These days, all of us are learning on the fly. In a sense, that’s comforting, because we’re all swimming in uncharted waters and unsure about what comes next.
We also all have a great deal more in common today than a mere months ago. Not least in how we’re working. Those of us who can do our jobs remotely are doing just that, at least for the time being. While no one knows how long the “new normal” will last, it certainly does not feel like a fleeting moment in time. It feels more like, well, a new normal.
Perhaps your company has always managed a remote workforce of employees and contractors. Or maybe your recent transition to remote work is solely one of necessity. Either way, you already know that your remote workers’ needs differ from your office workers’ needs in key respects. Without the right combination of tools, policies, and support, your remote team is unlikely to perform to the standards that you expect from your onsite team.
And because most of your team is working remotely right now, that’s unacceptable. You have the right to expect excellence from your remote workers just as you have the obligation to set your remote team up for success.
Holding up your end of the bargain is not as difficult as you might imagine. You have most likely made real strides toward setting your remote workforce up for success in the short time since you made the sudden transition to offsite work. And yet more must be done. If any items remain on the checklist to follow, your remote team might not have everything they need to succeed.
1. A Powerful Cloud Backup Solution Integrated with Your Own
Your company surely uses a powerful cloud backup solution to protect its data and guarantee error-free version control. If this is not yet the case, the current crisis only underscores the need for such a solution — and fast. Your first order of business, then, is to make the switch to a proven cloud backup provider that understands your needs and can meet them without trouble.
If you do already use a powerful cloud backup solution, your objective is ensuring that every one of your mission-critical employees has access to the tool. A backup solution is only as good as the information it protects, after all. Any gaps in access become gaps in protection, leading to suboptimal results if and when disaster strikes.
2. A Clear Chain of Command, No Matter What They’re Working On
There should be no ambiguity in your company’s chain of command. Every worker should know the identity of the person to whom they report and have access to a current depth chart outlining every worker’s responsibilities. Understand that this does not mean your company needs to adopt formal titles or hierarchies if it has already implemented a “flat” reporting structure — only that every employee and contributor knows their role and everyone else’s too. This is vitally important when you cannot count on a literal water cooler to disseminate reliable information.
3. Powerful Internet That’s Every Bit as Good as What You Use in the Office
Every single one of your remote workers needs a business-class Internet solution. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. This sounds like an expensive proposition, and for smaller businesses with tight margins, it could well be costly. But it’s every bit as important as a clear chain of command when you rely on dozens or hundreds (or more) of remote workers occupying what for the time being are the only physical manifestations of your business presence.
Make this investment early and it’ll be there as long as you need it. And, heaven forbid, should future crises warrant it once more.
4. An Anti-Malware Program That’s Worth Every Penny
Choosing the right antivirus software is a bore of a chore. No one would seriously argue otherwise. But, like business-class Internet, it’s an essential tool for every remote worker to have, whether they’re using a BYOD Mac or a company-owned PC. Once you choose a reliable antivirus solution, purchase enough licenses to give every remote worker access. And keep some spares on hand for future additions to your team.
5. A Virtual Private Network That Enhances Security and Anonymity
A virtual private network is a sort of first line of defense against hackers and malware. It’s also a reliable way to anonymize your employees’ web traffic and make it difficult for even the keenest of observers to track their physical locations, if that is a goal of your security posture. Neither function is completely foolproof, but most companies don’t need military-grade VPN protection; enough to stymie “mass market” hackers will do. Require your employees to turn on their VPNs whenever they are on the clock, regardless of location or function, unless doing so would interfere with their job duties.
6. Comfortable and Effective Voice Communication Hardware and Software
With regards to hardware, invest in a comfortable and reliable headset for every remote employee expected to hold voice calls with members of your team or external clients. With regards to software, invest in a low-cost voice communication protocol that facilitates local and international calling, such as Skype. It goes without saying that these solutions need to be secure and scalable; what you definitely don’t want is an entire team of employees using their personal smartphones to conduct sensitive business.
7. The Same Collaboration Software You Use in the Office
The world has so many collaboration software solutions that it can be difficult to know where to begin your search. Hopefully, you’ve already ended your search, and your workplace collaboration solution can be modified and scaled to fit your remote workforce. This could entail a higher out-of-pocket collaboration investment in the coming months, but the endgame of having every team member on the same page is worth the cost many times over.
8. A Comfortable, Ergonomic Workstation That Doesn’t Feel Like a Prison
Social norms and privacy considerations prevent you from putting a hidden camera in your employees’ home offices. Nor do you have the right to ask your employees to give you a virtual tour of the space (or, rather, you can ask, but they’d have every right to refuse). Instead, do the right thing and help your newly remote employees pay for comfortable, ergonomic workstations that enhance their productivity and happiness. One of the best investments you can make in your employees’ wellbeing and physical health is to purchase an adjustable standing desk for each, giving those who like to stand at attention the option to do so without forcing those who’d prefer to sit.
9. The Flexibility to Work When They Can, On Their Own Terms
Remote work is inherently more flexible than office-based work. As we all adjust to the new normal, it’s growing clearer by the week that loosening any remaining constraints on employee flexibility is in the best interests both of employers and workers. Your team members have lives outside of work, after all: kids, families, routines, values. These external aspects of their lives have all been disrupted in various ways, whether by a sudden change in childcare availability or newfound responsibilities within the home. Demanding that everyone punch the clock at exactly the same time simply doesn’t suit this new reality and is therefore sure to backfire.
10. The Security of Knowing They Can Take Time Off on Short Notice
A “flexible hours” policy is an important aspect of employee-friendly remote scheduling, but it’s not the entire story. Employees also value the freedom to take time off work on short notice for justifiable reasons, such as a medical issue in the family or a lack of childcare. Perhaps you offered such flexibility already, and if so, good on you. Just understand that your remote workforce will expect and perhaps demand it.
11. Powerful Project Management Software
Perhaps your workplace collaboration software and your project management software are one in the same. These terms mean different things to different people, it’s true. If that’s not the case, ensure that every remote worker who needs to access your project management tools can do so from their home office. If this means purchasing additional licenses or upgrading your plan, so be it; the benefits greatly outweigh the costs.
12. Frequent Check-ins and “Standing Meetings” That Don’t Require Real-Time Communication
These meetings can be as casual as a quick email or workplace chat message that your employees know they can answer at their leisure (as per your flexible scheduling policies). Or they can be more involved; it will depend, as does so much else, on your expectations and your employees’ roles and responsibilities. What’s important to understand about this type of communication is that it works best when it’s frequent, brief, and action-oriented.
13. User-Friendly (And Free) Time Management Tools
Google Calendar is undoubtedly the most popular time management tool, but it seems like every employer and employee have their own preferences. Settle on a solution that works for your entire team and can easily be scaled to suit your needs.
14. Editing and File Sharing Tools That Can Be Used Outside the Project Management Suite
Google dominates this space as well, along with Microsoft and its Office/Microsoft 365 suite. Which you choose to use, or whether you choose to go with a more bespoke alternative, is entirely your call. Your goal should be to avoid leaning too heavily on your project management solution, which could become cumbersome when used for everyday document creation, editing, and sharing.
15. A Reliable Printer and Scanner
Print-copy-scan machines are no longer the workhorses of the workplace, even if they retain their usefulness. All the same, your employees will surely need to print and upload physical documents from time to time. When they do, you will feel much more comfortable if they have the appropriate tools to do so. Set aside adequate budget to cover the cost of new printers for employees without them and refer those who’d prefer to do their own shopping to a reliable home printer buying guide.
16. Sustenance Throughout the Day
Sure, it’s technically your employees’ job to make sure they stay well-fed throughout the day. They’re adults, after all. But as a remote employer — accidental or otherwise — you do have an interest in making sure they hold up their end of this basic bargain.
If you’d normally set aside some petty cash for in-office catering once or twice a week, you should do the same for your remote workforce. Send each remote employee an anonymous, private survey about their dietary restrictions and preferences. Use their answers to compile a list of local restaurants that deliver and take their order each morning you plan to serve them lunch. They’ll love the gesture, not to mention the time they’ll save not worrying about what to eat that day.
17. A Sunlamp (If They Live Somewhere with Significant Seasonal Variation)
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a productivity sink for workers based in climates with significant seasonal variation in day length and sun exposure. Fight it with a sunlamp that’s approved to counteract the effects of SAD; purchase one for any employee who requests it, even if they can’t produce a doctor’s note.
Is Your Remote Team Set Up for Success?
The preceding checklist contains a multitude of to-dos. As a seasoned delegator, you know that you need not accomplish each and every one on your own. But because the buck stops with you, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that each one is addressed. And the sooner, the better.
Hopefully, you conclude this article with a feeling of empowerment, not overwhelm. While no one can be sure what the future will hold and the current situation is unprecedented for all of us, you have undoubtedly triumphed over greater challenges than that involved in transitioning your team to remote work (whether temporarily or, if you so choose, permanently).
Great leaders tend to see opportunities where others see only despair. Let the present situation be no different for you and those to whom you entrust the future of your company. Give your remote team the tools and support it needs to flourish and it will reward you with results that exceed your exacting expectations.
Call it a leap of faith if you must. But don’t delay in turning it from idle speculation into living, breathing reality.
