The Most Advanced Processes For Working Remotely
Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, remote work has become the new reality for many companies. If you are to keep up with the competition, you need to know how to organize your at-home team in the most convenient and effective way. So is remote work beneficial for companies and their employees?
The efficiency of remote work can be increased by implementing proper management processes. Many companies have seen an increase in productivity and cost reduction from distance work.
Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, remote work has become the new reality for many companies. If you are to keep up with the competition, you need to know how to organize your at-home team in the most convenient and effective way.
So is remote work beneficial for companies and their employees?
Why Is Remote Work The New Reality For Many Companies?
The coronavirus pandemic has moved the workforce to the virtual world. Many businesses have moved their practices from offices to at-home computers because of the implementation of social distancing guidelines.
On top of COVID-19, our increased advancement of technology has made it easier than ever for us to perform work tasks from the comfort of our homes. Software programs and advanced processes have greatly increased worker’s efficiency and productivity while out of the office. Many businesses have used this to their advantage to increase productivity and reduce costs.
What Difficulties May Arise When Organizing Remote Work?
Just like anything, working at home doesn’t come without its drawbacks. Since your home is not the work environment you’re used to, it can be difficult to maintain the integrity that you had in the office.
So let’s look at the common issues facing those who work remotely:
Time Management
Distractions contribute considerably to poor time management when working from home. There are significantly more distractions at home compared to the office. Whether it be family, chores, hobbies, or TV, it’s all too easy to lose focus on your tasks when distance working.
Also, when working from home, you’re not held to the same levels of accountability as you were in the office. Before, you had your coworkers and management there to help you stay on track. Now, you have to be your own manager and be able to make sure that you’re using your time properly.
Team Communication
One of the biggest issues that came from telework is the lack of accessible communication that was available in the workplace. In the office, you could ask someone a question and receive a response instantly. Now you may have to wait hours for an answer to a simple yes or no question. This significantly cuts productivity because hours are wasted on stand-by for a response.
On top of this, the meaning of emails and instant messaging can be easily misinterpreted. It’s difficult to get your message across when the person you’re talking to online is unable to see your body language or facial expressions. You may come off less friendly when messaging than in person since the recipient can’t see if you’re smiling or hear the tone that you intended.
Technology Issues
Anyone who works from home knows the dreaded connectivity issues that are all too common on video conference programs. These issues lead to stalling in meetings and projects, as well as miscommunication between team members. Connectivity issues can decrease your team’s productivity and efficiency because time is wasted waiting for the connection to reestablish. Furthermore, many employees’ personal Wi-Fi and computers are not as advanced as the ones in the office, which is a significant contribution to connection issues.
Another cause of technology issues is it’s difficult for some team members to adapt to virtual working. There are numerous new programs and remote work tools being implemented, making it confusing and frustrating to learn them all. If employees don’t know how to use essential programs needed to work from home, their productivity and work quality will greatly decrease.
Examples Of Company Market Leaders Who Are Known To Work Remotely
Many market-leading companies were well aware of the advantage of working remotely prior to the pandemic. Workers given greater flexibility and control over how and where they work are more productive, and their quality of work increases as well.
Employees that are given the option to work from home have reported being much happier with their employment and feel that they have a better work/life balance. Companies that allow employees to work from home also cut costs due to lower turnaround rates and office costs. Many companies see telework as the future as we move deeper into the digital era. Nowadays, everything from classes to doctor’s visits is online. It would only be appropriate for businesses to move their teams online as well.
These companies have found success working remotely and serve as an example for other companies looking to make the switch:
- Microsoft
- Amazon
- JP Morgan
Tips And Recommendations Organizing Remote Work To Make It More Effective And Convenient
Managing An At-Home-Work Team
One of the current downfalls of businesses is they lack the proper management strategy to effectively coordinate a remote team. The inability to manage a distant work team leads to issues with communication, productivity, and time management across the board.
For easier team management, businesses should make use of communication services such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, and Slack. These conference services will allow you to coordinate and manage your team on a single platform. The platforms offer group video conferences and instant messaging, which is as close as you can get to “in-person” when working virtually.
It’s important for managers to be flexible and understanding with their team members during this time. Many have families working or doing classes from home as well, making it difficult to limit interruptions. Rather than assigning dedicated work hours like in the office, have them work at their leisure as long as they reach your deadline.
Finally, for effective team management, make sure to reinforce company cultures and values that were instituted in the office setting. Even though employees are at home, there should still be professionalism during team meetings, making it so that everyone is able to get in the right work mindset.
Remote Contract Management
Since it’s difficult right now to meet and negotiate with partners in-person, contract management software is vital to the success of your business. Contract management software allows collaborators to manage contracts virtually.
Contract management software significantly speeds up the contract cycle while also providing you with a high-quality finished product.
Some companies that already utilize contract management software include Reline Solutions, a warehouse management company, and AnyChart, a data visualization library.
Experiment With What Makes You, Your Team Members, And Partners The Most Productive
There is no correct way to organize telework. Whatever method works for your team and maximizes efficiency and convenience should be used. You may have to experiment for a while before you find what method is the right fit.
Final Thoughts
Remote work has become the new normal for many companies. It’s important for your company to keep up with the times so you don’t lag behind the competition. There are many advanced solutions and practices that can be used for distance-work that will increase your company’s efficiency and streamline work.
Remote work has been proven to positively impact company productivity. Employees allowed to work from home are more satisfied with their employer, meaning that they will likely strive to provide high-quality work. Also, if employees are allowed to work around their own schedule, they are likely to be more productive in terms of work-related tasks.
The new era of the workforce is upon us. Is your business ready? Let us know how you are managing the transition in the comments below.
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