Collaborative content
Since the COVID pandemic, there has been a seismic shift in the way that many people work. Hybrid working has become more common while some companies have shifted from a traditional office setting to a completely remote model.
It’s true, there are many benefits to hybrid and remote working, for both employee and employer alike. But like any business decision, it needs to be done properly. Switching the way your business works without the correct preparation and planning can cause a lot of harm to your company culture and your bottom line.
What do you need to take into account when changing your working model and how can you do this with the best possible chance of success?
Cost of moving to remote working
Moving from an office-based to a remote model comes with a lot of cost benefits. For example, you’re not going to need physical office space anymore. These can be very costly to run when you take into account rent, maintenance, utilities and upkeep.
Add to this the additional money you’re like to make through increased productivity and reduced employee turnover and the cost benefits are significant.
But there are also costs that are associated with moving to a remote operation. These include ensuring that all employees receive the necessary equipment to be able to do the job remotely, as well as any training needed to use new software.
Security
Cyber security is one of the most important things to get right in your business. A successful cyber attack could put you out of business or do irreparable damage to your reputation, not to mention the potential legal implications. It is estimated that by 2025, cybercrime will cost $10.5 billion annually. It’s not only the high-profile hacks that you hear about. Small businesses are targeted much more frequently, often because they don’t have the right security in place to prevent them.
A robust cybersecurity system is built on many factors. For example, you will need to have strong security, filter and access rights in place for all of your key systems. In addition, your employers will need to undergo specific training on how to work remotely but in a secure way. This includes educating them on how to set and store passwords, connecting only via a secured connection as well as using two-factor authentication. Employees are often targeted with social engineering and phishing scams. There are companies who can assess your current security setups, run phishing simulations and consult with you on how to plug any holes in your security.
Building and maintaining a company culture
Great company culture is important for success but it doesn’t just happen. It takes work and commitment from all levels of the organisation. You cannot transfer a good office culture directly to a remote environment, it won’t work, or at least it won’t work for long.
Increase your chances of success by establishing a great onboarding process, which makes people feel like part of a team and the company, rather than a faceless workers.
Communicate clearly what you expect of people in terms of goals and performance. The remote culture won’t work if you’re prioritising time at a computer over what’s achieved. If you’re worried about people not communicating or working incompatible hours, then set core hours where people are expected to be available and then let them manage their own work around this.
Another way to reinforce your work culture is to create familiarity between your employees through regular contact. This could be video chats, in-person meetings and similar.
Regular feedback is also imperative for remote employees. Not communicating with them for long periods or unless there’s a problem is not going to create an engaged workforce.
Training leaders to lead remote teams
Leading a remote team requires many different skills, a lot require a completely different way of working than managers might be used to. During the pandemic, a lot of managers were thrown in at the deep end and began managing remote teams almost overnight. It’s unfair to ask your managers to make this switch without giving them the proper training.
They need to know what works and what doesn’t. For example, trying to micromanage a remote team, constantly interrupting them of trying to enforce unrealistic expectations is going to tank employee engagement and have your employees handing in their resignations.
It’s been suggested that many managers, especially those that might not be very good at their job, don’t like a remote setting because it can show up any inadequacies in their management style. If they feel that they can only get their team to achieve by constantly watching over them and pressuring them.
Specific training in this area can really help improve performance and productivity.
Selecting the right collaborative tools
Successful remote working still relies on collaboration, and this means using the right tools to communicate and work. There are so many out there to choose from. Some companies use Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams or a combination of similar products. It can be difficult to get the balance right. Trying to work with notifications sounding every few seconds is a recipe for disaster, but newly remote companies can find it tricky to start communicating in this way.
Teaching people to work remotely
Many people make the mistake of thinking that working remotely is just the same as being in the office, except you at your home desk. Like most things, it requires a different skill set. Some people immediately thrive in a remote environment while others struggle. Being able to be self disciplined and productive in the face of potential distractions and lack of physical oversight is something that doesn’t come naturally to everyone.
Also, it can bring about feelings of isolation in some, who thrive on communicating face to face in the office. In these circumstances, mentoring in building relationships remotely, or funding co-working spaces could help. You may also have to accept that you may lose some people who would prefer to remain office-based.
Hiring and retention
Not being tied to a physical location opens up a world of possibilities when it comes to attracting talent to your company. Again, hiring employees is slightly different in this context.
Work with your HR department to build a new rewards and incentives package that really works to attract the right candidates to your company. Free refreshments and dress-down Fridays don’t cut in in this environment.
Ditching old attitudes
Perhaps one of the hardest things to do is to get rid of outdated attitudes towards technology, younger workers and remote working. These can really start to hold companies back. Start moving towards results and productivity-based output rather than glorifying digital presenteeism. Yes, you need to set standards and high expectations of the people who work for you, but these can’t just be transferred directly from a traditional office environment to a remote one.
Final thoughts
There are many advantages to moving your company to a remote-first model, especially when it comes to employee wellbeing, productivity and potential profits. But the move to remote should not be taken lightly, done incorrectly, it can create more problems than it solves. Go as slowly as you need to, undertaking any planning and training necessary to make it work. There are many organisations out there that have done this and thrived, so find out all you can about how they did it and adapt this to your own particular circumstances.
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