Numerous industries in Switzerland, with IT in second place, are more affected than ever by the shortage of skilled labour. This was revealed by a study conducted by Adecco and the University of Zurich in November 2023. In order to recruit skilled workers for your own company, it is therefore important to be open to change.
Like many other employees, I have increasingly taken the opportunity to work outside the traditional office in recent years. What started out of necessity turned out to be a real motivation and productivity booster thanks to the self-determined organisation of everyday working life.
Even if not for all groups of people and professions, working from home and remote working has become a matter of course for many today, which employers are not always able to fulfil. For the flexibilisation of work location and working hours to be a real success, culture, leadership and technology must be taken into account alongside new company guidelines.
Success factors of remote work
1) Culture of trust vs. illusion of control
The idea that team members can work effectively from home may be difficult to grasp, especially for managers. This creates an illusion of control, where people believe that high performance can only be achieved if working conditions are closely monitored. In contrast, studies show that trust and the freedom to organise one's own working day correlate with increased motivation and satisfaction. A cultural shift towards more autonomy instead of micromanagement is often necessary for such a mindset to be practised in the company.
2) Modern leadership skills
The management culture plays a decisive role in the successful implementation of flexible working models. In addition to the new focus on input instead of output, there is another crucial aspect: the necessary support for employees. Contrary to the assumption that employees work less when working from home, there is actually a tendency to overwork and overload. This requires a manager who supports their employees through open communication, empathy and mutual understanding.
3) More than just Technology
Implementation of secure communication tools, cloud services and digital platforms is the top priority for many companies when it comes to implementing remote work. It is also important to train employees accordingly and establish a common understanding of the various tools. What demands do we place on response times on different channels? How much dialogue is necessary in order to collaborate efficiently? Which agile methods bring the most added value to our Team? All of these questions need to be discussed together in each team to ensure that the technical means achieve the desired effect.
Mastering remote work for sustainable success
The challenges of remote work are real, but not insurmountable. It requires a strategic approach based on trust culture, leadership and Technology to actually master the implementation. Organisations that find the balance between these factors are better positioned to operate successfully in an increasingly flexible working world and increase employee motivation and performance.
Author
Sandra Lugonjic
HR Strategies
As a strategy consultant at HR Campus, Sandra supports companies in making their Employee Experience measurable and tangible and improving it through targeted strategic measures. With her experience in the areas of employer branding and people development, she supports customers who want to position themselves as attractive employers.