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More than a year after switching to remote work, seven in 10 employees are feeling more isolated, compared to being in the office.

That’s according to a recent survey of 2,000 work-from-home Americans, which explored the social impact of being away from the workplace for over a year.

Many reported missing simple things such as face-to-face meetings (39%), office celebrations (35%), and after-work happy hours (34%).

And it hasn’t been any easier for people who have recently started a remote position.

A mere 4% of new hires reported virtual onboarding wasn’t difficult, compared to in-person training. Many attributed this to not knowing how to connect with their colleagues.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Volley, the survey also found 63% felt less engaged with their team, as the average employee felt disconnected by August 2020.

Only 14% of respondents said they’re more confident when it comes to socializing with their colleagues.

About the same number (16%) believe sudden in-office gatherings wouldn’t be awkward, as 82% of respondents who would find it uncomfortable have avoided attending them solely for that reason.

Additionally, two-thirds said they work directly with someone who they wouldn’t be able to pick out of a lineup and recognize by name only.

So how can teams address this? Three in five find something lacking in the quality of communication with their co-workers, and 77% agree better communication leads to better work culture.

As the average employee switches between three work communication tools throughout their day, only 13% said they’re not overwhelmed by the number of messages in their inbox.

More than three in five (64%) percent find chat and email communication more difficult than face-to-face meetings, as 72% believe it’s not only what you say, but how you say it that matters.

Though nearly all workers (91%) retype messages and emails for clarity at least once a day, 87% experience miscommunications weekly and nearly half (47%) said this occurs four or more times every week.

While dealing with the challenges of chatting and emailing, only 15% have seen their time spent in meetings decrease since the pandemic.

In fact, more than seven in 10 (73%) default to video calls whenever they’re looking to communicate something important.

WHAT REMOTE WORKERS MISS ABOUT WORKING IN-PERSON

• Face-to-face meetings (39%)
• Office celebrations (35%)
• After-work happy hours (34%)
• Nearby restaurants (32%)
• Office banter (32%)
• Workplace pranks (31%)
• Commute to/from work (30%)
• Less work materials in home/room space (28%)
• Less email/chat conversations (27%)
• “Water cooler conversations (27%)
• Volunteering/charity events (27%)

MISHAPS ENCOUNTERED WHILE WORKING FROM HOME

• Typed out a message but forgot to press “send” (36%)
• Power/internet outage (31%)
• Left the camera or microphone on after a meeting (31%)
• Accidentally hit “reply all” to email not meant for entire group (31%)
• Accidentally called or messaged the entire team (30%)
• Messaged the wrong person (30%)
• Entered the wrong video conference room (28%)
• Damaged work phone/computer (24%)

If these stats get you thinking that there must be a better way, get Volley and invite your team today!