The last 12 months and the move to working remotely for many businesses has been a real eye-opener. It has shown how well companies can adapt to sudden change and that there is another way of working that does not necessarily involve sitting in an office from 9-5.
This new way of working has its appeal for company owners in that they are no longer paying for the lease and upkeep of business premises, which has prompted some to opt for permanent remote working. This decision also means that there is no commute for the employees, so on the face of it, it looks like a good idea.
However, this way of working comes with a few problems, all of which can be mitigated by properly utilizing these three important tools.
Video conferencing software
A move to remote working is a move away from face-to-face interaction and all of the benefits it can bring. Using video conferencing to bridge this in some key areas could be vital to your business's productivity and success.
Holding meetings at the start and end of a day gives a structure to the working day that might otherwise be lacking. There doesn't have to be much of an agenda; it is a way of checking in with the team and assessing the day's priorities. At the end of the working day, your meeting is vital as a reference point that the day is ended, so some team members do not risk overwork and burnout.
Security awareness training
Now that your team is working remotely, they have moved from a secure office environment to accessing their work over the internet and communicating with everyone online. This increased activity also increases the likelihood of your business falling victim to a cyberattack.
Less than half of small businesses survive an online attack in the medium to long term, and most successful attacks result from human error. Once you are aware of these two pieces of information, you would probably see training your team to spot and deal with these threats as something of a priority. You can click here to see an example of what is involved in a comprehensive security awareness training program.
Project management software
While having your virtual meetings at the beginning and end of the day can help, they won't give everyone a clear idea of where each team member is on the current project. By using project management software that can offer a simple graphical overview of each task and the timeframes involved, it can create the same level of interdependency the team had while they all worked in the same office.
Remote working can be a huge cost saver for a business. By implementing a few extra measures and using tools to help replicate the office atmosphere virtually, both the company and the team can feel the benefits of this newer way of working.
