The world of work has seen a significant shift in the past couple of years. New technologies have accelerated, traditional office jobs have been disrupted, and home has become a hybrid space for work, life, and everything between. And whilst the days of compulsory home working are starting to feel like a distant memory, many businesses have now adopted a new working world that is firmly here to stay.
Research and surveys have highlighted increased productivity, with reports stating that 75% of people feel more productive when working from home. Alongside this, it’s given hours back to employees and even cut commuting costs, on average, by nearly £45 per week. (source Finder.com)
Whether you’ve always been a business that’s offered flexible working options, have set yourselves up as a remote business, or have become the master of the hybrid working model, there’s a new approach and level of understanding that’s required to ensure that this way of working benefits everyone.
We’ve compiled our top 10 ways, curated with the help of our clients, to successfully manage your remote workforce, enabling you and your employees to get the most out of working from home.
1. Great expectations
To let everyone know where they stand, everyone must understand what’s expected. Working from home looks different for everyone involved, and each employee has a unique set of circumstances. So start as you mean to go on by making everyone aware of what’s expected while acknowledging your employees’ needs at the same time.
2. Team meetings
Communication is everything. Diarise catchups, 1-1s and team meetings, so there are regular check-ins and create an open forum where people feel free to ask questions. Having a virtual daily ‘huddle’ can ensure that everyone has what they need to get on with the task at hand.
3. Give them what they need
And, speaking of making sure everyone has what they need, it’s a great idea to create an inventory of equipment, so your staff are set up with laptops/extra screens, keyboards, office chairs, and everything they require to work safely and effectively. You can even take this a step further by creating a Swag Pack of branded gifts that help to create that office vibe at home.
4. Break time
It can be far too easy to sit at your desk first thing and find you’re still sitting there hours later. So instead, encourage your remote team to take regular breaks. With no ‘water cooler’ chat or office distractions, working from home can feel intense so let everyone know it’s OK to go for a walk at lunchtime, step away from their desk or even schedule some online breathing breaks for your team.
5. Awareness
With everyone on different schedules and the lines of home and work so easily blurred, make sure your remote team knows who’s available and when. Create a spreadsheet that’s easily accessible for all, with the days/hours they work. That way, people won’t feel the need to answer emails when they have switched off for the day. This could also include everyone’s preferred communication methods (not everyone loves a group Whatsapp!).
6. Trust!
A lot of remote work is based on trust. Just because you can’t see your team doesn’t mean they’re not present. Remote working requires transparency, excellent communication and a whole lot of trust!
7. It’s good to see you
Create regular in-person catch-ups or online socials. Working from home is a great way to reduce turnover and increase productivity and autonomy, but it can be isolating and lonely at times. So keep that team spirit high with regular socials, virtual happy hours, or even online team building events.
8. Accessibility
Ensure that everyone has access to all the files and documents they need and anything else that enables them to do their job. Utilise online project management tools, time tracking apps, and shared drives.
9. In training
Make time for training. Remote working doesn’t mean that good practices and employee investment should be abandoned along with commercial rents. In fact, with less office interaction, it’s even more important to encourage online training and courses and to continue with appraisals and personal development plans.
10. Celebrate good times!
And don’t forget to celebrate, acknowledge, and reward! Employee recognition is vital with a remote workforce to help keep that team spirit high. So, celebrate team successes, reward individual wins, and use social media, gifts, and emails to let everyone know.
Why not send your team a Swag Pack to help them settle into their remote working space? Chat to us today.
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