The COVID-19 pandemic has made remote work the new norm. Not only that, but it seems that work-from-home (WFH) jobs are here to stay. Contrary to what some believed may happen, many companies have reported major boosts in productivity and work quality with remote work. It certainly has appeal, but that does not mean it doesn’t bring its own set of problems.
While remote work has many positive factors, it does have its downside. Research indicates it can lead to greater stress levels among employees. This, in turn, can affect their performance and productivity. In such an event, it is vital to address the issues to keep the employees motivated and performing to expectations.
What can cause underperformance?
There is no one answer to this question, rather a number of potential causes. Remote employees face unique challenges that can translate into their work. Understanding these issues is the first step to overcoming them.
No work structure
The challenges of a disrupted routine often plague remote employees. The workplace environment offers a well spelled-out structure that employees adhere to. In the home, there are many distractions that can challenge work. The relaxed environment and family distractions are in stark contrast to the work structure. Sometimes, it is simply a matter of creating a new routine to get performance back on track.
Home stressors
Remote work presents its own unique challenges at home. Combine those with the current situation, and you have a problem at hand. Problems in the home affect employee performance, especially if they are already working from their residence. The adjustment period to such unprecedented situations can create an emotional burden for employees. Add work pressure to the mix, and things get difficult.
Biased evaluation
Apparent underperformance may be disguising something more technical. Performance evaluation procedures often follow principles that can be biased. Especially casual assessments made by managers can focus more on the work an employee is seen doing. Remote work would require a drastic change in such procedures to produce accurate assessments.
Poor communication or feedback
Remote work can create a divide between employee and employer. It can be hard to know what exactly your employees are up to when interactions are limited. Just because you see much less work being reported does not mean less work is being done. Active communication and feedback can be a challenge to keep up remotely for some individuals, but it can bridge that barrier.
How you can help underperforming remote employees
As you see, underperformance among remote employees can be due to several reasons. However, being at a distance does not mean there is nothing you can do. There are many steps you can take to get performance back on track.
Establish good communication
Communication can become difficult with remote work. There are fewer opportunities to start spontaneous conversations and check in on employees. You can come up with a schedule that lets you stay in touch with your employees. Open good communication channels and work on making a two-sided effort.
Research has shown that employees can feel left out and not cared for because of poor communication. This can even cause discord among colleagues. Effective communication channels keep everyone in the loop. Feeling connected can keep up performance even with remote work.
Readjust expectations and evaluations
Remote work has a somewhat different structure to it. The different demands on employees as remote workers will require adjustment. Making drastic demands of employees such that they struggle to cope will be a serious demotivator.
Review how you are assessing an employee’s work and whether that process requires modification. If you create impossible expectations, such as demanding greater amounts of work or micromanaging every aspect, it would seriously affect performance.
Consider individual employees’ skills and strengths and what they bring to the table. Try building expectations around those factors, and communicate them directly to the employee. Assess the employee based on their performance, their capacity, and realistic expectations. With more accurate assessments, you can better help motivate employees and improve performance.
Help them work on their performance
If you feel an employee is underperforming, you can take productive action. Simply giving warnings with no guidance will be of little use. The best way to up productivity is to figure out, with the employee, what they’re doing wrong and how they can fix it.
Offer what training and guidance are needed to improve performance. This may simply include talking through a problem with an employee, offering advice, or some remote training. Performance improvement is seen when you show employees how to fix their mistakes instead of simply pointing them out.
Given the difficulties remote working can create, especially with COVID-19, it is important to work on the well-being and development of your remote employees. Don’t assume the worst when you notice a fall in performance, and instead, reach out. Involving the employee in the process will produce the best results. Show them where they lack, talk through any problems and difficulties, and make sure to try and solve them together.
