Working away from the office can help brokers balance busy lifestyles and boost engagement – but only if done in moderation, research shows.
Working away from the office can help brokers balance busy lifestyles and boost engagement – but only if done in moderation, research shows.
A recent Gallup survey found that over a third of workers are now spending a portion of their working hours away from their office or co-workers.
The survey found that remote workers not only worked an average of five hours more per week, they also felt more connected to their companies and were slightly more engaged.
But that doesn't mean it's time to shut down your office and tell your brokers to work from home.
These benefits actually start to drop off once workers spend too much of their time away from the office, found Gallup's research.
The golden ratio, according to the study, appears to be an 80:20 split. Workers who spend 20 percent of their time or less working remotely are most engaged, at 35 per cent, and have the lowest active disengagement, at 12 per cent.
“These employees likely enjoy an ideal balance of both worlds - the opportunities for collaboration and camaraderie with co-workers at the office and the relative sense of freedom that comes from working remotely,” said the report.
“By contrast, those who spend more than half of their time or all of their time working remotely have similar engagement to employees who do not work remotely.”
Other disadvantages to spending too much time away from the office include feelings of isolation, high levels of distraction and the perceptions of co-workers.
In a recent McCrindle survey, more than 20 per cent of respondents indicated that they felt cut-off from their professional contacts.
“I am isolated and lonely at times, and do less networking,” one respondent said.
Some cited the fact that working from home was seen as “not real work” by their co-workers as an issue, and others found that the lines between work and leisure were all but abolished.
“Being on call – people seem to think you are available at any time, including your days off,” a respondent said.
By finding the right balance between remote work and time in the office, employees can continue to enjoy flexibility in the workplace without disconnecting themselves from the workplace culture, said the report.
