In 2022, the world is a very different place compared to what it used to be. Now, many companies are allowing their employees to work remotely on a full-time or part-time basis.
According to Statista:
- 38 percent of British people aged between 30 and 49 are working from home as of February 2022
- 23 percent of British people aged between 16 and 29 are also working from home
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic easing in the UK, this hasn’t stopped the work-from-home trend, which highlights that it’s here to stay.
However, adapting to remote work can be hard, especially for company managers and directors. For instance, face-to-face contact is removed, which makes it more difficult to create relationships with employees. So, what’s the solution? Well, there are quite a few that you need to know about.
In total, here are five easy tips that can help any company adapt to remote work, whether you’re a small-size organisation or a big market brand.
1. Use Smart Learning Technologies to Train Employees
When you hire new employees, a lot of them will need to complete training courses. On top of this, some employees (such as those who have had extended periods of time off) will need to be reskilled. If not, your workforce will start to struggle.
However, providing employees with the training and resources they need can be incredibly hard when they’re working from home. This is why your company needs to blend a traditional Learning Management System (LMS) with a Learning Experience Platform (LXP). Sites like thinqi.com will explain this in more detail for you.
Once you’ve achieved the perfect balance, you can then provide employees with all the training and knowledge they need – no matter what their geographic locations are. Whether it’s online learning modules or video-based tutorials, every box can be ticked!
2. Provide Your Employees with High-Quality Tech Equipment
Whether you have a team of ten or one hundred remote employees, it’s essential that you provide them with the right tech equipment. The reason for this is simple: they’ll be able to perform better, meaning your company won’t become overwhelmed with any standard drops.
Depending on individual employee roles, the equipment you need to provide them with will vary. For example, if you are allowing phone agents to work from home, they will need a VoIP and softphone system to use. A VoIP system enables employees to make calls over the internet using their own headsets and laptops, making it perfect for remote working.
3. Hold Virtual Team Building Exercises
Want to maintain (and improve) your company culture and bond? No problem: hold virtual team-building exercises. For simplicity purposes, a platform such as Zoom will usually do the trick. On here, you can hold a variety of group games, challenges, and more.
A popular choice for many companies is to host weekly (or monthly) virtual quiz nights, where employees can forget about work and have a fun time together online.
4. Introduce Employees to ‘Microsoft Teams’ – One of the Driving Forces Behind Remote Work
Microsoft Teams (MS) is an excellent tool for remote working. This is because it enables employees to collaborate with each other easily and efficiently, from sharing documents to holding video conferences. Without MS, your company will struggle to adapt.
5. Collect Monthly Feedback Via Email
Lastly, make sure to collect monthly feedback from remote employees. This data can then be used to make improvements. For example, you might discover that a large percentage of employees want more collaboration tools, which can then be addressed by management.