Here’s how to make remote work succeed for your business

Many organizations in Salt Lake City now grant their employees the option to work remotely or in the office. If yours is one of them (or if you’re considering implementing flexible work arrangements), here are tips for making remote work effective for your business.

1. Establish remote work policies and procedures

Don’t just let employees work from home because it’s convenient for them. That is, they may be out of the office, but you’re still paying them to work for you, so your remote work setup ought to be beneficial for your organization, too. To ensure that remote workers are productive and accountable, you must set what you expect from them by implementing remote work policies and procedures. Examples of such policies include:

  • Production quotas for output-based staff
  • Requiring staff to use virtual private networks or VPNs when using public Wi-Fi
  • Making attending team catch-up meetings compulsory

Examples of procedures include:

  • Clocking in and out (for shift-based employees)
  • Logging on to the team’s chat app and indicating oneself as “available”

2. Make sure remote workers have the tools they need to be productive

This includes a good internet connection, a comfortable place to work in, and the necessary software and hardware. If your remote staff are accessing critical company data, issue them firewalls or other network security tools. To completely protect your organization regardless of where your staff members work, get the cybersecurity services of a trusted managed IT services provider like [company_short].

3. Create regular check-in points

Regularly check up on your staff to ensure that remote workers are staying on track and meeting deadlines. You can do this through video conferencing, chat software, or simply by calling them in for a meeting every so often.

4. Encourage remote workers to meet up in person with their colleagues now and then

Your staff must occasionally meet face to face occasionally so as not to lose touch with one another as well as with the company culture. It’s important for remote workers to still feel like they belong in your organization and play a role in shaping its future.

5. Provide communication training

Take the time to teach remote workers how to best communicate with their team and other remote employees. Training can be for honing technical skills (e.g., how to use chat apps, how to prepare for video conferencing sessions) or soft skills (e.g., asking for feedback or questions throughout the course of a meeting). All of these can help prevent misunderstandings and increase accountability among remote workers by making them feel like they’re part of the team.

6. Give remote employees the same opportunities as everyone else at your company

Don’t let remote staff feel like they would be missing out on growth and career advancement opportunities — or even just fun moments with the team — just because they don’t work in the office. For example, if you hold monthly meetings for all staff members who work in the office, then those working remotely should be invited too. This will help remote workers develop relationships with their colleagues and feel like they’re part of the team.

Implementing remote work policies can be a great way to increase employee productivity and satisfaction. With the right IT tools in place, remote work can be a win-win for both your company and your employees. For more tips on making remote work effective, please contact us today!

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