Remote working suddenly became the norm for many organizations in 2020. In hindsight, this is of course a very striking result, as a transition of this kind is not normally possible in such a short space of time. Office buildings rapidly became vacant and companies had to undergo a digital transformation undergo. Digital tools turned out to be the solution with which companies could keep their organization running from a distance.

Professor Benjamin Laker of Henley Business School states, "Without an existential shock like the COVID-19 pandemic, you would need change programs to convince and motivate people to make the transition to remote working. This amount of change - if it had been gradual - would have taken decades."1 So we can see from this that we can be very proud of our ability to adapt. Although many companies still saw a drop in productivity in the first quarter of 2020, PwC research shows that many executives see an increase in productivity in the last quarter of 2020.2 Remote working thus offers a solution for organizations. But how do employees experience this forced transition?

Burnt out

Although remote working stands for working remotely, most office workers worked from home in the past year. Many home workers feel that the boundaries between home and work are becoming fade away. This blurring has consequences. For example, recent research by Capgemini shows that burn-out symptoms increase sharply among home workers. In fact, more than half (55%) of the home workers surveyed indicated that they felt burnt out by working longer hours in a remote setting. Thirty-somethings in particular need more support in dealing with uncertainty and stress (61% said they were burnt out in the 31-40 age bracket).3 This is logical when you consider that thirty-somethings are in a crucial phase of their career - and are often starting a family at the same time.

In addition, Steelcase research shows that in seven of the ten countries studied, engagement - an important part of feeling connected - is in the top five things that worsen when working from home. During the pandemic, engagement dropped by an average of 14%.4

Lack of connection

Remote working is therefore not only blurring the boundaries between home and work; the lack of connection is also a real danger for home workers. Psychological research has already shown in 1995 that the satisfaction of psychological needs is essential for the optimal functioning of individuals. Connection, competence and autonomy are the most important needs for the optimal functioning of human beings. If an employer satisfies these three psychological needs, it functions as the engine for growth and personal development.

Companies design their workplaces to best meet the needs for connectedness, competence and autonomy. Because of the pandemic, however, most people worked from home. And can the home workplace satisfy the basic psychological needs of employees? Capgemini's research shows it can't: as many as 56% report a lack of connection with their organization as a result of remote working.5 Steelcase's research also confirms these findings, showing that feelings of isolation are the number one cause of deterioration in all ten countries studied because of the requirement to work from home.6 Lack of connection appears to be a problem for many home workers.

Remote onboarding

Boarding all by yourself from home also turns out to be a challenge for new employees. Just try to imagine what it must be like for a new employee to board in a completely remote setting at a new organisation. Before the pandemic, you could meet your new colleagues at the office and get a taste of the workplace atmosphere. These simple, but valuable, moments are currently missing for a starting home worker.

This is also evident from research conducted by Capgemini into the onboarding journey. Of those questioned, 50% indicated that they would not continue with their organisation if completely remote became the 'new normal'.7 Research by PwC confirms these findings on remote onboarding. For example, it shows that starting home workers have a greater need to go to a physical office and even show a greater decline in productivity if they work completely from home.8


50% of the interviewees indicate that they will not continue with their organization if full remote becomes the 'new normal'

And now what?

Soremote working became the norm for many organizations in 2020, but we can now see that this forced transition was not without its faults. Of course, this doesn't come as a huge surprise, as 2020 was a very challenging year for everyone. For businesses, it was vital to keep the organization running remotely, so that's where the priority came in. However, we can now see that this forced transition has negative consequences for employees. The numbers don't lie: we see a huge increase in burn-out related complaints among home workers, employees experience a lack of connection with the organisation and the onboarding of new employees is worrying.

The year 2021 has arrived. The COVID-19 pandemic still dominates our lives and working at home is still normal for many of us, but we all hope that the year 2021 will offer us more. That this year we will be able to taste again the freedoms we used to enjoy so much. The freedom to go to the office more often, for example. To work together with our colleagues, so that we can experience more connection again.

Are you ready to Unfurl?

In addition to having perspective, it is also good to take a moment to reflect. The forced transition to remote working has thus created tension among many employees, but perhaps some positive results are also visible. What lessons can we actually draw from the remote working transition? In our next blog, we will address this question. Do you want to be the first to receive this blog? Press the 'Let's Unfurl' button and we will personally make sure you receive it in your mailbox first.