{"id":40023,"date":"2020-04-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/location-doesnt-matter-closing-the-gap-between-working-from-home-and-in-office\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T04:12:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T11:12:29","slug":"location-doesnt-matter-closing-the-gap-between-working-from-home-and-in-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/location-doesnt-matter-closing-the-gap-between-working-from-home-and-in-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing the gap between working from home and in-office"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Marissa Mayer took the helm as CEO of Yahoo in July 2012, the company was floundering. Mayer, the ex-Google wunderkind with an MS in computer science from Stanford, was hailed as <\/span>just<\/span><\/i> the person to revive the company\u2019s flagging fortunes. She had the brains, the experience, and the confidence, many thought, to pull it off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That optimism was to be short-lived. Tasked with cutting down on bureaucracy, perking up company culture, and generally getting the company back on track toward innovation and boosting its sagging profits, Mayer brought in a raft of sweeping changes, including an outright ban on something Yahoo had until that point embraced: remote work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote employees were given three months to occupy a desk at Yahoo\u2019s nearest office\u2014or lose their jobs. Even those who occasionally worked from home were targeted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote work is only growing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Though Mayer\u2019s edict initially sent shockwaves through the working world\u2014<\/span>pundits wondered<\/span><\/a> if the very idea of remote work was over\u2014more than six years on, it\u2019s clear that it hasn\u2019t gone anywhere. In fact, today <\/span>70% of people<\/span><\/a> globally work remotely at least once a week. Remote job openings have increased by <\/span>151% in the past year<\/span><\/a>. Even Yahoo eventually <\/span>softened its stance<\/span><\/a>, allowing some employees to occasionally work from home.<\/span><\/p>\n

With more and more companies embracing remote work, equalizing the experience for on-site and remote employees has never been more important. Indeed, a raft of tools and technologies have emerged in the past few years aimed at doing just that. Combine them with some operational tweaks and a focus on company culture, and there\u2019s no reason why people stationed around the globe can\u2019t work together to produce work that\u2019s any less revolutionary than remote work itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Office and remote workers communicate differently<\/span><\/h2>\n

While Mayer\u2019s zero-tolerance policy was seen by many at the time as <\/span>a step backward<\/span><\/a> for remote work, anyone who has worked outside of a traditional office setting (or been part of a team that includes remote members) has likely experienced some of the frustrations she was trying to curb. You need a colleague\u2019s timely input, but they\u2019re never online when you need them. You\u2019re pairing with a developer on some code, but you need a magnifying glass to decipher what they\u2019re doing on your shared screen. You\u2019re in the middle of an important meeting, and the audio drops out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Communicating via technology is fundamental to the experience of remote work, but getting your message across clearly and without \u201ctechnical difficulties\u201d can be elusive\u2014and problematic. According to researchers at the <\/span>University of Michigan<\/span><\/a>, these types of issues can lead to an \u201cus versus them\u201d mentality in partially distributed teams. \u201cWe found that the collocated people formed an in-group, excluding the isolates,\u201d they wrote. \u201cBut, surprisingly, the isolates also formed an in-group, mainly because the collocated people ignored them and they responded to each other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley noted similar patterns of behavior, as well as significant differences in the way group members communicate. In <\/span>a study<\/span><\/a> that simulated an in-office\/remote work environment, they found that within an hour, communication differences had emerged. The \u201cremote workers\u201d wrote longer, more positive messages, while the \u201cin-office workers\u201d were less likely to write messages that weren\u2019t strictly necessary for the task at hand. \u201cNot only are teammates located in a different location,\u201d they wrote. \u201cThey also communicate using different norms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This kind of \u201cproximity fosters collaboration\u201d research is what drove companies like Apple and Facebook to redesign their campuses to maximize \u201c<\/span>collisions<\/span><\/a>,\u201d chance encounters and unplanned interactions between colleagues. It\u2019s also a big part of why Mayer decided to ban remote work at Yahoo. But for all the buzz surrounding these utopian, collaboration- and innovation-sparking offices, the fact remains that the vast majority of people\u2014<\/span>99%<\/span><\/a>, according to one study\u2014would prefer to work elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video conferencing drives better teamwork<\/span><\/h2>\n

So how do you create an environment where employees can collide even when they don\u2019t share a physical space? It starts with communication. In a virtual environment, where employees are often communicating primarily via email and messaging apps, it can be difficult to convey complex ideas and have productive, critical, and yes, <\/span>innovative<\/span><\/i> discussions. Considering that a whopping <\/span>93% of communication effectiveness<\/span><\/a> is determined by non-verbal cues, it\u2019s easy for meaning to get misconstrued, leading to confusion and conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why video conferencing, which gives participants the ability to observe body language, hear tone and inflection, as well as see what\u2019s being talked about (a slide deck, for example), is an indispensable tool for remote teams. It facilitates a heightened level of communication and engagement, not to mention the \u201cwarm, fuzzy\u201d benefits of building trust, connection, and unified purpose. In a 2017 global survey of thousands of workers, <\/span>92% of respondents<\/span><\/a> said that video conferencing makes for better teamwork and higher-quality relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, not all workplace communications merit a video conferencing call. Simple, non-urgent matters\u2014access to a shared document or what happened at the end of <\/span>Tiger King<\/span><\/i>, for example\u2014are better suited to now-ubiquitous messaging apps. This might seem like common sense, but as the <\/span>Harvard Business Review<\/span><\/i><\/a> explains, \u201cMany people instinctively default to their preferred method of communication, which can lead to misunderstandings, conflict, and lost productivity.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being mindful about the medium you choose to convey your message can help improve communication effectiveness. Team messaging is great for casual conversations that foster connection and culture, but if you\u2019re delivering feedback or dealing with sensitive topics, you\u2019re better off jumping on a call. This is exemplified by <\/span>a study<\/span><\/a> where participants were given the exact same feedback by email, on paper, and face-to-face. While participants described the feedback as respectful when delivered in person, they used words like \u201cimpersonal,\u201d \u201ccowardly,\u201d and \u201caloof\u201d when it came via email.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote workers need balanced expectations<\/span><\/h2>\n

The right communication solutions go a long way toward building a collaborative virtual work environment, but they can only be effective if companies create formal\u2014and equal\u2014expectations for using them. Take messaging platforms, for instance. Given that remote workers are by definition \u201cdistant\u201d from their team, the prevailing wisdom is to communicate <\/span>more <\/span><\/i>in order to bridge that distance. As software engineer and blogger <\/span>Chelsea Troy<\/span><\/a> writes, many companies encourage remote employees to over-communicate \u201cwhen they come in, what they\u2019re working on, when they can answer questions, when they\u2019re going home.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In theory, this is a great idea. It allows people to see when their colleagues are available and what they\u2019re working on. The trouble is, the expectation of over-communication is almost never extended to in-office employees, who have the benefit of being able to look around and see what their remote counterparts can\u2019t: what time everybody arrives at the office, how long they take for lunch, and when they clock out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth acknowledging here, that our inclination toward over-communication for remote workers might be more detrimental than helpful. A <\/span>2012 study<\/span><\/a> from researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that the more remote workers communicated using email and instant messaging, the more stress they felt and the less they identified with their team and organization. Researchers labeled the phenomenon the \u201cconnectivity paradox,\u201d finding that \u201cteleworkers’ connectivity to others through communication media facilitates remote work by affording greater social presence, while also negating the benefits of telework by enabling stressful interruptions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While part of the allure of remote work is the expectation of a better work-life balance\u2014the freedom to take the dog for an afternoon walk, or pick up a kid from school, for example\u2014research shows that remote workers actually put in significantly more hours than on-site employees (<\/span>1.4 more days per month<\/span><\/a>, on average). Even when they aren\u2019t working, remote workers feel a responsibility to be \u201con,\u201d lest they be perceived as slacking off or prioritizing other things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Companies can mitigate these issues by setting thoughtful and equal expectations for technology use and availability. For example, software startup Ditto enforces blocks of \u201c<\/span>quiet time<\/span><\/a>,\u201d scheduled periods during which employees can\u2019t interrupt each other via messaging\u2014\u201cI could get more than two days\u2019 worth of work done in one, and still have time left over for educational advancement, reading manuals, and more,\u201d said one Ditto engineer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Automation services provider System.ly also uses a #checkouts team messaging channel to encourage employees\u2014both remote and on-site\u2014to post their comings and goings. \u201cBeing remote and on different time zones, we all are on slightly different schedules, so knowing when someone is and isn\u2019t available is extremely important, said company founder Greg Hickman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Distributed teams need to feel socially included in the organization\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

At the end of the day, building a collaborative remote work environment comes down to one thing: company culture. Remote workers may be <\/span>more satisfied with their jobs<\/span><\/a> and experience <\/span>less work-life conflict<\/span><\/a>, but they also report a <\/span>lower sense of inclusion<\/span><\/a> and get <\/span>less feedback and support<\/span><\/a>. One survey found that <\/span>seven in 10 remote workers<\/span><\/a> face challenges they wouldn\u2019t face in a traditional office setting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since remote workers rarely meet with their colleagues face-to-face, they can end up developing a sort of \u201ctunnel vision\u201d for tasks, while ignoring the human element of work\u2014those casual, informal interactions that make work bearable if not enjoyable. According to organizational communications specialists <\/span>Martha Fay and Susan Kline<\/span><\/a>, \u201cTeleworkers are constrained in their freedom to \u2018shoot the breeze\u2019 with co-located peers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The team messaging standard watercooler channel might feel contrived, but it serves an important function for remote and partially distributed teams, allowing coworkers to chat about everything from pets to politics, video games to music. By creating opportunities for friendly, casual conversation, remote workers can gain a greater sense of connection and belonging and build stronger work relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video brings office and remote employees together<\/span><\/h2>\n

Still, there\u2019s no replacement for face-time. That\u2019s why many companies use company summits or \u201coff-sites\u201d to bring distributed teams together for a few days of brainstorming and bonding. Performance management software provider 15Five brings its 135-person team together once a year for this purpose. As Chief Culture Officer <\/span>Sean Metcalf<\/span><\/a> explains, \u201cThese retreats are purpose-driven events designed to bring every employee together, realign them around our company mission, and to allow for vulnerable connection in a beautiful natural setting away from office walls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If a three-day \u201cworkation\u201d isn\u2019t feasible, you can schedule regular company-wide \u201call hands\u201d calls. They might not be as effective\u2014or as fun\u2014as an in-person get-together, but they serve the same purpose: to connect team members, check in with how they\u2019re feeling, and learn about their lives outside the office. Etsy kicks off its monthly all-hands meetings with a <\/span>jam session<\/span><\/a>. Atlassian screens <\/span>\u201croast-style\u201d videos<\/span><\/a> of employees celebrating work anniversaries. \u201cPeople have so many more skills than just the role they\u2019re hired to do,\u201d says Etsy\u2019s former Head of Internal Communications <\/span>Elise Pereira<\/span><\/a>. \u201cBy having real connections outside of their roles with other people, they\u2019re more likely to collaborate on [work-related] things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about how <\/span>RingCentral Video<\/span><\/a> fosters an effortless, intelligent, and open remote video meetings experience. Check out our video below and <\/span>click here to request a demo today<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n