Managers across industries say they are finding it difficult to supervise their teams virtually while younger employees face more distractions at home, putting productivity in businesses at a risk of decline.

This was revealed in a research report done by the global research organisation, Ipsos which seeks to find if work from home can be a permanent solution beyond the pandemic.

“Business growth is also placed at risk by work from home, according to many respondents. Managers reported concerns with work from home, saying they found it more challenging to manage their teams remotely, and they were fairly sure employees were not fully focused on their work,” read the report.

“Managers said they found it more difficult to monitor their teams’ performance (54%) and that their teams weren’t fully engaged with each other (52%). It is also more difficult to provide effective training (56%), and it is more difficult to execute day-to-day team functions (53%). Managers also reported that team members tended to be less punctual (55%), and teams communicated less effectively when working remotely.”

The report said 55% of employees find it hard to collaborate virtually and that they take more frequent breaks while 49% experience more interruptions at home.

Employees aged between 30-44 found working in an office builds more trust and made them feel more important in the business while those aged 45-55 preferred working from home.

“Women, meanwhile, said they struggled with routine and other commitments and that they were taking more frequent breaks and felt less important. Men said they found teamwork more difficult, there was inadequate communication, and they had difficulty keeping teams motivated, while also spending more time in meetings. Both men and women alike found completing tasks more difficult, requiring more effort,” read the report.