Work-from-home solutions have helped many white-collar companies remain operational amidst the lock-downs prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, remote working solutions have revealed a range of shortcomings, disappointing many employers.
Working remotely is the best way to stay in business while the pandemic ranges on. It will take some time to adapt to, but that doesn’t mean that you have to settle for lower output or productivity from your employees. In fact, it can be an ideal arrangement when you figure out how to get around the informal setting.
Here are four tips on how to keep your remote workforce productive when it matters the most:
1. Keep the Team Culture Alive
Teams are held together by more than just a project. Co-workers connect on a personal level when collaborating on projects, which makes collaboration easier. Unfortunately, work-from-home solutions have eliminated personal interaction between co-workers, threatening to erode workplace culture.
Workplace culture (meaningful connections between co-workers) is necessary to keep the remote working arrangement vibrant. As such, encourage your employees to keep in touch, despite the distance and physical barrier.
For example, you can set up a central communication platform where employees can share their thoughts in real-time. You can also encourage employees to be creative in their interactions through the use of emoji and other robust communication tools.
2. Invest In Visual Collaboration Tools
Collaboration in a remote working environment entails more than just texts and video calls. Your employees need as great a degree of interaction and collaboration as they had when working at the office. In fact, it is the lack of optimal collaboration that limits your employees’ output and productivity.
As such, consider investing in visual collaboration tools. For example, tools like Mural work better than whiteboards for tasks such as site mapping and wire framing, and all team members can work on a project and collaborate in real-time.
It is also advisable to demand that your employees present their design concepts live. This will enable everyone to make their input and clear up any questions.
3. Insist on a Rigid Working Schedule
Time management is an important concept when it comes to running a remote team. No one is there to supervise the employees, which means that they can put in as little or as many hours as they want. It is a blurred line, and your employees will be disoriented without a schedule.
As such, come up with a rigid working schedule for your employees, closely similar to the office work schedule. Have checks and balances to ensure that your employees are online and working at the set times. Additionally, encourage them not to spend all their time working or burn them out.
4. Enlighten Your Employees on Ideal Work-from-Home Practices
Many people find it difficult to work from for many reasons, ranging from the lack of digital collaboration tools to distractions from kids. Their output and productivity levels are reduced as a result.
However, your employees would be just as productive if they had a conducive working environment at home. They can achieve a conducive environment by making some adjustments, such as:
- Setting up and maintaining an orderly workspace
- Taking some time off for their personal lives
- Stick to a rigid working schedule
- Stay fit by engaging in physical exercising
- Familiarize themselves with digital remote working solutions
You can help your employees adapt to remote working by enlightening themselves about these and other solutions. There are hundreds of remote working guidelines on the internet, and you can get a professional to customize one for your company’s unique needs.
Final Thoughts
Remote working has a wide range of benefits – and it is the only solution to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It can work for you, too. You can start by getting a team of the best remote on-demand developers from DevReady.
