Citation: Willis, K., Emmett, D., and McInerney, M.,(2021). Our workforce and COVID-19: How remote working plays a role. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 86(3),9-19.
This paper examines the role that remote working has played in the COVID-19 pandemic. Special attention is given to the pros and cons of remote working. Remote working is a crucial response to the “shut down” of most organizations. While it does provide an alternative way for work to be accomplished, there are drawbacks. In most cases, productivity has been maintained or increased. One of the limitations is stress due to working long hours. Emphasis here is placed on the changes managers can make. Managers will need to examine the various advantages and disadvantages of using remote working for their organizations. Remote working may not be suitable to all organizations.
4 Corner Resources. (2020). 6 post pandemic hiring trents for 2020 and beyond. Retrieved from 4 Corner Resources website: https://www.4cornerresources.com/
6 Q. (2020). 8 ways to effectively manage and motivate a remote workforce. Retrieved from The 6Q Blog website: https://inside.6q.io/manage-motivate-remote-workforce/
Amazon. (2020). Amazon has hired 175,000 additional people. Retrieved from About Amazon website: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-has-hired-175-000-additional-people
BasuMallick, C. (2020). Coronavirus (COVID-19) work from home: Are you facilitating remote work for each personality type? Retrieved from HR Technologist website: https://www.hrtechnologist.com/articles/mobile-workforce/remote-work-personality-types-coronavirus/
Bayern, M. (2020). The generational divide: Telecommuting during the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from TechRepublic website: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-generational-divide-telecommuting-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
Boston Consulting Group. (2020). Survey shows employees felt surprisingly productive during COVID-19. Retrieved from BCG Global website: https://www.bcg.com/press/11august2020-survey-shows-employees-felt-surprisingly-productive-during-covid-19
Brafford, A. M., & Ryan, R. M. (2020). 3 ways to motivate your team through an extended crisis. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review website: https://hbr.org/2020/09/3-ways-to-motivate-your-team-through-an-extended-crisis
Camera, L. (2020). Disconnected and disadvantaged: Schools race to give students access. Retrieved from US News & World Report website: https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2020-04-01/schools-rush-to-get-students-internet-access-during-coronavirus-pandemic
Cloutier, O., Felusiak, L., Hill, C., & Pemberton-Jones, E. J. (2015). The importance of developing strategies for employee retention. Journal of Leadership, Accountaibility and Ethics, 12(2), 119–129.
Conerly, B. (2018). Companies need to know the dollar cost of employee turnover. Retrieved from Forbes website: https://www.forbes.com/sites/billconerly/2018/08/12/companies-need-to-know-the-dollar-cost-of-employee-turnover/#564b8984d590
Daoust, P., & Simon, P. (2020a). In a downturn, include your employees in cost-cutting decisions. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review website: https://hbr.org/2020/05/in-a-downturn-include-your-employees-in-cost-cutting-decisions
Daoust, P., & Simon, P. (2020b). The coronavirus rebound: Now’s the time for company reorganization. Retrieved from BRINK website: https://www.brinknews.com/the-coronavirus-rebound-now-is-the-time-for-organization-redesign/
Dishman, L. (2020). Women say working from home is hurting their careers. Men believe they are thriving. Retrieved from Fast Company website: https://www.fastcompany.com/90544049/study-women-believe-working-from-home-is-hurting-their-careers-men-are-thriving/
Dixon, R. (2020). How leaders can encourage teamwork while working remotely. Retrieved from SmartBrief website: https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2020/10/how-leaders-can-encourage-teamwork-while-working-remotely
Duarte, N. (2020). Five ways to motivate your team with empathy and authority. Retrieved from MIT Sloan Management Review website: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/five-ways-to-motivate-your-team-with-empathy-and-authority/
Elias, J. (2020). Google to cut marketing budgets by as much as half, directors warned of hiring freezes. Retrieved from CNBC website: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/23/google-to-cut-marketing-budgets-hiring-freeze-expected.html
Feng, Z., & Savani, K. (2020). Covid-19 created a gender gap in perceived work productivity and job satisfaction: Implications for dual-career parents working from home. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 35(7/8). https://doi.org/10.1108/gm-07-2020-0202
Gaille, B. (2019). 21 pros and cons of employees working from home. Retrieved from BrandonGaille.com website: https://brandongaille.com/21-pros-and-cons-of-employees-working-from-home/
Groysberg, B., & Abrahams, R. (2020). Keep your weary workers engaged and motivated. HBS Working Knowledge. Retrieved from https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/keep-covid-weary-employees-engaged-and-motivated
Guyot, K., & Sawhill, I. V. (2020). Telecommuting will likely continue long after the pandemic. Retrieved from Brookings website: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/04/06/telecommuting-will-likely-continue-long-after-the-pandemic/
Hancock, B., & Schaninger, B. (2020). HR says talent is crucial for performance–and the pandemic proves it. Retrieved from McKinsey and Company website: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/hr-says-talent-is-crucial-for-performance-and-the-pandemic-proves-it
Hearn, S. (2020, May 26). 5 common barriers to remote working (and how to overcome them). Retrieved from Training Industry website: https://trainingindustry.com/articles/performance-management/5-common-barriers-to-remote-working-and-how-to-overcome-them/
Hering, B. B. (2015). The history of telecommuting and where it stands now. Retrieved from FlexJobs website: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/the-history-of-telecommuting-stands-now/
Hickman, A. (2019). How to manage the loneliness and isolation of remote workers. Retrieved from Gallup website: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/268076/manage-loneliness-isolation-remote-workers.aspx
Hickman, A., & Fredstorm, T. (2018). How to build trust with remote employees. Retrieved from Gallup website: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236222/build-trust-remote-employees.aspx
Hickman, A., & Saad, L. (2020). Reviewing remote work in the U.S. under COVID-19. Retrieved from Gallup website: https://news.gallup.com/poll/311375/reviewing-remote-work-covid.aspx
HireCream. (2020). How hiring managers are embracing remote workers. Retrieved from Medium website: https://medium.com/@hirecream/how-hiring-managers-are-embracing-remote-workers-5644f2c173f0
Horch, A. J. (2020, August 25). Remote workers suffer from loneliness and isolationism as the pandemic in the U.S. drags on. Retrieved from CNBC website: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/25/remote-workers-suffer-from-isolationism-as-pandemic-in-us-drags-on.html
Jalbert, M. (2020). How to deal with isolation when working remotely during COVID-19. Retrieved from Impact Plus website: https://www.impactplus.com/blog/how-to-cope-isolation-working-remote-covid-19
Kelly, M. (2017). How telecommuting increases business profits. Retrieved from Productive Leaders website: https://productiveleaders.com/telecommuting-business-profits/
Kossivi, B., Xu, M., & Kalgora, B. (2016). Study on determining factors of employee retention. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4(5), 261–268. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2016.45029
Kuligowski, K. (2020). How to recruit employees during COVID-19. Retrieved from Business News Daily website: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15723-hiring-coronavirus.html
Larson, B. Z., Vroman, S. R., & Makarius, E. E. (2020). A guide to managing your (newly) remote workers. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review website: https://hbr.org/2020/03/a-guide-to-managing-your-newly-remote-workers
Majercsik, E. (2020). How COVID-19 conquered 3 major fears about teleworking. Retrieved from HR Daily Advisor website: https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2020/08/04/how-covid-19-conquered-3-major-fears-about-teleworking/
Marcinkowski, D. (2020). How to transition from onsite to remote hiring in 4 steps. Retrieved from www.acelr8.com website: https://www.acelr8.com/post/how-to-transition-from-onsite-to-remote-hiring-in-4-steps
Matchcraft. (2020). Generational management in times of crisis. Retrieved from www.matchcraft.com website: https://www.matchcraft.com/knowledge-center/industry-updates/278-generational-management-in-times-of-crisis
Maurer, R. (2020). Study finds productivity not deterred by shift to remote work. Retrieved from SHRM website: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/study-productivity-shift-remote-work-covid-coronavirus.aspx
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020). Tips for teleworking during the coronavirus. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/teleworking-during-coronavirus/art-20487369
McGregor, L., & Doshi, N. (2020). How to keep your team motivated, remotely. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-keep-your-team-motivated-remotely
National Partnership for Women and Families. (2020). Employer best practices: Policies to support workers during the coronavirus pandemic. In National Partnership for Women and Families (pp. 1–13). Retrieved from National Partnership for Women and Families website: http://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/resources/economic-justice/employer-best-practices-support-workers-during-coronavirus.pdf
New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce. (2001). Working together to accelerate New York’s recovery: Economic impact analysis of the September 11th attack on New York. In Partnership for New York City (pp. 1–151). Retrieved from Partnership for New York City website: https://pfnyc.org/research/working-together-to-accelerate-new-yorks-recovery/
Obeidat, B., Tawalbeh, H. F., Masa’deh, R., & Akour, M. A. (2019). Reviewing the literature among human resource management (HRM) practices, total quality management (TQM) practices and competitive advantages. Journal of Social Sciences, 8(2), 327–358. https://doi.org/10.25255/jss.2019.8.2.327.358
Parker, S. K., Knight, C., & Keller, A. (2020). Remote managers are having trust issues. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review website: https://hbr.org/2020/07/remote-managers-are-having-trust-issues
Pasini, R. (2019). 8 workplace studies proving that remote work works. Retrieved from Virtual Vocations website: https://www.virtualvocations.com/blog/telecommuting-news/8-workplace-studies-remote-work/
Peek, S. (2020). Communication technology and inclusion will shape the future of remote work. Retrieved from Business News Daily website: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8156-future-of-remote-work.html
Pelta, R. (2020). How working remotely will save you $4,000 or more annually. Retrieved from FlexJobs website: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/does-working-remotely-save-you-money/
Penketh Group. (2020). How teamwork can evolve into the new workplace normal. Retrieved from Penketh Group website: https://penkethgroup.com/knowledge-centre/how-teamwork-can-evolve-into-the-new-workplace-normal/
PeopleFluent. (2020). How COVID-19 has and will change recruiting strategies. Retrieved from PeopleFluent website: https://www.peoplefluent.com/blog/recruitment/how-covid-19-has-and-will-change-recruiting-strategies/
Picchi, A. (2020). If you’re working from home, chances are you’ll save money. Retrieved from USA TODAY website: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/03/22/working-home-likely-save-you-money/5024967002/
Piletec, P. (2020). The changing face of employee retention & management in a post-covid marketplace | customerthink. Retrieved from Customer Think website: https://customerthink.com/the-changing-face-of-employee-retention-management-in-a-post-covid-marketplace/
Poepsel, M. (2020). Managing remote workers: 3 personality types to coach carefully. Retrieved from The Enterprisers Project website: https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2020/7/how-manage-remote-workers-personalities
Prowitt, P. (2020). Why trust is the key to your remote work strategy. Retrieved from Loom website: https://www.loom.com/blog/remote-teams-trust
psyML. (2020). Personality & remote work during the uncertainty of COVID-19. Retrieved from psyML website: https://psyml.co/personality/remote-work/
Purdue Global. (2009). Generational differences in the workplace. Retrieved from Purdue Global website: https://www.purdueglobal.edu/education-partnerships/generational-workforce-differences-infographic/
Raines, J. P., & Leathers, C. G. (2001). Telecommuting: The new wave of workplace technology will create a flood of change in social institutions. Journal of Economic Issues, 35(2), 307–313. https://doi.org/10.1080/00213624.2001.11506364
Rakhra, H. K. (2018). Study on factors influencing employee retention in companies. International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 4(1), 57. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijpspm.2018.088695
Ramona, T., & Alexandra, B. (2019). Knowledge retention within small and mediumsized enterprises. Studies in Business and Economics, 14(3), 231–238. https://doi.org/10.2478/sbe-2019-0056
Renzulli, K. A. (2020). Work from home nation. Newsweek, 22–29. Retrieved from EBSCO.
Riccobono, M. (2020). Best practices for hiring remotely during COVID-19. Retrieved from CCI Consulting website: https://www.cciconsulting.com/virtual-recruiting-best-practices-for-hiring-remotely-during-covid-19-and-beyond/
Rizkallah, J. (2020). Council post: Lessons learned about teamwork from COVID-19. Retrieved from Forbes website: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/07/22/lessons-learned-about-teamwork-from-covid-19/?sh=12d02a842931
Rowland, C. (2020). Addressing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in telecommuting. Retrieved from Panmore Institute website: http://panmore.com/addressing-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-in-telecommuting
Sahadi, J. (2020). 90% of employers say working remotely hasn’t hurt productivity. Retrieved from CNN Business website: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/27/success/work-from-home-employer-plans-for-more-flexible-policies/index.html
Schawbel, D. (2020a). How Coronavirus is Accelerating Remote Job Searching, Interviewing and Hiring. Retrieved from LinkedIn website: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-coronavirus-accelerating-remote-job-searching-hiring-dan-schawbel
Schawbel, D. (2020b). How COVID-19 has impacted different generations of workers. Retrieved 2021, from LinkedIn website: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-covid-19-has-impacted-different-generations-workers-dan-schawbel
Schwantes, M. (2020). 4 things managers are doing differently to recruit and hire remotely. Retrieved 2021, from Inc. website: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/how-to-hire-recruit-remotely.html
Selva, J. (2019). What is self-actualization? A psychologist’s definition. Retrieved from Positive Psychology website: https://positivepsychology.com/self-actualization/
Semuels, A. (2020). Does remote work actually work? Time.
Shepell, M. (2020). Managing a team during the COVID-19 outbreak – workhealthlife. Retrieved from Work Health Life website: https://www.workhealthlife.com/Article/Read/Managing-a-Team-During-the-COVID-19-Outbreak
ShieldGeo. (2020). The unique challenges of hiring remotely. Retrieved from Shield GEO website: https://shieldgeo.com/the-unique-challenges-of-hiring-remotely/
SHRM. (2020a). How to engage remote employees during the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from SHRM website: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/how-to-guides/pages/how-to-engage-remote-employees-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic.aspx
SHRM. (2020b). Managing flexible work arrangements. Retrieved from SHRM website: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingflexibleworkarrangements.aspx
SHRM. (2020c). Managing for employee retention. Retrieved from SHRM website: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingforemployeeretention.aspx
Singh, D. (2019). A literature review on employee retention with focus on recent trends. International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 6(1), 425–431. https://doi.org/10.32628/ijsrst195463
Statista Reseach Department. (2019). Resident population in the United States in 2019. Retrieved from Statista website: https://www.statista.com/statistics/183457/united-states–resident-population/
Torten, R., Reaiche, C., & Caraballo, Ervin. L. (2016). Teleworking in the new milleneum. The Journal of Developing Areas, 50(5), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1353/jda.2016.0060
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2020). Tipes and resources for managing virtual teams. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Homeland Security website: https://www.dhs.gov/employee-resources/blog/2020/05/28/tips-and-resources-managing-virtual-teams
Uzialko, A. (2020). How to offer employees support during COVID-19. Retrieved from Business.com website: https://www.business.com/articles/avoid-employee-mistreatment/
Vasel, K. (2020). The dark side of working from home: Loneliness. Retrieved from CNN website: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/30/success/loneliness-working-from-home-wellness/index.html
Vigliarolo, B. (2020). Long-term remote work is leading to a global drop in productivity. Retrieved from TechRepublic website: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/long-term-remote-work-is-leading-to-a-global-drop-in-productivity/
Vogels, E. A. (2019). Millennials stand out for their technology use, but older generations also embrace digital life. Retrieved from Pew Research Center website: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/09/09/us-generations-technology-use/
Vozza, S. (2020). How managers can help employees handle loneliness and isolation. Retrieved from Fast Company website: https://www.fastcompany.com/90559560/how-managers-can-help-employees-handle-loneliness-and-isolation
Warner, J. (2018). 4 reasons why employee retention is more challenging. Retrieved from DecisionWise website: https://decision-wise.com/employee-retention-is-challenging/
Weghoeft, M. (2020). 5 ways your employee retention program needs to adjust in the COVID-19 crisis. Retrieved from Seuss+ website: https://www.seuss.plus/blog/employee-retention-in-times-of-covid-19-crisis/
Werder, C. (2020, March 24). 5 tips for organizations to keep employees motivated amid COVID-19 crisis. Retrieved from Docebo website: https://www.docebo.com/learning-network/blog/employee-motivation-covid-19/
Wiles, J. (2020). Workforce planning for competitive advantage post-covid-19. Retrieved from Gartner website: https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/workforce-planning-for-competitive-advantage-post-covid-19/
Zetlin, M. (2020). 7 reasons people hate working from home and how to fix them. Retrieved from Inc. website: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/work-from-home-wfh-work-at-home-drawbacks.html