Remote collaboration shoulder to shoulder at Ploito

We live in the post-COVID era, a time when employees are no longer willing to return to the office, and employers are no longer ready to hire only in their own city. Opportunities for employers and workers have significantly expanded, turning the job market into a global arena.

However, remote work comes with a set of problems: constant communication is lost as all interactions shift to chats and video calls.

Let's explore these challenges and discuss possible solutions in this article.

Communication becomes regular but not constant

There are two ways to solve the issue: write a message or make a call. However, colleagues often respond slowly in chats, and the manager is left wondering if this is a result of information fatigue or if the employee is simply unavailable. In the case of calls, corporate culture dictates that calling someone without prior notice is considered inappropriate; a meeting must be coordinated in advance. Planning a call becomes a quest, as individuals have different preferences for timing. As a result, scheduling calls can be exhausting, and the calls themselves often lead to a sense of emptiness. Psychologists refer to this as "zoom fatigue" since video communication is often challenging, especially in group conversations that last for an hour or more.

Employees withdraw into themselves; writing lengthy messages in chats or making calls becomes a hassle. Messages become brief, and responses follow suit. Each employee works in isolation, and communication is reduced to a minimum.

Loss of control by managers and a decrease in trust

Managers lose control over remote employees, especially when employees start responding to messages in messengers later and claim they did not see notifications. Not every job can be measured by KPI, leading to an inability to assess the efforts of employees and gradually eroding trust.

In these circumstances, many employers begin to introduce a hybrid type of employment, requiring employees to come to the office at least 2 or 3 times a week. However, office visits can be distracting, as colleagues start waiting for the employee to show up rather than addressing the issue at hand. Planning calls for the day becomes more convenient than waiting for an employee to arrive in the office to discuss matters.

Weakening of discipline

People are not robots, and the desire to get enough sleep is familiar to everyone, especially knowing that you can extend your workday later if you start it a bit later in the morning. However, people have their own commitments in the evening, and some scheduled tasks cannot be postponed, such as a visit to the doctor or a workout with a trainer.

Gradually, people start to begin their workday a bit later, with no opportunity to make up for the time.

Why we believe a virtual office in remote work is an effective solution to these problems

• Everyone logs into the online office, and they are visible, so it is not recommended to be late. This activates the mechanism of self-discipline.
• The manager sees everyone and receives reports on employees' working hours and interactions. The feeling of lack of control disappears.
• Working shoulder to shoulder eliminates the feeling of "I am the only one working in this company"; a sense of teamwork emerges.
• Studies show that people with ADHD tend to work more efficiently if there is a body doubling effect. In conditions of remote work in solitude, procrastination and an inability to concentrate may occur.
• Any question can be resolved in 10 minutes; there is no need to plan meetings, gather a large number of people – you simply see a colleague and ask the question.
• As a result, projects do not stagnate, the team is engaged, and the manager is at ease.

Remote work indeed offers significant opportunities for both sides of the job market, but it's crucial to strike a delicate balance between discipline and strict control, freedom, and procrastination in remote work.

And, by the way, we have a short video clip where, in just 2 minutes, you'll learn the most important information about Ploito!