The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to adopt remote work policies out of necessity. But even before the pandemic, remote work was on the rise. A study by Gartner found that 43 percent of employees worked remotely at least some of the time in 2018, and that number was expected to rise to 70 percent by 2024. There are plenty of benefits to remote work, for both employees and employers.
Employees get more flexibility and freedom when it comes to their work schedule and location. And employers can save on office space and other costs associated with having employees in a physical space. But there are also challenges that come with remote work, such as loneliness and isolation, distractions from family and roommates, and difficulty staying motivated. If your business is considering adopting or expanding a remote work policy, here are some tips to help you make the transition successfully.
Being able to manage a remote workforce effectively brings both unique issues and opportunities, particularly when it pertains to efficient management and communication, two of the most crucial elements of running any business. Employee monitoring can also be integrated for the benefit of remote workers.
Here are six techniques to enhance your company’s remote work that you can implement right away if you want to make sure that your distant workers feel informed and respected.
6 Ways to Boost Remote Work at Your Company
As a business owner, you probably already know that remote workers are happier and more productive than their on-site counterparts, but you might not know how to go about setting up a remote team in your own organization. Here are six strategies that can help you boost remote work at your company:
1. Support Telecommuting
As everyone tries to find a better employment balance, more and more people are telecommuting today. There is not such thing as the perfect employee; working from home is just one approach to remain on top of things, and it has its own drawbacks. However, if you execute your job well, you can reap significant rewards in terms of employee satisfaction and retention.
2. Remind Staff Members of Their Flexibility
Make it abundantly apparent in the company’s rules, agreements, and products combine that employees are free to choose where they work. And if you can, let them choose their own working hours. Keep in touch with remote workers at least once a week to let them know about forthcoming deadlines and other crucial information.
3. Plan workshops to discuss obstacles and ideal procedures
Workshops with employee, and customers, or experts can give a company a chance to talk about some of the difficulties associated with remote work and potential solutions. In the event that your business does not have a procedure in place, the workshops will also look at best practices from other businesses. You might discover something new or gain inspiration from another person’s strategy.
4. Spend Money on Tech Tools to Improve Communication
Make an investment in solutions that enhance communication to help your remote workers feel more connected. At the very least, you should have a video chat tool like Zoom or Skype, and ideally you should also have Slack for team discussion, and project management software like Trello or Asana for collaboration. Tools such as TeamViewer or AnyDesk that enables remote workers to use their laptops on the local area network so they can complete tasks without uploading files via email.
5. Regularly provide team feedback
It’s crucial to maintain a line of communication with your staff. It keeps everyone informed of any potential issues or accidents. It also enables everyone on the team to provide immediate feedback. We discovered that having face-to-face meetings with your team every two weeks will reduce misconceptions and forge closer ties when working remotely.
6. Choose your assignments carefully
A variety of tasks can be effectively distributed among your members of the team. The ideal example is work that can be done remotely. Your staff will find it simpler to work remotely without thinking as though they are missing out on any stages or possibilities for learning or advancement if you can find ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness in this area.
The Challenges of Working Remotely
There are a few challenges that come along with working remotely, but they can be overcome with the right tips and tricks. First, it can be difficult to stay motivated when you’re not in an office environment. Make sure to set goals for yourself and create a space that is conducive to productivity. Secondly, it can be hard to stay connected with your team when you’re not in the same physical location. Schedule regular check-ins and use video conferencing tools to stay in touch.
Finally, you may miss out on some of the perks that come with working in an office, like impromptu coffee breaks or after-work happy hours. But there are plenty of remote-friendly ways to socialize, from online chat rooms to virtual happy hours. With a little planning and effort, you can make working remotely work for you.
Conclusion
While it may seem like the idea of working remotely is a new and trendy one, the truth is that remote work can be an excellent tool for companies. As long as remote work is approached with the right mindset and strategy, it can be truly beneficial to everyone involved.
