Is Your Company Prepared For Remote Work Future?
Transitioning to remote work without a proper remote work infrastructure is akin to diving into the deepest end of a pool with zero swimming skills. You might remain buoyant for a while, but eventually, you’ll start drowning.
The same is true for businesses that don’t have the right infrastructure in place to support remote work. IBM, for example, reported in 2009 that 40% of its 386,000 employees in 173 countries worked remotely. However, when sales fell short, the management called employees back to the office.
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand the components of remote work infrastructure. You’ll gain the knowledge you need to evaluate your infrastructure and determine if it’s suitable for a remote work model.
New Realities of Remote Working
A huge chunk of employees today no longer favors the traditional 9-to-5 workday. Actually, 83 percent of employees said that being able to work flexibly at least some days of the week would be a determining factor when considering job opportunities. Besides, 43% of employees would leave their current job for one that offered flexible working arrangements.
Further, the United States resignation rate is at an all high. As per Gallup, 51% of workers are proactively looking for a new job or are willing to consider one, and 51% of them would switch jobs if they could work from home. This number is even higher for millennials, with 63% of them willing to switch jobs for a work-from-home option.
The statistics point to a changing workplace. The traditional in-office work model is no longer the norm. A flexible work model — full remote work or hybrid remote work — is becoming increasingly popular. Organizations that don’t meet their employees’ demands will struggle to retain top talent.
This, however, begs the question, does your company have what it takes to support a remote work infrastructure? Interestingly, 54% of companies cite poor remote work infrastructure as the main barrier to successful remote work.
The Building Blocks of a Successful Remote Work Infrastructure
A remote work infrastructure is more than just having the right technology in place. It’s a combination of factors that enable employees to work from anywhere, at any time. To build a successful remote work infrastructure:
1. Create Connectivity:
Employees in a 9-to-5 work model are physically together, which means they are connected by default. In an office setting, you can hold regular standups and employees can knock on your door for clarification or guidance.
On the contrary, a remote work model makes these regular check-ins and meetings no longer possible. As such, it’s important to create connectivity between employees, regardless of their location. There are a few ways to do this, including:
- Regular video calls or web conferences
- Instant messaging apps
- Project management tools
- Employee social media groups
- Regular company-wide emails
You’ve to ensure employees are constantly connected and able to communicate with each other. That is essential for building a cohesive remote work culture.
2. Provide IT Support and Assistance
When you first transition to remote work, your employees will have to use multiple remote software: collaboration, communication, project management, etc. For operations to sail along without hitches, everyone in your remote team should know how to use the tools.
For example, a digital marketing agency might need to use a new collaboration or project management tool. At first, you will inevitably face teething problems as the remote team figures out how the features work. That’s normal.
To make the onboarding much smoother, seek assistance from the software provider to ramp up support resources. The junior employees should know they can call or chat with their manager or have in-person discussions with help desk personnel when they hit a snag using the new tools.
Beyond that, your team could benefit greatly from self-help resources. In that regard, build an internal knowledge base with helpful how-to guides or discussion boards on Slack where employees can drop a question and find instant solutions to the problem they’re having.
3. Elevate Digital Security
Remote work allows people to work from wherever they want: they can work from home, in coffee shops, and in other locations. With such an arrangement, you’re no longer in control of the network or devices your employees use, and a litany of security concerns pop up.
As Brian Dechesare — Founder and CEO at Mergers & Inquisitions opines “with employees working remotely on unmonitored devices, mistakes are bound to happen.” Sensitive information can fall into the wrong hands, which can lead to a breach of nondisclosure agreements.
In some cases, the freedom to work from anywhere can be a major undoing. An employee crossing the border may disqualify the information they hold from data protection.
Not to mention, some employees may be tempted to use an unsecured network and that may open a leeway for hackers to infiltrate your system, leaving you vulnerable to data breaches, spyware and ransomware.
To thwart the contingencies, you have to put in place digital security policies that restrict the devices or network employee use when accessing sensitive data. You should also implement a strict identity and access management system to limit remote access to confidential information, trade secrets and intellectual properties.
Besides, demand a level of responsibility and vigilance from your remote team. For example, remote employees should make it a habit to use a virtual private network (VPN) when working in public places. They should also use strong passwords and two-factor authentication to secure their accounts.
4. Devices and Accessories
Work-from-home infrastructure is essential for remote workers to be effective. This covers the supply of pre-assembled computers and accessories. Simple equipment like keyboards, mouse, monitors, and webcams will make a big difference to the overall productivity of each employee.
Additionally, you should also consider supplying software like Microsoft Office 365, which can be accessed by employees from anywhere. This will ensure that employees have all the tools they need to do their job, no matter where they are working from.
What Is the IT Infrastructure Needed for Work From Home?
Employees need access to the right remote work software and devices to be productive, regardless of their location. Some of the key tools for a successful remote work infrastructure include:
1. Project Management Tools
Without the proper tools and procedures, managing and coordinating projects in a remote work environment can quickly result in disaster. However, it does not have to be complicated.
Project management can be incredibly simple and can take place entirely online with virtual project management software. This will eliminate the need for time-consuming in-person meetings and suffocating micromanagement. They give your employees the ability to manage their projects from anywhere in the world.
Examples of project management tools include ClickUp, Asana, Basecamp, Trello, and JIRA.
2. Cybersecurity
As mentioned earlier, when employees work remotely, they access company data from a variety of devices. Sometimes, they use unsecured public WiFi as they work from a coffee shop, hotel room, and airport. This creates numerous opportunities for cyberattacks and hackers get the opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities.
As such, you must put cybersecurity at the forefront of their remote work infrastructure. Employees need to be cognizant of the cybersecurity risks associated with remote work and take the necessary precautions to protect company data.
As Jame Scott of Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology states “There’s no silver bullet solution with cyber security, a layered defense is the only viable defense.” Some of the steps you can take to skirt the cybersecurity issues include using:
- Multi-factor authentication
- Secure virtual private networks (VPN)
- Restricted access to certain data and applications
- Encrypting data
- Employee monitoring software
- Multi-point network backups
4. Virtual Collaboration And Communication Tools
Mattie Stepanek once said, “Unity is strength…when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”
To maintain an effective remote work infrastructure, communication and collaboration are paramount. Employees need to be able to easily and quickly communicate with one another regardless of their location. This can be done through a variety of means, such as instant messaging (IM), video conferencing, and conference calls.
IM applications are generally the quickest way for employees to communicate with one another. However, video conferencing provides the benefit of being able to see facial expressions and body language.
This can be helpful for things like brainstorming sessions or training new employees. Conference calls are best used for group meetings or when multiple people need to be on the same call. Some useful communication tools include Zoom, Skype, and Slack.
5. Performance And Employee Engagement Tools
Remote work renders performance management and employee engagement more difficult. In a traditional office setting, managers can directly observe employees and gauge their performance. This is not the case in a remote work setting.
However, there are a number of tools that companies can use to manage employee performance and engagement. These tools can help managers to set goals, track progress, and provide feedback. Some of these tools include Trackstar and SAP SuccessFactors.
What Are The Opportunities For Innovation In Remote Work?
The rise of remote work infrastructure has led to some opportunities for innovation. Companies can create a remote work model that best suits their needs by taking advantage of each of these opportunities:
1. Culture
According to a survey of 1,100 employees, remote workers feel shunned and alienated. Employers require corporate culture strategies that are specifically geared to virtual teams. However, businesses should acknowledge that many of the aspects that make up culture are outside their control. For this reason, ad hoc communications amongst coworkers are useful in minimizing isolation.
To create a positive remote work culture, employers need to focus on building trust, fostering collaboration, and providing support. They can do this by encouraging transparency, using team-building exercises, and providing training on remote work tools.
2. Technology
The use of technology has both helped and hindered the growth of remote work. While many workers now have the ability to telecommute, they also face an ever-growing number of cyber threats. To combat these threats, companies need to adopt a multilayered security approach and ensure that their employees are using secure remote work tools.
In addition, businesses should consider implementing a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. This policy allows employees to use their personal devices for work purposes. This can help to save the company money on hardware and software costs.
3. Talent
The workforce is changing, and with it, the way that businesses find and keep talent. The traditional workplace is no longer as appealing to employees. In fact, a study by FlexJobs found that 61% of people would rather work from home than commute to an office.
However, keep in mind that top talents won’t just knock on your door. You have to set yourself apart from other brands competing for the same cohort of talents. This can be done by offering competitive salaries, flexible work schedules, elaborate remote work culture, and telecommuting options.
Build Your Thriving Remote Team
The rise of the internet and advances in technology have made it possible for employees to work from anywhere in the world. This has led to a number of companies implementing a remote work infrastructure. Nevertheless, there are still many businesses that are not prepared to support a remote workforce.
Organizations need to be prepared for the transition in order to make the most of this growing trend. By taking the time to evaluate your needs and put the necessary policies and procedures in place, you can create a remote work environment that is productive and take advantage of the opportunities that remote work provides.
7 Remote Work Challenges Managers Dread and How to Overcome Them
Telecommuting is on the rise. A study by Global Workplace Analytics found that 5.7 million American employees worked from home at least half the time before the pandemic, with 69% of the United States workforce working remotely at the height of the pandemic. This was a 216% increase in regular telecommuting between 2005 and 2019, and this number is only expected to grow in the years to come.
As a remote manager, it can be difficult to manage a team when you’re not in the same room with them. You can’t just pop over to their desk to talk about a problem or call them into your office when you need something done right away.
This is why remote managers must confront their fears and learn how to best manage their team from a distance. In this article, we will discuss some of the fears that remote managers must confront head-on and how to best address them.
Why Do Managers Fear A Remote Work Future?
When it comes to remote work, a recent survey revealed a surprising divergence between corporate leaders and their employees: over 44% of executives said they wanted to get back to the office full-time, while only 17% of employees concurred.
The root of the problem is that many managers still view their employees through an industrial-age lens, where workers are considered cogs in a machine. This top-down, command-and-control perspective is why some bosses still see remote work as “skipping out early” or “slacking off.”
Moreover, Remote work exposes a slew of problems and inefficiencies that managers prefer to avoid since they reflect negatively on their leadership and those they’ve employed. It takes away the ability to appear productive by looking busy at your desk, and it also reveals how many managers and executives don’t make a significant contribution to the bottom line.
Time is ripe for manager to shake off the fear they have about remote work. They need to change their perspective and see remote work for what it is: an opportunity to create a more productive, engaged, and loyal workforce. When done right, remote work can be a game-changer for any organization.
As Shane Metcalf, 15Five claims “Remote work is this incredible invitation to really get good at building inclusive cultures where there’s a wide variety of types of people, and to build a culture where everyone feels included and everyone is experiencing ongoing growth and development on a regular basis. That’s the challenge, and it’s not an easy one. But the business isn’t easy.”
Fears Remote Managers Must Confront
As a remote manager, you must be willing to confront your fears head-on to be successful. The following are the most common fears remote managers face and how you can overcome them:
1. Remote Hiring
Hiring remotely is a whole different ball game than hiring in-person. It’s no secret that one of the hardest parts about managing a remote team is finding the right people for the job. With so many talented individuals out there, it can be tough to know where to look or how to even start your search.
Utilizing their own job search data from June 2019 to June 2021, Glassdoor reported a 360% increase in the number of searches for remote positions during that time frame. Even as pandemic restrictions were lifted, job seekers’ demand for remote opportunities continued to grow.
How do you find the right candidates for a remote job?
- Use strategically crafted surveys and applicant tracking systems: This will help quickly and easily identify which applicants have the skills and experience you’re looking for.
- Ask candidates to submit a video intro: A video intro allows you to get a better sense of an applicant’s personality, which is essential for remote work.
- Do a trial run: This will give you a chance to see how they work under pressure and if they’re a good fit for the team.
- Hold virtual interviews: Virtual interviews are a great way to get to know an applicant on a personal level.
- Focus on creating a psychologically safe space for candidates: This can be done by using questions that encourage open-ended responses.
2. Onboarding Remote Employees
Even if you’ve found the perfect candidate, there’s still the daunting task of on-boarding them and getting them acclimated to your company culture and values. This can be tricky when you’re not in the same office, but it’s definitely not impossible.
New hires that have a dismal onboarding experience sometimes feel left out and alienated in their own silos. An estimated 69% of employees have a higher likelihood to stay with an organization for three years if they go through a strong onboarding process.
Hubspot, for example, has come up with a solid onboarding process for their remote workers. Foundations, HubSpot’s very flexible and remote-inclusive onboarding program, makes sure that all of their new employees receive the foundation they require to succeed. Although they have always had remote onboarding, beginning in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started, they went completely remote for the new employee onboarding experience.
3. Talent Retention
Companies are gradually calling their staff back to work now that the post-pandemic era is on the horizon. Many firms are concerned that if their employees are not allowed to work remotely, they will quit.
According to Beqom’s 2021 Compensation and Culture Report, seventy-seven percent of employees say they would switch employment if another firm provided them the chance to work remotely after COVID-19. Seventy-six percent indicated they would quit their current employer if another company offered additional working-hour flexibility.
Image: Graphics design by Jay
To comfort this problem, managers should consider implementing a hybrid remote work model.
A 2021 study conducted by the Harvard Business School found that a hybrid remote work model is the key to talent retention. The study, which was based on data from over 1,500 professionals, found that employees who are given the opportunity to work remotely are more likely to stay with their current employer.
According to the 2019 State of Remote Work report, remote workers are 13 percent more likely than onsite workers to continue in their current position for the following five years.
4. Communication
Communication is often cited as the number one challenge of working remotely. And it’s no wonder why. With team members in different time zones, or even just out of earshot, there can be a lot of miscommunication.
What are the challenges of remote communication?
- Overcommunication: While it’s important to communicate when working remotely, it can also be overwhelming if there is overcommunication, which can be interpreted as micromanagement.
- Lack of connection and collaboration: With workers being in different locations, it can be difficult to connect and collaborate on projects, and create a sense of team camaraderie.
- Lack of trust: When managers can’t see their employees working, it can be difficult to trust that they are actually working.
- Miscommunication: The channels of communication are often misinterpreted when working remotely, which is why it’s important to have a clear and concise communication policy.
How do you overcome communication challenges on a remote team?
- Regular video calls or web conferences
- Instant messaging apps
- Project management tools
- Employee social media groups
- Regular company-wide emails
Becca Van Nederynen, Help Scout recommends an interesting remedy. “Remote managers need to consider things like imposter syndrome, communicating intentionally with their remote teams, finding ways to talk about productivity, and communicating in writing rather than face-to-face chats.”
5. Loss of Productivity
When you can’t see what your team is working on, it can be easy to assume that working from home equals slacking off. It’s difficult to tell if someone is not pulling their own weight or is underutilized.
A remote work policy can help to alleviate these fears by setting clear expectations and guidelines for employees. The policy should cover all the key performance indicators (KPI) for remote positions.
The KPI indicators you use to assess remote employees’ productivity should be the same metrics you use to assess in-office employees’ productivity. This guarantees that, irrespective of the work dynamics of your team, clear expectations are in place.
The solution to this challenge is therefore two-fold: first, managers need to set clear expectations for their team’s remote work; and second, employees need to communicate their work and be transparent about their process.
During COVID-19, 51% of respondents in a 2020 FlexJobs survey said they were more productive working remotely, and 95% said productivity was higher or the same when working from home. And, while there are many explanations why performance improved despite the pandemic’s pressures, the following were some of the most common explanations given by respondents for their enhanced productivity:
- Fewer interruptions (68%)
- More focused time (63%)
- Quieter work environment (68%)
- More comfortable workplace (66%)
- Avoiding office politics (55%)
To overcome this fear, Greg Caplan of Remote Year advices remote managers not to fall for the misconception that remote workers are lazy or less productive. Rather, you should focus on build a thriving work relationship anchored on trust.
Caplan opines that as a manager you don’t need the employee to be infront of you or stare over their shoulder to compel them to worr or be productive. In a remote work setting, you have to exercise some level of trust.
Create tasks, set the goals for each tasks and make clear the deadlines. Assign the tasks with clear instructions and nudge the employees to get everything done. With time and trust, majority of your remote employees will develop a knack for getting more work done.
6. Information Security
With people accessing systems from their homes or different locations, using their personal computers or phones to work, data security is a concern. Many managers, understandably, are concerned about the protection of their company’s information and intellectual property.
Managers can alleviate these fears by implementing steps to improve cybersecurity. These include:
- Encrypt your data: Use encryption to protect your data in transit by using tools like SSL or TLS.
- Implement two-factor authentication: Use two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your data.
- Train your employees: Educate your employees on the importance of data security and best practices for data security and privacy.
- Create a remote work data access policy: Clearly state what is and is not allowed in terms of accessing company information from personal devices.
- Use secure remote access solutions: Use VPNs or other secure remote access solutions to protect company data.
7. Loss of Culture
In a traditional office setting, culture is built organically through day-to-day interactions and bonding experiences. But when you’re managing a remote team, those organic opportunities for building culture are few and far between. As a result, it can be easy to lose sight of your company’s culture and what makes it special.
There are a few ways to combat this:
- Frequent check-ins: Have regular one-on-one meetings or team calls to keep everyone updated on company news and events.
- Encourage social interaction: Use chat platforms or video conferencing to encourage social interaction among employees.
- Create bonding experiences: Plan virtual happy hours or social events that employees can participate in from home.
- Keep an open line of communication: Make sure employees feel comfortable coming to you with any questions or concerns.
- Use collaboration tools: Use tools like Google Hangouts or Slack to facilitate collaboration and communication.
Fear Remote Work No More -Its Benefits Outweigh The Risks
A remote work model can be a successful and rewarding experience for both the manager and the employee. However, the possibility of decreased employee productivity and an increase in communication costs are two key factors that could lead to a reluctance among managers to adopt remote work policies. However, these concerns should not be viewed as insurmountable obstacles, but rather as challenges that can be addressed through effective management strategies.
In order to realize the many benefits of a remote work future, both employers and employees must be willing to make some changes. Managers need to become comfortable with relinquishing control over their employees’ working conditions.
Employees, on the other hand need to be more self-motivated and disciplined when working from home. By taking advantage of technology and using effective communication strategies, remote managers can successfully lead their teams from a distance.