More people are working from home these days, and why not? Better schedule, working environment, and commute (what could be better than rolling out of bed and immediately getting to work?). Oh, and avoiding the Coronavirus epidemic! Now everyone, even Gary (we don’t discriminate, insert name here) from accounting is working remotely. As annoying as Gary is on the company chat, there are a few other difficulties that you might encounter. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to survive this world crisis (and Gary), without having to kick off your bunny slippers.
While the novel coronavirus situation has 4 million people telecommuting, this exodus from the office is going to dramatically change the tools, support, and management styles necessary to succeed. Take for example, what employers were uncovering before casual Friday turned into casual Monday, Tuesday, etc.
A flexible work arrangement leads to:
- Boosted morale (90%)
- Lowered operating costs (77%)
- Increased productiveness (65%)
- Reduced sick days (50%)
- Happier employees (57%)
Despite the many benefits, the transition to distance work may not be simple for many workplaces. If you didn’t already have remote working protocols in place, it can be difficult to establish them on the fly, and the learning curve can be extra steep during these trying times.
If you have already started making the transition, you’re likely to encounter some bumps along the way, from communication strain to internet bandwidth. Your coworkers might be blurring the lines between personal and professional communication right now, but give Gary a break, he might just be lonely. A 2016 study found among those working remotely, some feel increasingly isolated, disconnected, and uninformed. This is where innovative management can step in, using great platforms like Slack to keep teams connected and coordinate goals while helping to keep employees focused.
It’s adapt or else you’ll find that without oversight by others, routines, processes, and time management will suffer. The same study reported some employees felt happier, working more, and quitting less than coworkers stuck in the office. Just use discretion when identifying who needs the extra help staying on task, since there are superstars out there.
Make sure everybody has the tools to succeed, 5 or 6 GHz networks are highly recommended to support connecting to business applications, teleconferencing, streaming, or transferring large files. Check on internet providers, many are offering enhanced broadband service with so many working from home.
Communication is key in this new, often uncharted territory. As Greg Caplan, CEO and co-founder of Remote Year, says “Good remote workers understand the importance of communicating clearly with their team in any medium they’re using.”
Help your team acclimate to working remotely with real-time analytics and reporting applications like TimeToReply. The online platform supports and enables team production by measuring inboxes, reply times, and timed goals.
Now that Gary is taken care of, and since we all know what we’re doing, we can all rest a little easier. Covid-19 or not, remote work is here so make the most of it now!
