The longer people work from home, the more they like it. Fifteen months following our mass exodus of the office environment, the concept of returning to the commute and the cubicle is perhaps quite difficult to accept.
A study from the University of Strathclyde which surveyed 3000 UK employees this year, found that 78% would prefer to keep working from home following the Covid-19 pandemic. (Source: https://bit.ly/3fmpy79 University of Strathclyde).
This unprecedented level of demand is forcing employers to re-evaluate and adopt permanent working from home solutions to keep hold of their top talent.
It certainly appears that both the hybrid and fully nomadic style of working from home is becoming the new normal for many businesses. Are businesses ready to operate like this forever?
In this article, we discuss three key areas for optimising your business’s remote working strategy.
Digitalise your Infrastructure
Last year you will have most likely done the hard part. Getting comfortable using video calls for meetings was a challenge that we met with aplomb, but have you optimised your business’s processes and integrated transparent systems to track projects and progress? Possibly not.
With a little bit of effort, managers can align their businesses with digital management systems like https://qatalog.com/ to enable transparent tracking of projects, documents, goals, workflows and progress.
Utilising technology to create a transparent workplace with access to working documents is crucial.
By streamlining your business like this, you can enhance the employee digital working experience and re-create that sense of office collaboration that drives optimisation.
Read this week’s edition of LUMENSTREAM’s Sustainability News Snapshot.
Update or Draft a Remote Working Policy
Having a relevant policy in place is vital. A well-structured flexible working policy will give your employees the information they require to understand their performance, expectations/goals and, therefore, empower them to succeed.
Start by creating an outline of performance expectations and consider adopting cultural practices that prevent employees from feeling isolated or suffering from burnout.
A robust policy will lead to healthier, happier and motivated employees. It can also help your business avoid legal and compliance issues down the line.
Invest in Training your Team
Make sure to invest in your employee training programmes. Yes, muting and unmuting a video call can be an important skill, but there is a lot more to this. From new hires to the continuous development of established employees, it is vital to keep improving essential skills that lead to a more autonomous and empowered workforce.
Research shows that enhancing soft skills like discipline, communication, empathy, and adaptability is critical in developing a remote working strategy for business. Committing to a long-term learning and development culture, specific to remote working, will improve your team’s productivity, effectiveness, and future proof your business.
Invest time in equipping your workforce with the toolkit they need to self manage themselves and train your managers on how to measure the performance of your personnel fairly across a variety of locations.
Okay, businesses will now start rushing back to offices, but perhaps business leaders can consider this moment as an opportunity to create a more nuanced and flexible working structure that redevelops the employee experience for a healthier and positive future.
