Remote work has been possible for many years, yet many organizations have only offered it as an afterthought. The coronavirus pandemic has changed that. Distributed work was always going to be the future, but it’s a future that has now arrived early.
Outside of a global pandemic, working from home can be immensely beneficial. It can lead to happier and healthier employees, greater productivity, and more flexibility in your recruitment efforts. It does, however, require a bit of a mindset shift in leadership – a few measures your business can take to make remote staff more productive.
Offer Flexibility
One of the most notable benefits of remote work is that it eliminates potentially lengthy commutes and considerable cost in fuel, parking, and vehicle maintenance. In addition to these savings, it also reduces the impact your business has on the environment, both directly and indirectly. Finally, it gives people more time to themselves, allowing them to potentially pursue new hobbies.
You can play into this increased freedom by offering more flexible working hours to your staff. Let people settle into the right cadence for them – as long as they’re available for team meetings and finish the work that’s assigned to them, it shouldn’t matter how or when they get things done.
You might consider offering a blended schedule, with only a few days of in-office attendance per week, or a floating schedule with complete flexibility.
Stay In Touch
Communication is critical in remote work. Ensure you schedule weekly or daily meetings and host regular discussions about priorities and upcoming projects. Videoconferencing tools like Zoom can be immensely valuable in ensuring people remain connected to one another, whilst chat apps like Slack can help people communicate in their day-to-day.
It’s important that you’re both prudent and sparing when it comes to scheduled meetings. It’s also imperative that you avoid micromanaging every minute of an employee’s workday. This will inevitably lead to both resentment and a significant downturn in productivity.
Offer Advice
The comforts of home can be extremely distracting – but as an employer, you can provide a wealth of valuable advice to staff who may have trouble focusing.
Encourage people to frequently get up and stretch during the workday; a simple walk around the block can work wonders for focus. You might also consider asking staff to write down what they want to accomplish each day, thereby reducing productivity loss that may be caused by a lack of focus.
Advise staff to work in an office-like space with a door that can be closed to minimize distractions, rather than a bed or couch, and to stay away from known distractions like having the television on for background noise.
Conclusion
These are unprecedented times, but even once the pandemic ends, it’s likely that remote work is here to stay. Understanding how to care for your staff and help them focus on their work now will serve you well in the future. By demonstrating flexibility and compassion, you can not only help them stay focused on their work but also show them you have their back.
They’ll remember that.