It’s pretty obvious that 2020 has been the year of the remote workplace. Partial and complete lockdowns aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 have helped many businesses turn to this opportunity and explore the possibilities.
These changes are about to stay with us in the years to come. According to some, we will never go back to the standard workplace as we know it.
Statistics show that over the course of 2020, 16 percent of employees have been engaging in remote work all the time, 33 percent turn to using a home office frequently and 35 percent – occasionally.
According to a Gallup poll, about two thirds of the people who are now working remotely would like to continue doing the same thing in the future. And while a large percentage of people have gone back to the office after the end of lockdowns in March and April, a second Covid-19 wave may soon force many companies to turn back to remote operations.
If you want to make the most of the remote workplace, whether due to Covid-19 concerns or to offer employees some flexibility, you need to understand the specifics of this work mode. Here are a few very important questions that need to be addressed for remote work to occur successfully.
Do You Have the Right Technology in Place?
A remote workplace is heavily dependent on the utilization of the right technology. Effective cloud-based solutions are a must if you want to provide employees with all essentials required for the completion of professional tasks.
At the very least, you need reliable cloud-based document storage and a good document management solution.
Collaboration and project tracking tools will also come in handy.
If you haven’t completed a digitization process at your workplace yet, the time has come to switch from paper. We have discussed the steps that need to be undertaken for a successful digitization numerous times already and there’s nothing overly complicated or too costly about it.
Finally, you may have to ensure access to the right hardware. Do team members have laptops or tablets they can use at home? While investing in technology can seem costly in the beginning, the returns will be excellent.
Do You Have the Right Workflows and “Rituals” in Place?
People who are not accustomed to working remotely will need some time to get adjusted.
The organization will have to provide some guidance and support to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Before setting up a remote workplace, make sure that you have processes and professional rituals in place. People need to be familiar with these essentials so that they feel comfortable in the new method and confident that work can still be done effectively.
Regular check-ins and communication will also be vital to reduce the risk of team members feeling left out or isolated.
What Will Remote Workplace Check-Ins Look Like?
Let’s take the previous question a step further.
Regular check-ins are absolutely essential when teams are being managed remotely.
This being said, you need to come up with guidelines and schedules. How often will check-ins take place? Are they going to occur one-on-one, will people have virtual “meetings” with their teams? Will the check-ins occur via phone or video calls?
While these may seem like questions of minor importance at first, they will determine the effectiveness of communication. Making sure everyone is on the same page is still very important and the task can be difficult to accomplish when remote operational methods are being employed.
Does Your Company Have Remote Workplace Culture?
Making the switch to remote work isn’t just about a change of location.
Good remote culture plays a role in every single aspect of utilizing the method. Team leaders still need to lead. Interactions still need to happen and accountability has to be enforced one way or another.
Companies that are learning through trial and error instead of developing remote culture will be incurring losses in terms of reduced productivity. Errors are also more likely if people don’t have a good understanding of new procedurals.
As a company owner or manager, you need to communicate what is going on organizationally. A stringent focus on performance and tracking the right KPIs will also have to be maintained. When people work remotely, they are more likely to worry about the state of the company and the transactions with clients. In such instances, workers will need reassurance that the business is still on the right track.
Remote work delivers many opportunities but it also poses some specific challenges that have to be addressed from the top.
Collaboration, the feeling of isolation, reduced productivity and tech challenges are all issues that need to be addressed. It’s best to have a strategy in advance. Adjusting the work procedures as you go isn’t just ineffective, it can cost you a lot of money in the long run. In the absence of comprehensive strategies, chaos will ensue and your business will suffer.