Reconsidering Remote Work: Elon Musk
Remote work has been hailed as the future of employment for several years. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift towards remote work arrangements in 2020, and it appeared that the world had finally embraced this innovative mode of operation. However, I've found myself rethinking this stance, and I'm not alone. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has also recently expressed skepticism towards remote work.
The Illusion of Remote Work
The allure of remote work is undeniable. The flexibility to work from anywhere, no commuting, and increased control over one's environment and schedule – these advantages seem unbeatable. However, the practical execution and long-term implications of remote work may not be as appealing as they initially seem.
Though metrics may tilt in favor of remote work on a cost basis or based on long-term data, the reality may be more complex.
Dr. Gleb Tsipurksy's research shows that industries heavily reliant on remote work, such as Information Technology, saw a marginal increase in productivity year over year (YoY) from 2010 to 2019. Conversely, industries like hospitality witnessed a 2.6% decrease from the start of the pandemic, a significant contrast from the typical 0.6% YoY increase. ¹
Tsipursky also points out that in 2020, productivity for remote workers was 5% higher than their in-office counterparts, a figure that rose to 9% by spring 2022 as remote work infrastructure was increasingly adopted. ¹
However, this data doesn't tell the whole story. Having worked remotely for over 3 years in a technology-based company, I can provide firsthand insight into the realities of remote work.
Although the data suggests a certain narrative around productivity—an important aspect—it can't fully capture the dynamics of the remote workplace. Despite numerous Zoom meetings and video conferences—with many participants choosing not to appear on camera—most of the communication still takes place via email, text, and speech.
| Example of watercooler chat via remote work from internal Twitter email. ⁵ |
There are ambiguous factors associated with remote work that demonstrate its immeasurable nature. Several external aspects need to be addressed. To illustrate this, I will share my personal experiences of working remotely.
My Experience
As a remote Employee, I was among those who took their work seriously, committing 100% of my effort and utilizing all of my resources. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same about many of my coworkers and the new hires I managed.
I worked in the Learning & Development department, and my company was responsible for sourcing and developing customer service for large companies across various industries. Due to the increased demand for remote work post-pandemic, our Recruitment team, responsible for onboarding new hires, had a quota to fulfill based on service level agreements (SLAs).
Because every significant department managing our business worked remotely, communication between teams was insufficient, which negatively impacted our clients. This lack of communication led to considerable bottleneck issues, compromising long-term scalability for all our clients. While SLA metrics were mostly maintained, like requiring X% of new hires to move into production per client needs, many candidates selected by the Recruitment team exhibited performance issues. This suggests that quantity was prioritized over the quality of agents during the hiring process.
One key reason these remote departments faced immense pressure, which inevitably trickled down, was inadequate communication. Let me elaborate.
As a Learning & Development specialist, I had to master every client's curriculum and pass it on to the new hires. Our company likened its training classes to a college course spread over several weeks and termed them "waves." If I was the lead trainer for a campaign, I would be responsible for training, payroll, attendance, performance scores, performance reviews, and terminations for up to 30 new agents per campaign, all while keeping track of these agents in a spreadsheet to comply with state or Canadian guidelines, as I oversaw North America. If I was supporting the lead trainer, I would handle most of the administrative work.
The demands of my role were substantial, and as you can see, the pace was indeed fast.
A, B, C, D, & F Employees
A-employees are exemplars of professionalism. They commit 100% to communication, learning, attention, and implementation. They are reluctant to take time off unless absolutely necessary.
B-employees make sufficient effort to perform well but not to the same extent as A-employees. They occasionally take a day off or communicate with their superiors to excuse themselves from work. These are the employees who, if in an office, might not have taken leave but did so because of remote work arrangements.
C, D, & F employees are all underperforming associates causing significant bottlenecks in the company by putting pressure on A & B employees. Often, these associates manage to skate by without facing repercussions for their non-performance for a while.
A-employees are the lifeblood of all companies, especially those utilizing remote workplaces. All other types of employees slowly drain company resources, likely causing non-quantifiable risk.
Non-compliant or underperforming B, C, D, & F employees cause most of the pressure to fall on A-employees. Communication, or lack thereof, contributes to productivity issues, with some training waves yielding excellent results while others flounder.
The onus falls on A-employees to perform, causing productivity issues that can't be quantified. Data becomes obscured, not only due to metric requirements like Recruitment needing to meet a specific new hire quota, but also because A-employees often push beyond 100% of their utilization to compensate for underperforming colleagues.
If I were the support trainer for a less reliable B or C lead trainer, I could be contributing to distorted production metrics. This situation can result in A employees like me inflating the performance reports of B or C employees, essentially rewarding secondary or tertiary trainers who might not have achieved such high marks otherwise.
Watch my TikTok for a more entertaining description of my experience:
@alexsungnycdotcom 3 Reasons why @alexsungnycdotcom the long lost lovechild of #ElonMuskdoesnt believe in #remotework #fyp ♬ original sound - Alex Sung NYC
The Remote Work Reality
It's not just about innovation. Remote work creates a plethora of challenges
- from communication barriers to lack of team cohesion, and from employee
isolation to difficulties in maintaining work-life balance.
Furthermore, the logistics of managing a remote team are far more complex
than in-person teams. The lack of face-to-face communication can lead to
misunderstandings, miscommunications, and ultimately, lower productivity.
Remote work also lacks the human connection, the casual conversations, and
the office camaraderie that many employees value. The isolation that often
accompanies remote work can lead to disengagement, decreased motivation, and
lower overall job satisfaction.
Productivity vs Innovation
While it's true that remote work can sometimes lead to increased individual
productivity, it can also dampen innovation. After all, many groundbreaking
ideas are born from spontaneous brainstorming sessions, casual hallway
conversations, and the exchange of diverse perspectives that happen
naturally in a shared physical space.
Innovation is often about collaboration, which is much harder to foster in a
remote setting. Even with the best collaboration tools, nothing quite
replaces the energy of an in-person brainstorming session.
Final Thoughts
The way we work is undoubtedly changing, but it's important to be mindful of
the trade-offs. While remote work can offer certain benefits, it is not the
one-size-fits-all solution it's often presented as.
Using Musk as an example, it's clear that some industries, companies, and
roles simply work better with in-person collaboration. Leaders must consider
the specific needs of their organization, the nature of the work, and the
preferences of their employees before jumping on the remote work bandwagon.
In a world where we are increasingly dependent on technology, it's crucial
to remember the importance of human interaction. After all, business is not
just about productivity and efficiency - it's also about creativity,
innovation, and forging meaningful connections. And sometimes, these things
are better achieved in person.
Work with Alex Sung NYC
Sources:
1 . Elon Musk Is Now A Fan Of Remote Work (forbes.com)
2. Remote workers spend over an hour proving they're really working: survey | Fortune
3. Elon Musk declares end to remote working at Tesla - BBC News
4. Elon Musk says remote OK for 'exceptional' Twitter employees - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
5. Twitter was hit with a massive $90 million legal fee that Elon Musk is now trying to fight in court. A former Twitter director saw the bill and responded, 'O My Freaking God,' court documents show. (msn.com)
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