Moving to remote working can be very rewarding for a business, in a variety of ways. It can cut down the costs of your business by eliminating hefty premises charges, it can enable you to hire a more varied team from all over the world to maintain the work ethic and values your business needs to thrive, and it can also result in employees reacting more positively to a more flexible and remote working environment which suits them.
Remote working is just another step in a flexible working environment, and here are four tips if you’re considering making this switch for your business.
- Take Advantage of Technology
Technology and devices are crucial to successful remote working. You need to ensure that all your employees have access to the right devices for their own roles and have everything they need to work efficiently. To effectively maintain communication during remote working, devices with video and camera capabilities are a must, as well as those that can easily be used on the go, like tablets. Along with all these things, if you want safe and secure communication with your employees, you may wish to look at an encryption service, such as phantom secure.
Employees may have their own devices they would like to use for work (if working from home, for example) or you may need to provide them. Either way, technology and the right devices are key.
- A Secure and Fast Connection is a Must
No manner of technology or device is going to be able to do its job effectively; however, if a fast and dependable connection isn’t there. Therefore working internet, a speedy connection and also a secure VPN network is fundamental for keeping your business workings connected and protected.
- Ensure That Your Company Culture Stays in Place
It can be hard to maintain a certain work ethic, working values and sense of identity as a business when there is no one location and when employees are all working individually. That’s why it’s important to make an extra effort in ensuring that a company culture stays in place when working with virtual teams.
Make sure to maintain your core goals and values across your team, even if your business is switching to remote work, and ensure that all employees understand how to embrace those values and work as a team, even when separated.
- Maintain Employee Meetings and Appraisals
Many employees will appreciate the freedom and flexibility of working remotely, but remote working doesn’t mean leaving everybody to fulfil their own tasks and trust them to get on with their jobs. Maintaining regular feedback and employee one-on-ones is key for progression and job satisfaction. It allows your employees to provide feedback on their experiences and their role, and it also allows the business to check in with its remote employees regularly to make sure that everything is working as it should and that there are no problems.
Face-to-face communication will be more effective for this, so even if these meetings or appraisals have to happen virtually, then try switching to video call instead of email or phone call, for instance.
How ever you choose to make the switch, communication, and connection are key.