Do remote teams collaborate as effectively as in-person teams?

Fully remote teams seem to suffer from a lack of water coolers. Offices are designed to let colleagues bump into each other for informal chats, which facilitates information exchange. Without those opportunities, remote workers tend to spend more time talking to people they already know and less time with people on other teams.

That cuts off the flow of new information, which could stifle innovation.

It also takes extra effort to coordinate remote teams.

Time spent on calls and sending emails can cut into focused work time, especially for managers and people who usually work closely with colleagues. As a result, it may take remote teams longer to produce the same output as in-person teams.

All that said, video and audio calls are a good substitute for scheduled in-person meetings. Groups can effectively complete tasks and solve problems in virtual meetings, even if they don't offer the same sense of personal connection. So while there are downsides to going fully remote, some WFH time won't be detrimental to team performance.