Remote Working Challenges During Post-COVID

By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-7-8 10:30

Nowadays, it is generally considered that China is a veteran in remote working. Home to some of the world's largest companies, back at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of millions of workers were told to work online. The infamous 996 work schedule was replaced colloquially by another tongue-in-cheek phrase, 007, which means at home, all the time.

Now being mainstream, remote working provides numerous benefits which, pre-pandemic, were limited to fringe, forward-thinking companies. From the obvious, such as lower office rental expenditures and more manageable schedules, to saving money and time on commutes, many specialists also claimed an increase in productivity and employee loyalty.

Issues of Remote Working

However, home offices are far from perfect and many other issues, such as loneliness and a blurring of work/life balance, also loom. Organizations must solve these issues as workplaces increasingly incorporate home working for the masses.

Remote meetings are susceptible to poor internet connections in the homes of employees who do not have the luxury of dedicated IT departments. Face-to-face meetings will always require an interpersonal charm over pixelated video links. Meanwhile, Interpreting Services are vital during remote meetings. Quality of visual communication is crucial, and a way round this could be the utilization of recorded video messages. Already video messaging apps are in circulation among young tech-savvy salespeople who know the significance of a personal touch; however, translating this to corporate communications would do well for teams struggling with poor connections in real time.

Usually some meetings can be unnecessary and easily replaced by a quick email. The novelty of home working and being isolated from a physical team presence can lead many to overuse video links in an attempt to compensate. This, however, can be timewasting. Changing remote work culture to minimize emails and keep group meetings to essential events with key clear agendas will streamline office function greatly.

Passive knowledge shared in a physical office is, for many, a key understated component of career progression. Managers sharing quick tips with interns and new recruits are part of a social corporate system vital for staff development, no matter how temporary the encounter. Remote working seriously limits these opportunities, although this may be overcome through encouraging out-of-hours teambuilding exercises or social functions. So-called "water cooler chat" is more essential than many think, and important for building trusting and effective relationships between workers. If COVID-19 restrictions allow for it, organized social meetings in real life would further benefit.

Managers will have a heavy responsibility to make sure that workers integrate well into home working culture. Accurate and simple communication will be more significant than ever, to set a clear direction while at the same time encouraging concise messaging and creative ways of being interpersonal. The convenience of communication technology should be exploited here; it has never been easier for line managers to drop team members quick daily individual messages, maintaining close working relationships with each person.

Understanding the pressures that many are facing at home with added childcare responsibilities from shut schools and feelings of isolation are essential roles for managers to take, and doing so will bring great dividends for those looking to succeed in the workplace of the future.

This article is reprinted from China Daily.

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