After a pandemic, remote work will remain common.
Are you interested in implementing a permanent remote working policy?
There's no doubt that 2020 will forever be a turning point in modern history.
The post-pandemic era is undergoing a revolution that echoes the industrial revolution of the 18th century as well as the recently introduced technological revolution brought by the mobile internet: A work revolution.
After millions of jobs were lost and millions more were forced to give up their once traditional offices and cubicles, the remote work revolution began surfacing in everyday life.
Whether we liked it or not, we were all suddenly "remote workers".
Remote Work Will Remain Popular
Despite our eagerness to get back to work, the traditional office setting may never be the same again with its many cubicles, long commutes, and overhead neon lights.
Several giants like Amazon, REI, and Microsoft have already announced they will move to a "remote office" setup after a pandemic.
How can you prepare for the future in light of this recent revolution?
Here are a few strategies for dealing with post-pandemic challenges, how to ramp up remote work, and how to make your efforts more effective and successful.
The Difference Between Remote Work and Working From Home
It's important to clarify the difference between working remotely and simply working from home before we move forward.
Remote work is not exactly the same as working from home, despite many similarities.
Working from home is temporary, while remote work is permanent.
Our concept of "remote work" does not mean staying away from the office until it is safe to return after an outbreak.
Working at home a few days a week to get things done is not what we're talking about.
Work done remotely will eventually replace at-office work, turning your home office (or wherever you work) into your permanent workplace, where you'll continue to do business for years to come.
Remote work isn't about taking a break from the routine and it isn't about changing the scenery or improving productivity.
The only difference is a change of location. Instead of doing your work in an office downtown, you work from home.
Remote work: What have we learned so far?
When it comes to working outside the office, the year 2020 has been a baptism by fire for all of us.
How exactly did remote work change in 2020?
The first thing I noticed was that employees are happier and get more done.
An employee who works remotely reports higher levels of job satisfaction and lower levels of burnout and psychological stress, according to a recent study.
Additionally, 95% of respondents in a FlexJobs survey said that they are as productive as they were while working remotely.
Higher employee satisfaction and higher productivity?
Therefore, it is no surprise that 78% of CEOs believe remote work will remain a trend.
It benefits everyone.
Getting Your Business Ready for Post-Pandemic Solutions
The benefits of remote work for businesses, employees, and bottom lines are clear, but
what can you do to ensure your organization is prepared for this technology revolution?
We could fill entire bookshelves with next steps and best practices, but for now, we'd like to share a few of our best tips for prepping your business for post-pandemic remote work.
Find Out How Your Employees Feel About Working Remotely
If you want to make sure that your company and your employees are on the same page, you need to have frank conversations with your employees at every level.
Discuss how they have been affected by working from home.
Find out how they see the future of at-home work impacting their job.
Listen attentively as they explain their experiences.
Consider Choosing a Remote Work Expert
If your business is large enough, you may also need to hire an expert to assist in this transition.
You could hire a consultant to help you devise a plan to transition from an in-office work environment to a remote one.
Or you could hire a full-time Remote Manager to guide employees and managers through this "new normal".
Technology Hurdles Shouldn't Be Ignored
It's important not to overlook the technological hurdles that stand in the way of a company's transition to more remote work while you focus on your employees and the bottom line.
While employees previously worked from their desks or behind a firewall, there are many more risks associated with remote work.
In addition, slow internet at home can frustrate and delay coworkers' work.
Getting your IT team to address these and other issues is essential before a post-pandemic workplace reaches critical mass.
Tips for Keeping Remote Employees Productive and Efficient
While it is clear that employees are more productive when working remotely, it does not mean that they won't face challenges.
You should set clear expectations for communication response times, which can be scaled as more workers join the team.
Set clear boundaries for working time, for example, when important meetings are scheduled or project deadlines are approaching.
Consider employees who are transitioning to remote work.
A perceived slip-up may be due to external factors, such as receiving insufficient information that weakens the quality of the final product.
In order to achieve this goal, your company should use technology solutions such as project management software and time tracking software.
This eliminates employee training, reduces confusion, and reduces cross-departmental frustrations.
Understanding the difference between managing a team near their office and managing a team located around the world, including in different time zones, is critical for managers.
Accepting Remote Work Is the Best Option
Many people are urging companies to avoid remote work as a long-term solution (Netflix's co-CEO hates the idea), yet millions of us continue to work remotely as companies plan long-term strategies.
The Netflix company and others in a similar position need to put their personal preferences aside in order to accept remote work as the inevitable future of globalization but also the talent poaching power they are handing their competitors.
