Only 30% of employees nationwide are more productive working from home versus 45% doing their jobs in an office, a new survey from The Manifest shows.
Working from home has become the new norm for many months due to COVID-19. Some experts predict the standard will persist long after the pandemic ends.
Seventy-seven percent of human resources executives project the trend toward remote work to continue, including one year after COVID-19 dies down greatly, according to a new survey from The Conference Board. The report evaluated over 150 executives, mainly at large U.S. companies, who gave their take on the various actions they are considering given the current pandemic.
Some states are beginning to reopen or have reopened; some businesses are slowly allowing employees to return to the office. Still, some businesses, are staying remote indefinitely, boosting the need for workers to find or adopt ways to stay productive from home.
The Manifest surveyed 365 American workers on how they stay productive while working from home. Some 24% of workers report they are equally productive working from home and in an office.
Kristen Herhold, former senior content marketing specialist at Clutch, told BLACK ENTERPRISE it’s surprising that just 30% of workers say they’re more productive working from home than in an office. That’s because employees are overwhelmingly working from home while the pandemic persists.
She says it’s important for businesses to realize their employees may not be as productive at home and provide them with resources and tips to be more productive, including using communication tools, encouraging employees to take breaks, and providing tips on reducing distractions.
“Remote work isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so it’s important that businesses help employees increase their productivity,” she says. The Manifest is the sister site to Clutch, a ratings and review firm.
Here are six tips–including how they ranked based on what survey respondents reported–that The Manifest offered to boost productivity when working remotely from home.
- Using a designated workspace (43%)
- Structuring their day to resemble normal working hours (36%)
- Taking frequent breaks (34%)
- Setting a schedule (26%)
- Reducing distractions (24%)
- Communicating with colleagues often (23%)