The spread of COVID-19 means huge swathes of the UK workforce are being encouraged to work from home, or are being instructed to self-isolate to prevent the spread of the disease. As long as businesses ensure employees are suitably briefed on remote working protocol and put in place strategies for maintaining consistent communication, working from home should be a smooth transition. Below are some simple strategies that company leaders should put in place to maintain productivity and ensure working from home has nothing but a positive affect on businesses.
Taking advantage of technology to remain connected
A range of communication tools can be used to help maintain communication and collaboration during this period of difficulty. In addition to instant messaging apps, easy to use screen-sharing tools and video conferencing tools can help team members working in separate locations to maintain a personal rapport and stay connected. To support businesses during the spread of Covid-19, PowWowNow is extending the free trial of its services from 14 to 60 days so that workers can communicate away from the office with ease.
Web-based file sharing tools such as Google Drive can be utilised as shared document repositories and allow team members to share and work within the same document, and further improve collaboration. For larger projects or meetings, webinars and webcasting tools can be used.
With a wealth of new technologies at businesses’ fingertips, business leaders and CEOs have a range of opportunities to re-evaluate existing attitudes to flexible working and support their workforce at this time, ensuring employees continue to feel supported and engaged with their jobs.
Putting in place policies to prevent digital presenteeism
In the digital era, technology keeping us connected wherever we are has also created instances of ‘digital presenteeism’, where workers feel required to constantly be available to work. Without the physical division between home, work and leisure during periods of remote working, quarantine and self-isolation, workers are likely to respond to emails or do work outside of their contracted hours.
Such an ‘always on’ culture is associated with increases in mental health conditions and stress; a report by Microsoft revealed 87% of Brits have experienced anxiety due to work pressure leading to difficulties in switching off from work due to the impact of technology- and that is before the impacts of Coronavirus are felt.
It’s therefore important for businesses to put in place procedures to ensure work and life boundaries are clearly demarcated. Make it clear to employees that you don’t want them working outside of their committed hours. Create a culture that rewards productivity not presence- emphasise that workers demonstrating they’re online and answering emails on a weekend doesn’t make them better at their job in your eyes.
Ensure there is a clear understanding of who is owning what
When large numbers of staff are working away from the office, confusion might arise over who is taking charge of what, and who is present or actually taking time off. To prevent against this, businesses must put in place simple practices such as department shared calendars, and OOOs for days off if anyone is not working that day. These practices are easy to implement and will ensure that all workers are aware of their colleagues’ schedules, commitments and availability.
Establish regular remote meetings to ensure people are up to date and on the same page
Implementing regular check-in points for each worker with their wider team and manager is also crucial in making sure that employees don’t feel isolated and out of the loop. This can be as simple as using workflow or task-management platforms like Trello or Monday to ensure that team members understand what their personal actions are for the week, the status of specific tasks, and what their colleagues’ responsibilities will be.
Instant message platforms like Slack can be used to streamline conversations for certain projects and maintaining efficient and transparent lines of communication with other team members or project groups.
Create a culture of trust and encourage routine
While businesses may feel concerned about having so many workers away from the office, leaders must work to create a culture of trust to strengthen relationships and promote company loyalty. Ensure all staff are treated equally; avoiding favouritism or irregularities helps create a sense of togetherness, reducing the risk of social politics that could inhibit productivity. When remote working is put in place appropriately, staff will begin to communicate more effectively, albeit virtually. They will make an effort to manage themselves more appropriately and take ownership of tasks and teamwork opportunities via various technologies.
taking these simple steps will ensure that remote working during the spread of COVID-19 will be as seamless as possible for every individual at the company. Businesses both big and small will need to have a plan of action in place to ensure minimal disruption at this time, and communication will be key. Harnessing the power of technology will be crucial to maintaining high levels of productivity.
Andrew Johnson, MD at PowWowNow