Covid-19 has undoubtedly taken a toll on the economy of every nation worldwide. To ensure that the economy starts getting back on track, we have to adopt new measures, such as remote working. Remote working, currently, has become the new norm, and it is going to stay here. According to a PWC survey, 78% of CEOs believe that remote working is here for a longer term. While the remote workforce has given so many benefits to employers and employees, it has its own sets of challenges. Some primary challenges include difficulty in communication, lethargy on the part of the employee, and no fixed work hours.
Leaders and managers are tasked with overcoming the challenges posed by remote working to ensure that employees remain productive during their home stint. Here are five tips on how you can help your remote working employees productive during the current pandemic.
Providing access in a few clicks
The first and foremost thing to help your employees stay productive is by providing easy access. If you can’t give them access to business-critical resources and applications, you cannot expect full productivity. That’s precisely why Gartner predicts an 18% growth in public cloud spending in 2021.
Storing and managing your files and other data on the cloud will enable all the employees to access it anywhere and anytime. However, having a cloud subscription or access is not enough. You will also require cloud file sync services to sync the files frequently. File synchronization will allow your employees to quickly access the latest resource for seamless operations and enhanced productivity.
Finding a provider who can sync files along with providing security will be an added advantage. Data on the cloud is vulnerable. Hence, cybersecurity is the key to keep your critical data safe.
Understand and solve communication challenges
Face-to-face interactions are crucial for effective communication. However, in the current scenario, we are dependent on technologies for our daily exchanges. And we are all aware of the bottlenecks faced in communicating via a digital medium. To solve communication challenges, first, have an in-depth inspection of what precisely the problems are.
Communication issues are not limited to slow internet speeds for video calls but can also include background noise distractions. Ensure that adequate corrective measures are adopted following the challenges. For instance, connect with your employees with Google Meet and Zoom instead of a WhatsApp or Google Hangouts call.
Google Meet and Zoom provide additional features such as desktop screen sharing that can prove highly beneficial for effective communication. It will help you and your employees to stay on the same page during your online meets.
Balance your schedules
Since there are no fixed working hours in the current scenario, have a discussion with your team to balance the work schedule. Since we all are at home, family commitments have gained even more importance. Your employees might need to put family first before work, such as managing their kids or carrying out daily chores.
Ensure clear communication enables employees to work flexibly, without compromising on the daily work hours. Create a daily tracker in an employee management tool where employees can check in on their daily work. This ensures that your employees will have a healthy work-life balance, boosting their productivity. Such apps can also help create and manage daily schedules and track all the work efficiently.
Ensure daily checks of your employees
We are going through a difficult time. We are being confined to our homes, with our social life being wiped out of existence. Man being a social animal needs the company of others. Being lonely can take a toll on the physical and mental health of an individual. Since venturing out of homes is not possible, ensure that you check on your employees daily with a simple call.
Get to know their family members, creating a more special bond, not just restricted to an employer-employee. Connect with them over a video call. This will make the employee feel unique and valued and help increase their productivity.
Set clear productivity goals
The foremost step that you need to undertake is to set clear productivity goals. These goals can be placed on a daily or weekly basis. Given the flexibility of working hours, ensure that employees adhere to end-of-day timelines and complete the designated tasks.
You can use simple software such as Google Docs or MS Excel to chart out employee expectations. Keep a daily check to ensure that employees finish their tasks.
Adjusting to this new lifestyle is undoubtedly tricky but not impossible. As a leader, you should provide employees with maximum support to ensure that they can leave their worries behind while carrying out their professional commitments in these already turbulent times. Your employees’ productivity depends on you.
