What are Work-from-Home Ramifications?

Although the positives of working from home outweigh the negatives, there are some key things that employers and staff who work from home have to be aware of when it comes to those negative situations or outcomes of working from home. ?

What are those? Well, regardless of how involved and collaborative an employee might be with their team, working from home does have an effect on the culture and overall employee experience. Making sure employees have growth opportunities and personal touches from management and other teammates is especially important because that isn’t being done in an office setting.

Employees also must have management and employers who are still helping them grow and learn while working remotely, especially those employees new to their careers. It’s easy for certain personality types or green staff to feel lost and with that, it’s easier to fail in certain career fields if the proper attention and training isn’t done through a remote setting. ?

No matter how many virtual meetings are done, working remotely does have a direct impact on the personal touches and culture of a company. There are many natural occurrences that happen between people in an office or event setting that don’t happen as naturally in a remote capacity. ?

Are these items preventable? Of course. There is however a certain type of care and attention that needs to happen though. ?

How Can Employers Provide Growth and Connection?

Intention is probably the most important part of all of this, and every employee or situation could differ depending on the career field. ?Here are some examples that employers can provide to allow growth and connection for staff members:

• One-on-one or group training?
• Weekly or Monthly check-ins with different departments and team members?
• In-person events if able?
• Virtual group hangouts or happy hours?
• Career development opportunities to learn a new skill or field?
• Mentorship programs with another employee who may have a higher skillset
• Special in-person event opportunities such as conferences or networking events

Ramifications for Employees and Employers

If the proper care, training, and attention don't happen, the direct result could result in the following:

• Employee quits
• Employee fails or makes many mistakes
• Employers have high turnover amongst all staff
• Poor quality of work
• Poor reputation of company and/or company culture
• Failure to have loyalty and obligation to work
• Unnecessary drama or upset staff members

Conclusion

There are many perks and bonuses to having a fully remote working-from-home model; however, there are also many steps that must happen to ensure its success. The last thing any employer wants is high turnover and a poor culture. Employees also need to feel that they are getting the most out of their chosen careers and learning. By being intentional and providing staff opportunities for development and maintaining personal connections, those staff members and teams should be able to thrive and grow with the company for the long haul.