Managers prefer remote working too, not just workers, survey finds

In the study, managers seem more convinced of the benefits of remote working than the employees they supervise. — 123rf.com

IT’S NO secret that companies are keen to get employees back on their premises. They often rely on managers on the ground to convince their teams to come back to the office.

Despite this, managers are actually much more in favor of remote working than you might think.

Some 68% of managers polled as part of a recent survey from Checkr (1,500 non-managerial United States workers and 1,500 US workers in managerial roles from Nov 15 and 18, 2023), would like to see remote/hybrid working continue in this year.

They believe that this form of organisation promotes productivity and employee engagement, contrary to certain studies on the subject.

Interestingly, managers seem more convinced of the benefits of remote working than the employees they supervise. Indeed, only 48% of employees surveyed would like to be able to continue working remotely in the near future.

These figures testify to the ambiguous position in which many managers find themselves when it comes to remote working. As employees, they are in favour of telework, as it facilitates work-life balance and relieves them of the stress and fatigue associated with commuting.

But, at the same time, they are apprehensive about the complications inherent in remote working (managing absent/present colleagues, performance monitoring, etc.).

Mixed blessings

The vast majority of managers agree on one thing: it’s easier to supervise workers when they’re on site. Physical proximity greatly facilitates discussion and the management of individual tasks.

But managers are aware that going to the office doesn’t necessarily make employees more productive. Open-plan offices are notorious for being places where people lose focus and get interrupted, which explains why some employees prefer to take refuge at home to get on with their work.

What’s more, there are plenty of ways of looking busy in the office without actually getting much done, just as when working from home.

That’s why managers are fairly cautious about the benefits of back-to-office policies. Nearly 60% of those surveyed by Checkr fear that a large number of their staff would consider changing jobs if they were required to come into the company’s offices every day to work.

In comparison, only 47% of employees thought that such a measure would lead to the desertion of a large proportion of their co-workers.

Overall, the results of this survey show that managers and employees are much more aligned than might be imagined when it comes to remote working.

Many see this organisational mode as an opportunity to respond to the challenges facing the world of work. However, executives seem to be more attached to the office than their non-managerial colleagues.

For example, 56% of them take a dim view of the fact that some of their colleagues categorically refuse to come and work on company premises, compared with 38% of employees. – AFP Relaxnews