Remote employees are more likely to say they’re at high-performing teams than their in-office counterparts, according to a new report, debunking the perceptions that being in the office more will improve performance.
The latest poll by Wiley Workplace Intelligence revealed that 85% of remote workers said they are in high-performing teams, higher than 79% of office-based respondents.
The findings come despite the negative impression on remote work and its impact on employee and organisational performance.
Various employers introducing office-return policies as of late have been citing the need to improve employee productivity as justification for their mandates.
In the Wiley report, even 21.6% of the respondents believe that remote work has a negative impact on building high-performing teams.
But the report suggests that remote teams perceive themselves as capable of matching and even outperforming their in-office counterparts at work when they are well led and supported.
“The takeaway isn’t that remote is inherently better (though offering flexible or remote-first work is a surefire way to retain top talent in this job market), it’s that performance depends more on how people work together than where they work,” the report read.
“Remote success likely reflects clarity in communication, intentional trust-building, and a focus on results over presence. For organisations navigating hybrid environments, it’s a prompt to rethink old assumptions and lead with data, not nostalgia.”
The key to high-performing teams
High-performing teams in workplaces are strongly driven by psychological safety, according to the report.
It found that employees who feel psychologically safe at work are 31% more likely to be a high performer.
“That’s not a small difference. It’s a clear signal that performance is tightly linked to the relational climate within an organisation,” the report read.
“When individuals feel safe, they contribute more freely, challenge ideas productively, and engage more deeply in collective goals. When teams lack this safety, even the most talented individuals may hold back.”
According to the report, two factors are key to employees’ psychological safety at work: effective leadership and emotional intelligence.
“Leaders who lack self-awareness as to how their behaviours impact morale or struggle to manage conflict can easily undermine team trust, even with the best of intentions,” the report read.
“On the other hand, leaders who demonstrate emotional intelligence help teams feel heard, valued, and resilient under pressure.”
How to improve employee performance
Organisations seeking to improve performance in their teams should consider investing in leadership development that prioritises emotional intelligence, according to the report.
They should also foster psychological safety through clear norms and inclusive dialogue, as well as recognise and reinforce team contributions.
“For leaders and organisations, the implication is straightforward: if you’re not actively cultivating psychological safety, you’re leaving performance potential untapped,” the report read.