote work. According to a report done by Harvard Business Review, some remote workers showed to be over 40% more productive when working remotely rather than being in a physical office. 

Here are some benefits of remote work, especially with regard to maintaining a solid corporate culture;

Work-Life Balance

The quality of someone’s work often depends on how well they are able to balance their life outside of work. Remote work offers a healthy time flexibility that allows people to balance their personal lives and work. This leads to a higher level of satisfaction in their life in general, lowering the ability for them to develop high stress and burnout, which are common in regular workplace environments. When the culture of work itself not only encourages but also facilitates work-life balance, it is a win for everyone, including the employers. 

Quality over Quantity 

The concept of “working hours” was challenged when the shift to remote work started to happen. When someone is working from home, there are no foolproof ways to track when they start and stop their work. However, it also led to employers starting to focus on the results of someone’s work, rather than the amount of time they put into it. This started fostering a healthy level of trust from the employers, and a strong sense of accountability and work ethic from the employees.

Global Talent and Diversity

Once remote work was introduced, it opened up many possibilities for businesses when it comes to who they can hire. Remote work broke down the geographical barriers, allowing businesses to hire from the other end of the world if they wished. This means that the overall talent pool of businesses started becoming more and more diverse. These newly formed geographically diverse teams tend to bring fresher perspectives to work, improving the quality of their work. 

The Challenges of Remote Work on Corporate Culture

On the other hand, while there are many benefits that come with remote work, there are several unique challenges that come with that as well. In order to navigate and nurture the corporate culture already created at a company, it is important to understand these challenges well and face them accordingly. 

No Causal Interactions that Build Connections

Networking and building connections are one of the most important aspects of corporate culture. This requires the opportunity to have spontaneous casual conversations with other people. It is difficult to create such opportunities organically when working remotely. 

Communication Difficulties

When working remotely, there is more room for misunderstandings and misinterpretations in communication. There is a large non-verbal aspect to the way we communicate with each other. Even though there are many advanced communication methods such as video calls and emails, there can still be challenges in communicating certain things. 

Isolation

Humans are social creatures. Especially those who are more extroverted in their personality tend to thrive in more social settings. Feeling isolated and disconnected when working remotely, which can eventually lead to more serious issues such as depression is a real issue that needs to be addressed in fully remote settings. 

When transitioning to a remote or hybrid model of work, it is important to recognize the benefits and work towards eliminating the challenges in a healthy manner. Creating virtual spaces where employees can have casual interactions is a good first step in keeping the corporate culture alive. Prioritizing clear communication of all aspects is the key while recognizing both individual and team achievements to reinforce a positive culture.