In 2025, Grow Remote spoke directly with leaders in over 50 Irish companies to ask them about the challenges they are experiencing with remote and hybrid operations.
The insights gained have put us in a privileged position of deeply understanding the current challenges of remote employment. We feel a responsibility to live up to our mission of solving these challenges in order to unlock social, economic and environmental impact for individuals, employers and local communities.
The trends arising across these direct employer conversations correlate strongly with the established international data on the business challenges of remote employment. Grow Remote’s own primary research is the basis for our publication in the Journal of Cross-Border Studies, a data-driven analysis of remote work in two jurisdictions; the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Entitled “Opportunities for Lasting Impact: The data on remote and flexible working” and authored by General Manager, Dónal Kearney, the article highlights that remote is good for business, but requires joined-up thinking between government departments and a long-term policy vision for the economic benefits of landing remote jobs.
This month, the Irish Times reported that more than 8,000 submissions were made to the public consultation on the right to request remote working. This consultation is the part of a review of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, which is due to be completed by mid-2026. In this context, Grow Remote’s data-driven article in the Journal of Cross Border Studies comes at a good time for policymakers and employers on both sides of the border.
Grow Remote’s findings
The top challenges for employers include communication and collaboration barriers, team cohesion and employee engagement, onboarding and retention, and performance management. Interestingly, none of these challenges are unique to remote companies but there are clearly differences between distributed and office-based management techniques.
In response to these findings, Grow Remote has designed its newest training programme to provide solutions that are particular to remote and hybrid leadership. The 8-week course entitled Lead From Anywhere includes modules on the following in-demand topics;
- Foundations of Distributed Team Leadership: Learn how teams evolve and what it takes to build, and lead, high-performing distributed teams.
- Communication and Collaboration: Master the art of clear, timely, and human communication, wherever your team is working from.
- Performance Management: Set clear expectations and support your team to achieve them without micro-managing.
- AI in the Workplace: Use AI responsibly and strategically to enhance (not replace) your team’s productivity.
- Supporting Well-being: Proactively support mental health and connection, even when working apart.
- Team Culture: Shape the culture you want and embed it into daily interactions.
- Learning and Development: Learn practical ways to uncover development needs, make the most of internal and external resources, and encourage your team to take ownership of their own learning journey.
Grow Remote’s Commitment for 2026
Grow Remote’s community includes employers, recruiters, policymakers, employees, local community organisers. We will continue to focus on making remote jobs visible and accessible, and doing our best to ensure remote employment becomes a catalyst for thriving local communities – social, economically and environmentally.
In 2026, we are committed to keep convening, contributing evidence, and working with employers, employees and policymakers to ensure remote work policy and practice can keep pace with real lives and guarantee Ireland is position as a leader internationally in this field.
