How to Support Successful Remote Work

There are a lot of pluses that come with working remotely, both for employers and employees. It may be easier to maintain work/life balance, boosting morale. Productivity can often be higher thanks to the reduction in interruptions that make it simpler to focus.

However, remote work also has its fair share of challenges. It’s hard for colleagues to maintain or cultivate strong professional relationships and to communicate effectively. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, as well as hinder progress on group projects. Adapting to telecommuting from a technical perspective can also be difficult, especially for professionals who aren’t as tech-savvy.

Luckily, employers can step up and make a difference. If you want to support successful remote work, here are some tips that can help.

Create Structure

While flexibility is one of the most significant benefits of remote work, that doesn’t mean that being completely structureless is a good idea. There needs to be a robust, reliable remote work strategy at the heart of the paradigm.

Ideally, managers should set clear expectations regarding deliverables, both when it comes to quality and timing. Additionally, standards regarding work hours should be outlined, whether that involves being available at certain times of the day or simply completing a set number of hours during a 24-hour period.

Communication guidelines also need to be in place. This could encompass a regular check-in schedule, mandatory meeting participation, and similar activities.

A bit of structure ensures everyone is adhering to the right standards and routines. That way, everyone can remain on target.

Update Your Culture

Many companies had to become remote-first practically overnight due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, changes were instituted quickly, using more of an emergency approach than a thought-out strategy.

Now that the direst part of the situation has passed, it’s time to reevaluate. While keeping a remote-first mindset may be required for some time, it’s vital to consider what that actually means for your organization.

Often, a remote-first culture focuses on keeping employees involved regardless of whether they are in the workplace. It’s about seizing opportunities to promote their success, soliciting their input before making company-wide decisions, and similar approaches that ensure their perspective is considered.

Additionally, companies need to make sure that a remote-first culture doesn’t morph into an always-on one by mistake. Letting workers know that being available 24/7 isn’t expected is critical, ensuring they know that they can disconnect when their workday is done.

Review Your Technology

Technology is a critical part of the remote work equation. However, you can’t just install collaboration software and video conferencing solutions and expect that to be enough. While those systems are essential, you have to think further. Whether that’s evaluating your VPN for ease-of-use and effectiveness, revamping your virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to enhance accessibility, or identify opportunities to streamline common support requests, it’s worth doing.

Robust, reliable, user-friendly technology boost engagement and productivity. As a result, it’s wise to review your tech to see if it is actually meeting the needs of your workforce, ensuring they are ultimately set up for success.

If you’d like to learn more about supporting your remote employees, the staff at The Advance Group can help. Contact us today.

 

 

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