The prevalence of remote work since the beginning of the pandemic has made it harder for employees to make real connections with their colleagues, especially for new hires who mostly struggle to have sufficient real-time support.

Companies had to rush to go digital to communicate with their staff. This sudden change, however, caused more stress, as their way of working did not change from when they were working on-site. Managers demanded employees work from 9-5, which we all can agree is not very realistic in a work-from-home setup.

It cannot be denied though that remote work is not going to stop. Microsoft’s research confirmed its benefits, from flexible schedules, less commute, better work-life balance, to more equal opportunities. So, taking it away from employees is a no-no too.

Microsoft’s answer to this dilemma is to employ a hybrid work schedule for all companies to ensure they do not lose their best employees over lack of enough human interaction and still reap the benefits of remote work. The study they conducted showed 51% of employees prefer the hybrid setup and might even consider leaving their places of work if such setup is not available to them.

Microsoft suggests asynchronous meetings instead of meeting at a certain time that is not attainable for all employees. Organizations can make full use of Microsoft Teams for this purpose. The software includes Viva Insights which is designed to help staff get familiarized with an organization’s structure and culture; Viva Learning, Microsoft Teams’ learning hub, to share content among staff; Viva Topics, a virtual knowledge network; and Viva Connections, Microsoft Teams’ social network.

Another thing companies can do is to use technology to help their staff instead of monitoring them. We get it. Monitoring your employees’ work is difficult to do remotely. But, working from home is another ball game for employees. They are not just working from home; they are working from home during the most challenging time in history.

So, instead of worrying whether their employees are doing their hours, managers should consider using technology to help employees become more productive. Technology might not solve all management and staffing problems, but it definitely can help.