Telework is a much talked about issue, whether it is claimed or decried. According to the Malakoff Humanis Telework and Hybrid Organisations 2022 Barometer, at the end of 2021, 38% of employees were teleworking (8 points more than in 2019) and 68% of them chose to do so. Those who refuse to do so sometimes have persistent preconceptions about remote collaboration.
4 preconceived ideas about teleworking:
“Teleworking employees are less productive”
Working from home does not necessarily mean lower productivity. When all the right conditions for teleworking are met, the overall productivity of teleworking employees could even increase.
This is one of the observations of the latest report of the Conseil national de la productivté (CNP) published in May 2022. In particular, it tells us that “companies that made greater use of telework in 2019 were on average more productive and more resilient overall to the crisis” (study Bergeaud A., Cette.G. and Drapala S. 2021). On the other hand, increasing the number of teleworkers by one point would increase the productivity of a company by 0.6%. In the long run, if telework is extended from 5% to 25% of total employment, the company could improve its productivity by 9%.
The suppression of commuting time is most likely the main factor in teleworker productivity. Indeed, it allows to reduce fatigue and thus to invest this time saving in other activities. The result is a better work-life balance that improves the well-being of employees in the long term.
“To generalise this way of working is to weaken collaboration”
According to the same NOC report, telework has made companies more resilient to the crisis, especially through their investment in digital technology.
This is one of the primary conditions for successful telework: the IT environment. Companies have equipped themselves with collaboration software and videoconferencing tools.
In the Odoxa survey published in 2021, on a sample of more than 2000 French people, we learn that 91% of employees say they have used at least one videoconferencing tool while teleworking. To optimise collaboration, these solutions must be efficient and perfectly mastered by the employees. Their level of security of exchanges as well as their hosting policy must also be taken into account to avoid all risks of espionage and data theft.
“Telework isolates employees”
This is the most persistent misconception. When we think of teleworking, we inevitably think of an employee alone behind a screen all day. However, if the company equips its employees with efficient video collaboration tools, professional and informal exchanges between teams can be as fluid as in person.
Tixeo’s videocollaboration solution includes a unique feature that allows teleworkers to meet in a virtual open-space and chat with their colleagues in one click.
“Working from home hinders creativity”
“More than one in two workers say they feel more creative and have a greater capacity for innovation when teleworking“, says a Malakoff Humanis study published in 2021. Remote working allows new routines to be adopted. Thanks to video collaboration tools, the teleworker can also foster creativity.
In addition, teleworking also means having the opportunity to work outside the home. This opening to new environments allows one to think differently and to innovate.