Practically everyone (around 94%) wants to work from home – at least part time, according to a new study carried out by cross-cultural expert by RW3 CultureWizard. Nearly 2,700 business professionals from 106 countries who participated in the 2020 Global Virtual Work Survey, indicated a strong preference for continuing to work remotely, even if they “have an option to return to the workplace”.
“There is a fundamental change taking place in the global workplace. We can no longer assume that people are working in the traditional office where they communicate face-to-face, and we’re about to discover that the flexibility and productivity of working from home will remain,” stated RW3 CultureWizard’s President, Charlene Solomon. “Once you acknowledge this dramatic change and the fact that 89% of respondents say their virtual teamwork is somewhat or extremely critical to productivity, you realise that this transforms the workplace.”
REMOTE CHALLENGES
However, remote working has its share of challenges. The study indicates that 65% report virtual communication is more difficult than face-to-face communication. More than half (54%) of the study’s respondents reported the “need to adjust their communication due to the lack of visual contact”.
The findings also reveal the virtual nature of remote work can exacerbate differences in individual work styles and culture, underscoring a pressing need to develop virtual collaboration and leadership skills. For example, 92% of respondents reported “engagement” and “collaboration” as traits of a good virtual teammate. However, cultures/countries around the world may not view “what it means to collaborate” in the same way.
Given the significance and challenges of virtual work, only 26% are trained to increase their productivity on these teams, the report notes. “Ways in which we collaborate, establish leadership priorities, and build trust with employees we never see in a traditional work setting will require leaders and workers to adapt time-honoured practices to the new environment,” added Solomon. “Virtual team training must be combined with cultural awareness and inclusivity training in order to develop high performing global virtual workers who simultaneously reap the benefits of remote work without compromising the benefits of diversity.”
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