Lessons Learned from Working from Home: Exploring Factors Considered Critical to Supporting Successful Working from Home During the Pandemic

Abstract

This research study explores the experiences of those who transitioned from working within a traditional office setting to working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. To explore the factors individuals consider critical to successfully WFH during the pandemc, this investigation draws inferences from Herzberg’s two-factor theory (1959) and the job demands–resources (JD-R) model and their underlying components. Data were collected from 294 participants through the distribution of a qualitative survey during the first phases of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. Our findings identified four factors necessary for successful WFH. These four themes presented as a working-from-home framework are: (a) the home office environment; (b) technical set-up; (c) social capital and (d) the new reality. This framework illustrates that implementing long-term successful WFH is a balancing act, and that organizations must consider not only the hygiene factors and motivators of Herzberg’s theory but also the positive and negative indications and outcomes of an employee’s well-being as set out in the JD-R model. Consequently, Herzberg’s theory and the JD-R model must be considered equally when developing a long-term working-from-home strategy. Understanding and addressing these factors will support organizations in unlocking the full potential of WFH to enhance employee productivity, satisfaction and well-being. As data were gathered during the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research also provides unique insights into workers’ experiences transitioning from office work to WFH during COVID-19.