5 reasons remote work might not be right for you

While the advent of remote work has been widely hailed as one of the more positive outcomes of the pandemic, for many workers, embracing this new way of working hasn’t been without its challenges.

Click on the image to see all the vacancies on the Fintech Futures Jobs portal

Three years on, the autonomy remote working affords has lost its shine. According to recent data compiled by WorkBuzz,18% of workers feel less engaged than they did in 2019, and the top concern of HR professionals is now based around improving employee engagement and experience (44%), followed by attracting new talent (41%) and retaining existing talent (35%). There are other factors too, which we explore below.

1.  Diminished human connection

Hybrid workers are frequently feeling disconnected from their colleagues and the company they work for. That’s because offering flexibility around work location isn’t the only factor when it comes to keeping employees engaged and fulfilled in their current role.

A lack of connectivity also means your work can suffer—the data also found that not linking in with your team regularly can result in less collaboration and less effective output, even if you’re working the same or longer hours from home.

2.  Productivity theatre

The anxiety of always appearing “on” is one of the perils of remote work, especially if your manager leans into the micro and not the macro, and this can have a detrimental effect on many fronts.

Yes, remote work can help create a better work-life balance, but only if this attitude comes from the top down. Otherwise, employees may feel increased pressure to answer emails the minute they ping into their inbox, always be available for video calls and be able to provide work in progress reports at the drop of a hat.

3.  Lack of learning

Learning and development, either through organised courses or on-the-job mentoring, are an essential part of career development. While organised courses can be provided virtually, nothing beats an in-house session where peers get to connect, share their knowledge and learn from each other. And for younger employees looking to get a leg up on the first rung of the career ladder, remote work can often prevent them from getting the support and guidance they need, especially when it comes to developing soft skills.

4.  A two-tier culture

If half of your colleagues work in-office for part of the week and you work remotely all of the time, proximity bias can occur if left unchecked. This means that remote workers are not privy to the same opportunities as those who see their managers face-to-face on a regular basis. And if organisations don’t address the issue, a two-tier culture can form, leaving remote workers out of the loop, personally and professionally.

5.  Mental health challenges

Working from home can increase feelings of isolation and have an impact on your mental health, especially if you’re an extrovert and feel more energised when you’re around more people. Data from Nuffield Health shows that 80% of British workers find working from home has a negative impact on their mental health and 30% find it difficult to cope with the mental challenge of separating their home life from their working life.

So, if you’re currently struggling with working remotely or would prefer a role that blends the best of both worlds and offers a hybrid structure, it might be time to look for a new opportunity. The Fintech Futures Job Board has hundreds of openings that are currently hiring, like the three below.

Security Operations Analyst, GoCardless, London

As a Security Operations Analyst, you will provide subject matter expertise on security detection and response capabilities. You will be experienced using SIEM (ideally Splunk) tools to develop security monitoring cases and writing scripts to automate tasks. The ideal candidate will also have experience using EDR or IDS/IPS tools and knowledge of cloud security best practices. See more here.

Senior Software Engineer, Crypto Finance Engineering, Ripple, London

As a Senior Software Engineer, you will build the next generation of crypto financial accounting, risk monitoring and P&L optimisation services to support Ripple’s global payments business. You’ll have five years of hands-on software development experience on large-scale distribution systems in Java and experience in at least one framework (Node.js, React JS or AngularJS, for example). See the full job spec here.

Accounting Analyst, Financial Operations, Monzo, Cardiff

Reporting to the financial operations manager, the Accounting Analyst will work with the finance team to ensure a swift month-end close process including taking ownership of leases and managing accruals schedules, inventory and treasury investments. You’ll also work with engineers to automate the production elements of this role, which will allow you to focus on the parts of the role where your skills and knowledge provide most value. To be eligible, you’ll need an accounting qualification and a background in auditing, ideally with experience in financial accounting. Apply now.

For more opportunities in finance and tech, head to the Fintech Futures Job Board today.