Following the rush to enable business continuity for remote workers, most organisations have now rolled out the necessary digital productivity tools and addressed cyber security issues. The next step is to consider the less obvious factors contributing to remote workforce productivity, says Dell Technologies.

Chris Buchanan, Client Solutions Director, Dell Technologies South Africa

Speaking ahead of a Dell Technologies TechByte online talk show on 'Driving Productivity', Chris Buchanan, Client Solutions Director at Dell Technologies South Africa, says some important factors supporting productivity tend to be overlooked.

“The comfort of the remote worker’s workspace is important, and contributes more than you may think to overall productivity,” he says. Among the biggest complaints from home-based employees include the distractions involved in working from home, and the lack of comfort of the chairs they are working from.

“With most organisations set to retain a remote or hybrid workforce for the foreseeable future, it’s time to address these issues of ergonomics and comfort for remote workers,” Buchanan says.

A recent survey commissioned by Dell Technologies and conducted by Forrester Consulting also found that as many as 37% of workers reported a downgrade in the specifications of the monitors they are using at home, with many saying moving from a larger monitor to a smaller one or laptop screen was having a major impact on their productivity. A common complaint from home-based workers was that they no longer had secondary or external monitors, which impacted their ability to multitask, view more information simultaneously (50%), use multiple programs simultaneously without having to switch windows (46%), and complete tasks quickly (35%) and more accurately (30%).

As many as 38% of knowledge workers had switched from their usual work computing devices while working from home, creating further cognitive drain as they got used to new devices. Cumulatively, these changes are distracting employees from their work, with up to a third saying they are less productive working from home.

Earlier Dell Technologies research has found that quality monitors and dual monitors dramatically improve the employee experience – and their productivity – by making multitasking easier, allowing them to view a great deal of work on a large display and by delivering extremely sharp images with a higher level of detail.

Dell Technologies recommends that organisations help remote workers optimise their home workspaces, making available the right tools such as large dual monitors and quality headsets, docking stations, keyboards and mouse devices, as well as ensuring the transition between home office and corporate workspace is a seamless experience.

The upcoming Dell Technologies TechByte show will explore ways to enable productivity in a home-based and hybrid workforce, with advice on recommended devices and home office set-ups.

To register for this free event, go to https://dell.zoom.us/webinar/register/7016002611738/WN_09iAHhelTAalMBEMG92uRg