Arguably, it’s an incredibly hot topic right now, and perhaps many companies are just playing catch-up to what the trailblazers have already got in place, but remote working is something that can work wonders for so many employees. Remote working can minimize commuter frustration but it can also help employees to have a better work-life balance. It also allows employees to log on remotely and improve their productivity in other ways. But turning a traditional business into a remote one can be quite an overwhelming prospect. With this in mind, if you are looking to turn your company into a remote working one, what do you need to consider?
Do It From The Ground Up
It’s a very difficult thing to transition a business from a fully functioning base of operations to remote working across the board. One of the best ways to implement this would be to start hiring people purely to work from home. Not only this, but you can start to incorporate remote working approaches from the very beginning. Rather than having people coming for a face-to-face interview you can implement video interviewing techniques. Once you start to show potential employees that you are operating with this approach, not only does it attract a certain breed of worker, but it gives you the perfect opportunity to practice what you preach.
Implementing The Systems
One of the most important components of remote working is to centralize your systems. You need to transition to cloud-hosted platforms so these can be accessed from any device. The most important thing when it comes to hiring remote workers is to have the cloud software in place meaning that not only do they have instant access to crucial files and business data but it also helps employees to communicate with each other.
Incorporating Communication Strategies
For many people, the biggest shock to the system is the lack of social contact. For those people who are keen on remote working, this wouldn’t be such an issue but for those that rely on communicating with other members of staff, you need to put the structure in place. You need to implement a brand new system of communication. There are platforms like Slack that are used across numerous businesses but it isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. You need to assess the needs of your business first.
Run A Trial
With all the will in the world, if you don’t run small trials to test the systems and to get employees used to working remotely, you could run into various issues that won’t be fixed in time for the start date. Once you have made a success of the trial periods you need to announce a transition and be consistent in your communication. But at this juncture, you need to make sure that you set firm expectations and start to delegate responsibilities. For many workers, it can feel like a vacation, especially at the outset, but this means that you’ve got to be clear in what you expect from people.
Remote working is a model that works for many companies, and based on the current circumstances it could be a shape of things to come. Not only this, but it could help so many companies realize the potential of remote working.
