Remote Work

The New Normal?

As COVID-19 continues to spread, remote work is no longer an experiment, but a requirement in many nations. While it represents a huge change, the results of research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS), reveal that a majority of employees around the world are adapting to working from home and believe it will become the new normal for the way work gets done.

“Remote work is not business as usual. It represents a totally new way of thinking and operating and can be a difficult adjustment for employees and employers to make,” says Donna Kimmel, Chief People Officer, Citrix. “But business must go on, even in times of crisis. And as the OnePoll research makes clear, companies that give their people the right tools can help them make the transition, empower them to be and perform at their best, and emerge stronger when conditions improve.”

A New Normal

As Kimmel notes, remote work is a completely new concept for most employees. Less than half of more than 10,000 workers polled in six countries indicated that they worked from home at least one day per week prior to the Coronavirus outbreak:

• 33 percent (United States)
• 26 percent (France)
• 34.4 percent (Australia)
• 42.6 percent (Germany)
• 22.1 percent (Italy)
• 45 percent (United Kingdom)

Changing with the Times

And they admit working remote has been an adjustment. Among the top challenges cited by respondents in all countries:

• Isolation from colleagues
• Lack of face-to-face interactions
• Difficulty separating work and personal lives

Staying Productive

There are plenty of productivity issues that get in the way in the office. Yet the majority of employees believe that empowered with the right tools, they can stay engaged and be as or more productive working from home as they are in the office. Of those polled who said they work the same or more hours:

• 77 percent (US)
• 60.9 percent (France)
• 80.8 percent (Australia)
• 76.2 percent (Germany)
• 70.80 percent (Italy)
• 68.2 percent (UK)

And more than half in all countries said their productivity levels are the same or higher:

• 69 percent (US)
• 62.9 percent (France)
• 69.6 percent (Australia)
• 74.20 percent (Germany)
• 78.9 percent (Italy)
• 62.70 percent (UK)

Setting up for Success

So what are the right tools?

“You can have the best technology in the world. But if you don’t provide employees with resources to help them make the adjustment, they won’t use it and continue to engage and be productive,” Kimmel says. “And this includes things like sharing tips on setting up a home office and providing flexible schedules to accommodate family responsibilities. Leveraging video conferencing and chat apps to drive richer communications. Hosting virtual office hours where employees can drop in on their managers like they would if they were in a physical location to ask questions or just vent.”