Feeling lack of work from home motivation is a real problem. The pandemic has necessitated and almost pushed some organizations and its people to accept the remote work culture without having any kind of real readiness for it. Based on a recent survey by Indeed, those who work from home miss a lot of things about working in the office. However, these remote work challenges can be overcome if the company develops the work culture to suit remote needs.

At Aligned Studios we have identified shortcomings of the work from home culture and compensated well for it to arrive at tried-and-tested solutions. Here are some suggestions for an employee-friendly remote work culture that is stable and yet flexible enough to meet customer needs.

1. 50% of remote workers miss their commute time and its environmental triggers. 

Instead of utilizing that extra time available for work, employers can encourage people to dedicate this time to healthy sleep hours, physical exercise, and quality time with the family. At Aligned Studios, we organize wellness workshops, yoga sessions and encourage taking up a hobby. This keeps the employees creatively stimulated and motivated to work.

2. 45% of those who work from home miss in-person interaction with co-workers. 

This is the toughest challenge faced by many. Although virtual interactions cannot replace physical interactions completely. As leaders, we encourage extensive work-related as well as non-work-related interaction between our people. Virtual buddy lunches, coffee chats, informal interactions should be sponsored and encouraged by the company. We have found this to contribute to higher productivity. And once the situation allows, a monthly or quarterly company-wide meeting can be held to keep everyone connected.

3. 73% of employees who work from home miss socializing in-person.

Spontaneous conversations are difficult to have virtually. Online exchanges are more structured, premeditated, formal and impersonal. We experience “sitting with ourselves” for long hours without distractions. Cats and dogs and other pets are great company but do not make good conversation and do not provide for juicy gossip! We encourage interactive fun activities on a weekly call that are not only ice-breaking but also lead to strong bonds being formed.

4. 37 % of employees missed the daily routine of physically going to a designated place of work distinct from home.

Logistical constraints might affect the employee’s productivity. To tackle this, companies can encourage the “work from anywhere” mode as opposed to just “work from home”. Cafeterias, co-working facilities, a quiet beach, or hill resort are all real options we are exploring.

5. 64% feel that a real physical office is free of distractions of children, pets, neighbors, household chores etc. which add to the noise level. 

Here again, options like cafeterias and co-working spaces are encouraged. Employers can even tie up with a chain of co-working spaces to get the employees a deal where they can work peacefully or with a chain of cafes to give coupons that the remote employees can use.

6. Skill upgradation in solitary confinement and in the absence of the physical office environment is a challenge. 

Employees find it difficult to motivate themselves towards skill upgradation. Having regular trainings and providing skill upgradation modules, along with access to online libraries and global publications will encourage the remote worker to stay up to date. If an employee wants to do a course while working, the company should allow them to take leaves for the same. Employees who are constantly upgrading their work to meet global standards, will take your company to great heights.

7. Work from home has had adverse effects on mental health of remote staff. 

Primary fallouts of mental health arise out of loneliness, anxiety, and stress. These, in turn lead to the onset of depression. Companies can address this very critical issue by:

• Conducting mental health training sessions.
• Conducting team building activities regularly.
• Checking-in with teams regularly, keeping them in the loop and providing feedback.
• Encouraging physical fitness. Fifteen minutes of daily walking reduces risk of major depression by 26%.
• Appreciating and rewarding good performance.

At the core of any organization, irrespective of the work model adopted, lies the fact that ‘’people matter; they always will”. Employers need to invest in work from home motivation for the employees. The challenge, particularly in remote work culture is letting people know that they matter because without them the organization is an empty shell. Employers who want to retain the right talent, need to deeply understand the subtle difference between being ‘in charge of people” and looking after “people in their charge”.