Manager’s Guide to Remote Work During COVID-19
How scrambling into self isolation now provides a silver lining for your future workplace policies.
If you are one of the many companies that feels blindsided by the sudden call for social distancing, not to worry, you are not alone. Many SMBs in Canada are in the exact same position with no remote work policy, no remote services, and no idea how we got here so abruptly.
Here is the good news, this is actually a great time to see firsthand what exactly is needed for your present and future Remote Work Policy. Most small businesses with pre-existing policies either used templates or worked with a small sample size of workers when creating their policies. Being in self-isolation en masse gives everyone a chance to revise and create a more comprehensive playbook filled with real-time scenarios and employee needs. Take this time to create and revise your customized Guide to Working Remotely.
First things first, we are all a little out of our comfort zone, unless you ran a fully remote workforce to begin with, so let us start from the beginning.
Flexible Support Plans Must Reflect New Work Details
When managing your team through the crisis, you must understand the need for contingency plans to identify the key functions and skills of each department. Knowing which roles are essential to keep your company running – and which of these roles can be done remotely will allow you to divide your time wisely, homing in on areas that need more of your attention. During a time of crisis, lines may be blurred, and a more unconventional approach will likely be required to provide different types of support and non-customary work options.
After evaluating which roles translate well to a remote work model, you can then select the accompanying level of support to match each role as well as identify which work will need modifications for operations to continue.
Keys to Success
Once roles have been defined and supplemented with the appropriate amount of support and training, it is then time to consider how to make each remote role as successful as it was at the office.
Define Clear Communication
In any time of crisis, it is vital to react swiftly and maintain updated information for employees to stay in the loop. What you communicate and how you communicate becomes equally as important. With employees working remotely, the communication factor is further underscored as they may start to feel less connected as time goes on. Consider the fact that at the office, an employee has a higher interaction rate with you and their fellow colleagues. Adding in the anxieties of a crisis and many questions are sure to pop up. Having an open communication channel will help ease the tensions of an already stressful situation, taking out any guesswork or assumptions that might arise from being kept in the dark.
Trust Equals Success
Successful remote work can depend heavily on trust. Whether the work is urgent or routine it is important to build a working relationship built on trust. A lack of visibility and communication can lead to unnecessary speculation and further assumptions. Keep in mind, increasing communication does not mean keeping tabs. It is crucial to find a balance of knowing that your employees are working diligently while offering the time and support they need to accomplish their tasks.
In your remote work policy, flexibility must be accounted for. Recognize the fact that when working from home efficiency can increase by allowing employees to accomplish their work during the time of day when they feel most productive. Without a set schedule, employees can simply work around times of high interruptions that they normally would have to endure through while at the office.
For managers, a high focus should be on trust and outcomes. To do this, pre-establish goals by setting realistic deadlines and having precise expectations for each project.
Take Advantage of Today’s Technology
Modern technology allows us to work remotely with steady communication and high levels of engagement. For managers, the task at hand is to ensure all employees have access to adequate resources in order to capitalize on today’s digital environment.
There are many options when it comes to choosing how to automate the right remote IT setup. Finding the right applications that suit your specific team’s needs is key. There is no one-size-fits-all mentality as each organization in each industry will adhere to a specific list of wants and needs to cater to their unique situation. To give you an idea of what you need, you can create a list of prioritized areas that might be of concern. Security, ongoing continuity and internal communications are three areas most managers consider when making the initial transition to remote work.
For many companies with existing remote workforces, the use of remote desktop applications, virtual desktops and cloud-based sharing services have become increasingly popular methods of providing secure access to data and business continuity as if you were working at the office. As for remote security tools, the use of VPNs is highly common among companies with active remote workers. Again, there are a number of options to consider when choosing the right remote tools for each company and they should be decided on a case-by-case scenario.
Other tech related priorities to be considered are whether each employee has adequate online connectivity speeds and access to a secured connection. A minor investment in supplying employees with the proper tools may be necessary to ensure a safe and appropriate working environment.
Tip: Remember, proper training and support may be necessary for less tech savvy employees while others may thrive. Enlisting the help of those that are well versed and comfortable using technology can help you shift your focus into other areas.
Start Planning for the future
It is wise to start thinking ahead, looking not only to build but to maintain and improve your remote work policy for now and for the future. Whether to induce financial company savings, to increase productivity or to stay competitive, remote work is expected to become even more prevalent across most industries. Beyond the current COVID-19 remote work climate, organizations are considering a broader perspective so being mindful of both the pitfalls and successes at this time will be of great value when implementing your future remote work strategies and contingency planning.
Ask Us
If you are a happier IT client and have more questions on what remote tools to use for your new remote workforce, please reach out to team@happierit.com and we will connect you with your happier it vCIO.
If you’re not yet a happier IT client, but you are interested in learning more about remote work tool options during the crisis, please contact sales@happierit.com.