The world is facing a lockdown in every sector due to the outbreak of COVID 19. This is a testing time for businesses to carry on their work with next to zero manpower present in the office. With the economy slowing down, businesses have to resort to laying off teams and issues like employee attrition to stay afloat. In this scenario adopting a business model that allows employees to work remotely, is the only way of providing fuel to an organization to run its business.
The outbreak of a pandemic made remote and flexible working inevitable through the adoption of technology, with a likely lasting change in the way businesses work. Even the employees are more comfortable and secure to join a business like this, equipped with remote working facilities. According to a Forbes survey, more than a quarter (26%) of U.S. “knowledge workers”–defined as those who primarily work in professional settings using computers–have already quit their jobs to move to companies that allow remote working.
Remote Work Is Good for Business
Among performance-based remote work trends, 85% of businesses confirm that productivity has increased in their company because of greater flexibility. Additionally, 90% of employees say allowing for more flexible work arrangements and schedules would increase employee morale. While, 77% agreed, allowing employees to work remotely may lead to lower operating costs. But, there are challenges to match regular business productivity in case of remote work.
Challenges
While working from home with children, spouses and even extended family around may be tough for some and easier for others. Frequent distractions and family requirements can have a hand in tampering with an employee’s productivity.
In addition to this, the workers may feel isolated; miss out on team activities can lead to losing motivation to work. As a report from The Economist, 44% of the workers have delayed or failed to submit their projects because of these distractions while working remotely.
Action Plan To Success While Working Remotely
Successful remote working is dependent on an organization’s self-sufficiency. In order to be productive in this scenario, businesses should focus on time-management skills, work discipline, and motivation, communication with employees, adaptability with technology. Making an effective remote working strategy helps businesses and employees to be productive to stay on track. Here are few:
Checklists to set-up
The most important thing to set up a remote workforce is to guide employees to create an appropriate work ambiance. Ensure all the employees have laptops, good internet connection available, required to work from home during quarantine or office closures. Provide them chat and video conferencing software for effective business communication, which can be recorded for purpose.
The use of sophisticated technologies to meet the productivity of remote employees is a growing reality. The businesses provide and also train the employees in the company’s remote work software platform. The synthesis approach of cloud and Machine learning creates a strong foundation that supports the feasibility of remote work.
Also, employees should be made aware of general things like dedicating a quiet area for working hours. Ensuring they have a backup network connection can prove helpful too. These little things can hugely contribute to the productivity of an employee.
Stay in the loop
While working remotely, it is very easy for the employees to miss out on the information. It can lead them to complete work isolation. With the help of technology, businesses can do away this problem and make sure no one is left out. Keep up the corridor chat and tea-break conversations with employees in a virtual way. Make the effort for daily check-ins by using online chat platforms. Always do a hurdle or meeting prior log-ins through video conferencing to make the employees engaged and set work notes on high.
Set schedule show-up reminders through video conferencing or phone calls for individuals and provide feedback or briefing about their work. This makes the employees stay more engaged and focused on work. Research shows in-person conversations build trust, allow for subtleties in communication and get people to pay more attention. Allow employees to work with knowledge management software and also be available to entertain real-time queries. Technology makes it possible to stay connected as though we were sitting in our office, rather than at home.
Set work goals
Working in situations like lockdowns may affect business regularities and employee adherence. To overcome this, organizations should focus on the planning of the work schedule on a regular basis. While in cases of longer lockdowns, a business work plan for the employees should be ready for a week or so. The idea behind it is that employees will have a holistic knowledge of their work and deadlines.
Educate the employees about digital attendance and set a reminder in the chat groups. Make sure they must be fully available while working hours. If possible segregate the work in time tables a before, allows the employees to manage time very easily with work. With this method, they also have time for family or personal tasks in between.
Keep employees fit; mentally and physically
While the common notion for employees that work remotely may be that they slack off without physical oversight; it is not necessarily true. Remote employees are more likely to overwork. When you don’t have independent physical spaces for both work and the rest of your life, the lines between the two often get blurred.
For an employee to remain healthy, both physically and mentally, casual office banter on instant messaging platforms helps. Frequent coffee breaks and catch-ups on video calls may also allow someone to blow off some steam.
Work from home can seriously affect the physical health of the employee. Efforts should be taken to educate everyone about a healthy diet plan and even some home workouts as well.
Are You Equipped To Make It Work?
Remote working is not new for many organizations. It is included in their risk management practice. However, it may also be a first-time reality for most. Many companies are rolling this out in an expedite timeline as there are lockdowns because of the outbreak of COVID-19.
Employees often look to their leaders for cues on how to react in times like these. And effective leaders acknowledge the stress and underlying anxiety to reassure their teams to pull through. This support usually suffices for teams to come together and recover from whatever challenges that may be posed.
The two most important aspects of making a remote working model work for your business are technological infrastructure and robust communication. With Gen Z coming in to change the demographic of the workplace, remote and flexible working will soon become the norm.
This is where an integrated, smart Work-from-Anywhere solution comes into play. KocharTech is building Leap – a solution that recreates a BPO-like environment in an Internet-enabled space. With complete data safety and security features in place, Leap can expand the capabilities of your business’ remote work model like never before.
To find out more about Leap, reach out to us here.
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