The survey "Teleworking in contexts of social isolation. Argentina, April 2020", developed by the International Network of Education for Work (RIET) and collected information on the factors that affect productivity in workers throughout the country. This study focused especially on those aspects that affect motivation, planning, leadership and soft skills.

"Since March 20, when social, preventive and mandatory isolation was decreed, teleworking stopped being an option and became a necessity. Faced with this scenario, organizations from different sectors and industries were forced to act quickly to find alternatives that would allow them to continue their activities without losing productivity," said Santiago Fraga, researcher at the RIET.

Respondent profile

78% of the people who responded to the survey reside in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (32%) and the province of Buenos Aires (46%). The highest percentage corresponds to people between 24 and 39 years old (62%), followed by those between 40 and 55 years old (24%). Regarding the sector in which they work, 67% work in the private sector and the remaining 33% in the public sector.

The profile most represented in the survey corresponds to the professional or non-professional support sector (46%), followed by those who hold positions of bosses, supervisors or project managers (25%), independent and/or cooperative workers (14%), senior management (4%), and directors or managers (11%).

According to the survey data, 80% of people claim to be teleworking, but only 11% did so before the isolation period began. One of the main reasons why they are not teleworking is because it is not possible to carry out their tasks remotely.

Teleworking skills

A crucial aspect in this change in work habits is the planning of tasks and activities of collaborators. Respondents stated that their tasks are set daily (47%) or weekly (27%). Monthly or quarterly planning is evident to a lesser extent, although this information may be subject to the fact that the changes are recent.

In this sense, it is important how different soft skills come into play that allow us to address the tasks and the constant adjustments caused by adaptation to this modality. The majority of people perceive themselves as having the ability to coordinate work with others (18%) and to demonstrate flexibility in the face of unexpected changes (17%). On the contrary, they are almost not recognized in the exercise of emotional intelligence (5%) and negotiation skills (2%).

Another factor that affects productivity is how bosses deploy strategies so that their teams can telework efficiently. Among the most valued skills in this context, the main one has been that bosses trust people and the team (18%), followed by their ability to be flexible (14%) and close to their collaborators (12%).

Is teleworking here to stay?

Of the people who are teleworking due to the context of social isolation, 63% want to continue with this modality at the end of it. Among the main ones, it is stated that teleworking allows them to increase their productivity (35%) and save travel time (29%). However, 50% stated that they would like to telework only 2 times a week, followed by those who would prefer to do so 3 and 4 times a week 33%.

In contrast, 37% who do not wish to continue working in this modality indicate that they do not like that their personal and work activities take place in the same physical space (25%) and that it is difficult for them to integrate and collaborate with the work team (19%). Additionally, 10% say they are less productive.

"In a country characterized by a lack of previous experience and the absence of solid infrastructure, one of the main challenges for organizations that commit to teleworking is maintaining and guaranteeing productivity. The results of this survey show us that planning, accompanied by a certain flexibility, is a crucial factor to generate a climate of collaboration and trust that directly affects the motivation of workers," Fraga concluded.