Remote Workers and their Connection to Organizational Purpose
Introduction
Remote work has become increasingly popular, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many employees appreciate the flexibility and convenience of working from home, a new Gallup Poll reveals that remote workers feel less connected to their organization’s purpose compared to their in-office counterparts. This lack of connection can have severe consequences for overall performance and employee engagement.
The Gallup Poll Findings
The Gallup Poll surveyed nearly 9,000 U.S. workers who work remotely, and only 28% of them stated that they feel connected to their company’s mission. This marks a 4% decrease compared to the previous year. Interestingly, 33% of workers who go into the office every day reported feeling connected, highlighting the gap between remote and in-office workers.
The disconnection between remote workers and their organization’s purpose can have detrimental effects on various aspects of the business. Jim Harter, a senior workplace scientist at Gallup and author of the report, notes that employees’ relationships with their employers are becoming less loyal and more “gig-like.” This lack of loyalty can impact customer and employee retention, as well as productivity and the quality of work.
The Role of Managers
According to the Gallup Poll, one of the key factors in fostering a sense of connection and purpose for remote workers is the presence of extraordinary managers. These managers play a crucial role in bridging the gap between remote workers and the organization by effectively communicating with their team members.
In a previous study conducted by Gallup, it was suggested that managers should have at least one meaningful conversation with each employee per week. These conversations should focus on recognition, collaboration, goals, priorities, and the employee’s current strengths. By engaging in regular and meaningful conversations, managers can help remote workers feel more connected and aligned with the company’s mission.
The Hybrid Plan: Combining the Best of Both Worlds
While remote work has its benefits, the Gallup Poll also found that workers who have a hybrid arrangement, working a few days a week in the office and a few days remotely, reported the highest association with their organization’s purpose. This finding suggests that a combination of in-office and remote work can lead to a stronger sense of connection and purpose.
The Importance of Employee Engagement
Engagement plays a crucial role in the overall success and performance of a company. While the Gallup Poll indicates that overall engagement levels remain low, there is a slight increase from the previous year. 34% of all U.S. employees stated that they were engaged at work, compared to 32% the previous year. Additionally, the proportion of actively disengaged employees fell from 18% to 16%.
However, despite higher engagement rates among remote workers, other data suggests that remote employees may be experiencing higher levels of stress compared to their in-office counterparts. Stress levels in the American workforce are at record highs, and remotely working employees report higher stress levels. This indicates that although remote workers may be engaged, they may also be facing additional challenges and stress.
The Blurred Line Between Engagement and Disconnection
While on one hand, the Gallup Poll suggests that remote workers feel less connected to their organization’s purpose, a December 2022 study conducted by the University of Texas and software company Vyopta found that remote workers are actually more productive and engaged. The study revealed that remote workers have more meetings and longer meeting durations compared to their in-office counterparts.
However, it is important to realize that meetings alone do not guarantee engagement or empowerment. The Gallup report highlights the correlation between stress and engagement, with actively disengaged workers reporting higher stress levels. This finding suggests that the level of stress experienced by remote workers may be impacting their overall engagement and sense of connection to their organization’s purpose.
Conclusion
The Gallup Poll sheds light on the disconnection between remote workers and their organization’s purpose. While remote work offers numerous benefits, including flexibility and convenience, it also poses challenges in terms of fostering a sense of connection and engagement. Effective communication from managers and the adoption of hybrid work arrangements can help bridge this gap and cultivate a stronger connection to the organization’s purpose.
Employee engagement plays a vital role in the success of any organization, and it is crucial to address the challenges faced by remote workers, such as stress and disconnection. By recognizing the unique needs and experiences of remote workers, organizations can create a more inclusive and engaged workforce.
Summary
The Gallup Poll reveals that remote workers feel less connected to their organization’s purpose compared to in-office employees. Only 28% of remote workers feel connected, marking a 4% decrease from the previous year. The lack of connection can have detrimental effects on employee retention, productivity, and the quality of work. Extraordinary managers who communicate effectively can help bridge this gap and foster a stronger sense of connection. Hybrid work arrangements, combining in-office and remote work, may also contribute to a higher association with organizational purpose. However, it is important to address the potential challenges faced by remote workers, such as higher stress levels, to ensure overall engagement and well-being in the workforce.
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Remote workers today feel less connected to their organization’s purpose than they did before the pandemic. But they still don’t want to come to the office.
Per a new one Gallup Poll Of the nearly 9,000 U.S. workers with jobs working from home, only 28% of those who work remotely feel connected to their company’s mission — a 4% decrease year-over-year. However, nearly a third (33%) of workers who go into the office every day say they feel connected; no big difference.
The lack of a shared mission and purpose between on-site workers and remote workers can be detrimental to overall performance, wrote Jim Harter, senior workplace scientist at Gallup and author of the report. “Many employees’ relationships with their employers are becoming increasingly ‘gig-like’ and less loyal, potentially impacting customer and employee retention, productivity and the quality of work.” In other words, there is little impetus to excel when one disagrees with or supports a company’s mission.
Employees who are fully on-site reported the greatest gains in engagement, particularly in the categories of knowing what is expected of them, availability of the materials and equipment to do their jobs, and ability to do what they do each day can best.
The best chance to extend that success to remote workers is “extraordinary managers,” Harter wrote. Namely managers who communicate. in one previous study In May, Gallup stipulated that managers should have at least one meaningful conversation — 15 to 30 minutes — with each employee per week. This chat should be about recognition, collaboration, goals, priorities, and the employee’s current strengths.
But the secret, as always, appears to be a hybrid plan. Workers who work a few days a week reported the highest association with organizational purpose; 35% of them told Gallup that they think their work is important.
Even if they don’t feel connected, remote workers don’t worry too much about it. Gallup found that 30 percent of US workers with remote jobs are working entirely from home, a number that has remained constant year over year. (One can only guess whether this year’s Mandates for returning to office on Labor Day will affect attendance at the office – most certainly not the last three years.)
While overall engagement is still low, it’s picking up again; 34% of all US employees said they were engaged at work, up from 32% a year ago. Additionally, the proportion of actively disengaged employees fell from 18% last year to 16% this year, Gallup found.
While Gallup finds that remote workers are more disconnected than their in-office counterparts, other data suggests the situation isn’t quite as clear. A December 2022 study University of Texas professor Andrew Brodsky and Mike Tolliver, product manager at software company Vyopta, found that remote workers actually do more busyThey meet more often and longer than office workers. Their data, they wrote, suggests “that the increase in meetings was due at least in part to an increase in engagement and not solely to an increased need to pretend to work.”
On the other hand, meetings aren’t everything – let alone a valid indicator of engagement or empowerment. And according to Gallup reporting As of the beginning of this year, there has been a link between stress and engagement — and stress levels in the American workforce are at record highs. Gallups Report on the state of the global workplaceThe study, published in June, found that 44% of employees feel “a lot” of stress. In 2019, just 38% said the same thing. According to Gallup, actively disengaged workers reported 26% more stress than engaged workers.
Around the world, employees who work exclusively from home and work hybrid were more likely to experience higher levels of stress than employees who work exclusively on site –despite report higher engagement rates. As Fortune’s Chloe Berger as he puts it, “It’s hard to feel inducted and committed to a job when you’re largely dissatisfied.”
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