Remote work is here to stay and this means a big shift for many offices.
We’ve helped our customers go through many transitions over last two years. But are you ready for your own transition to remote working if you haven’t done so already?
We recently sat down and thought about the most common problems businesses face when transitioning to remote working. We think they can be boiled down to the following top three:
- Maintaining efficient – and instant – communication
- Safeguarding the IT environment
- Staff motivation.
So, without further ado, let’s see how you can overcome these challenges!
Maintaining efficient communication
Casual, passing conversation is hard to replicate in the virtual office when most employee interactions take place on chat platforms or via video calls.
Regardless, consistent communication is more important than ever – for both employee morale and productivity.
What you need is, essentially, an online bulletin board. But one that everyone actually reads.
You can do this really easily by setting up a single instant messaging and file-sharing infrastructure that’s easy to organise, use, and administer for every project and department in your business. Microsoft 365 has a bunch of solutions for this, including Teams and SharePoint.
It’s also important to make one-on-one time with your staff a priority if you’re a manager or supervisor. It’s easy for employees to feel unseen or even neglected on a screen full of squares during team meetings.
Lastly, remember to find time before (and after) meetings to re-connect with everyone on your team. This acts as the virtual alternative to coffee break updates and after hours drinks.
Safeguarding the IT environment
This is the first issue you need to address when moving your operation to remote working.
Cyber security shortcomings will put your business at serious legal and financial risk; we really are living in an age where it is better to be safe than sorry.
Here are some super-simple tips to keep your workforce cyber-safe, no matter where they’re located.
- Switch to a cloud network that’s both easily accessible and secure. The advantage is that they’re relatively simple to set up and often require less maintenance than onsite systems.
- Have everyone’s devices regularly updated and screened to identify and mitigate against the potential cyber risks.
- Create flexibility in your online network and connected devices so that your IT team (be it internal or external) can adjust to your needs.
Staff motivation: keeping employees on track while working from home
Having a home office is not always as ideal as it seems.
The pandemic and home working have unfortunately increased mental health issues at work and the chances of team members reaching burn-out.
You need to find a way to keep everyone motivated and productive. Only then can your business continue growing.
Here are some ways to do just that:
- Set up project tracking software so you know exactly who is doing what and when.
- Cut out the digital noise when working with shared cloud databases and file sharing. Have a single organiser to avoid the endless ‘pings’ from people who can’t find the latest file version.
- Find ways to create a fun challenge without overwhelming your staff. You want them to remain motivated regardless of where they happen to be located.
Need help with getting your business on the right virtual track? Book a call with the Compex team today to find out how we can help you get the most from remote working, because it’s not going away any time soon – if ever.