And they’re not the only ones facing major adjustments.
Many employers are figuring out how to enable a permanent home-based workforce by answering questions like these:
- Do my employees have the tools they need to sustain work from home? Do they have reliable access to the right documents and data for this to be permanent?
- Are my employees able to work effectively in their home environment in the long term?
- Can our technology infrastructure handle ongoing support of remote work?
- How can I manage my team effectively and keep them engaged and on task when part or all of them remain remote?
- What do I do if some of my employees are struggling or unable to meet deadlines or productivity goals, but want to stay working remotely?
While COVID-19 has escalated the need for remote work policies and procedures, remote work has actually been gaining traction for quite some time. Your remote workforce strategy and policies are critical to prepare your workforce for continued remote work.
In each section below, we have listed the most impactful measures you can implement now and/or continue to implement, to help your team members remain productive while working remotely.
Technology Resources & Infrastructure
Having the right technology infrastructure in place is crucial so that your employees can continue to access the information they need to complete work and serve customers in the long term. This includes hardware and software, as well as a functional Wi-Fi connection. Here are some additional things to consider:
- Laptops and Internet connections – Do your employees have the basic hardware they need to connect to your company database and applications? Do they have reliable high-speed internet connection to continue to access their files, applications, and databases? Furthermore, does your IT support staff have the processes and staff to support remote workers and troubleshoot various issues so remote work can continue?
- Cloud-based systems and applications – Can workers access your ATS, CRM, ERP, and other systems such as Salesforce, timekeeping software, or project management software? Do these systems operate in the cloud so they can be accessed remotely? If not, what would it take to migrate to SaaS technology?
- Productivity tracking software – Do you have software in place to track the activity of your team? Can employees support customers and colleagues? Can they continue to do their work remotely on a permanent basis, or will you need to update processes?
- Remote access to on-premise resources – Are employees able to access their work computers and other systems remotely on a permanent basis? For example, GoToMyPC allows users to log in to their computers any time, from any device. For long-term solutions, companies like Velosio and RDA, help you migrate your essential data and resources to a private cloud environment. They can also work with you to create a hybrid IT environment that merges your traditional IT processes with cloud platforms and applications.
- VOIP phone systems – Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology is the most affordable and flexible way to ensure that remote workers can make and receive phone calls. VOIP systems can transmit both audio and video. It’s best to connect through a virtual private network (VPN), so you’ll have the security you need to protect communications from outside interference.
- Communication software – In addition to a reliable phone system, employees also need ways to communicate and collaborate with colleagues. Video chat tools such as FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or GoToMeeting all help connect people face-to-face, and chat tools like Slack, Zoho Cliq, or Microsoft Teams help people send quick messages, share documents, and collaborate on projects.
Remote Work Policies
Working from home on a permanent basis brings a whole new set of challenges and opportunities to the table as compared with working in the office. Employees will need to have effective remote working routines, balance work with the needs of their families, and refine newly developed procedures for conducting sales calls, virtual training sessions, and other essential activities. Be sure you have written policies in place so that both employees and managers know the expectations and understand how to determine whether they are being met. Here are some items that should be included in your policy:
- Eligibility – Which employees are eligible to work at home? What types of work must be done on site?
- Work Hours – How many hours will employees be expected to work each day, and when are they expected to work those hours during the day? Do you have a system in place to track this?
- Work Environment – How should employees set up their environment so that neither their work nor your customer relationships suffer? For example:
- Get up at the same time.
- Dress like you are going to work.
- If you don’t have a home office, set up in a place that is quiet and removed from the activity of the household.
- Take breaks only at regularly scheduled times.
- Stay positive! People can hear positivity or negativity in your voice when you make sales calls or talk with colleagues.
- Accessibility – Are current accessibility platforms working? Can colleagues remain accessible to one another (phone, email, Slack, FaceTime, etc.)?
- Overtime – Are approvals for overtime hours required if remote work continues permanently? Are the systems to record and track overtime good permanent solutions?
- Work Assignments – Are the processes and procedures working for how employees receive work assignments, complete them, and submit them?
- Confidentiality – Are the processes that safeguard information and equipment to maintain confidentiality successful enough for long-term remote work?
Communication & Management
A study from Stanford University showed that employees may be more productive when working from home, but they may also struggle with feelings of isolation, blurred boundaries between work and family, and lack of face-to-face contact. As your workforce continues to work from home, you will need to support both employees and managers as they learn to do their best work in a virtual environment. Here are some important ways to maintain open lines of communication:
- Do employees have the resources they need to do their work remotely on a permanent basis? Do they find the current tools helpful for collaborating with other team members? Do managers feel they have the tools they need to effectively lead their remote teams long-term? Consider different work styles and communication needs as you aim to set each employee up for long-term success.
- Do managers know how to effectively lead and encourage remote workers? AXIA Consulting recently conducted a webinar that shared some excellent insights on how managers can support their teams remotely. For example, having established processes to conduct meetings, interact with teams, and manage projects remotely (AXIA also has a helpful webinar on managing virtual projects effectively that is worth watching). AXIA recommends that managers have a written communication plan in place with regularly scheduled meetings, boundaries, and expectations. A virtual library can also help provide access to key documents and resources.
- What metrics will managers use to monitor remote productivity long term? Managers have probably adjusted their metrics in place that determine whether employees are meeting productivity expectations, but are they sustainable measurement plans? For example, are you monitoring daily and weekly goals met, number of calls made, attendance at video meetings or phone calls, or task completion rates? Managers who have been lax about performance metrics in the short-term remote situation may want to implement permanent remote work processes that require a daily or weekly activity report from each employee. Unfortunately, not every employee is cut out for working at home, especially long term. In these instances, managers will need a plan to address any failures to meet expectations for those who cannot get work done or care for customers in a remote environment.
- What communication practices should managers follow to help employees stay on track? Communication should continue to be clear, frequent, and timely. Deadlines, response times, and productivity expectations must be clearly stipulated, and communications should be concise. Determine which communication media has worked well in the short term remote work environment, and which have not, and let your employees know where they should expect messages.
- When and how will managers check in with permanent remote work team members? Managers may have planned regular check-ins with team members at the same time of day and on the same days each week during the short term remote work environment, but is this sustainable long-term? Check-ins can be short but should be used to determine whether the employee is staying productive, where he or she might be struggling, and whether there are any roadblocks to getting work done effectively. If possible, these check-ins should be over video so employees still feel connected with their manager and so that managers can assess whether the employee has an ongoing successful remote work environment.
- How can employees balance work and family while working remotely long term? Offering flexible hours to employees with children so that they can care for their kids or stagger childcare responsibilities with a partner have been common in the short term remote workforce. Are there clear expectations whether this will continue for long-term remote workers? Encourage employees to think through their daily routines and what is a good permanent solution so they can focus on their work working at home. For example:
- Returning children to pre-pandemic child care services.
- Continuing to share child-care responsibilities shifts with your partner.
- Setting family members up with his or her own space if multiple people in the household will be working or attending school remotely.
In addition to the items listed above, consider outsourcing some needs to a third-party when possible or beneficial. For example, outsourcing recruitment gives you the ability to scale up or down quickly rather than having to adjust your internal recruiting team.
Remote work may be attractive for many of your team members, and there are many tools and resources available to help your organization continue to support remote work staff permanently. At Hire Velocity, our standard remote work policy has been in place and functioning effectively for several years. We’re here to encourage you that it can be done, and that once the pandemic subsides, a robust remote work policy will serve you well both now and in the future.
