With the prospect of forced disruption to the way businesses currently work remote working is something more teams are considering, if not doing, already. This may be new territory for many businesses so it’s worth considering the greater benefits of working from home:

• Productivity increases for remote workers.

• Access to a bigger talent pool.

• Retention increases.

• Employees have a better work life balance.

• Stress decreases.

• And, now, social distancing.

HOME OFFICE TIPS

• Create a dedicated workspace so you can switch on and off easily.

• Get the right equipment – computer, mouse, keyboard, screen, iPhone or Android phone, headphones and writing materials if you need them.

• Have a 4G dongle in case your wifi goes down.

• Set a clear work routine with a set start and finish time.

• Accept that co-workers in a different time zone will be out of sync with your schedule.

• Work collaboratively – Zoom and Slack help communication and Google Suite allows working together on documents, spreadsheets and slides.

• Manage effectively – Set expectations for responding to messages, updating the team when they go offline, communicating highlights from the week etc. People will work more effectively at home when they feel trusted to do so. Trello and Basecamp are popular apps to keep the team on the same page.

• Have regular virtual socials so everyone can get to know each other a little better.

• Keep data secure

The benefits of remote working are clear, particularly in the current climate. It may not feel right for every organization but once you have the right tools and processes in place, it’s’ easier than you think.