Six Tips For A Future-Proof Remote Work Strategy

It’s been said that change is the only constant — an idea that is the foundation of every business continuity plan. But it’s also been said that even the best-laid plans can go awry. Both of these concepts became all too apparent in early 2020, when technology companies worldwide experienced disruption at such a scale that even the most prepared organizations had to adapt in some way.

As businesses learn what true agility means, they are rethinking their operating models and strategies, including how and where people will work in the future. To remain competitive and become more agile — as well as gain the ability to recruit top talent from anywhere in the world — business leaders must design a long-term remote-work strategy.

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There are two key factors to get right: the technology and the employee experience — which, in many ways, are connected. Here are six key tips for technology and employee experience that can help guide business leaders as they create their future of work plans.

Key Technology Tips

When creating a remote-work technology strategy, business leaders should:MORE FOR YOUThis Is the Future Of Remote Work In 2021What The Pandemic Has Taught Us About Remote WorkPredictions For Work And Life In 2021

1. Create a seamless work experience.A productive workspace will look different for every company and employee role, but easy virtual access to colleagues, tools and applications is essential. Reliable connectivity is a must, particularly when everyone in a household is competing for the bandwidth for remote work, schooling and entertainment — sometimes via dozens of devices at once. The right home office equipment that allows employees to be most effective is another factor, whether that’s an ergonomic chair, a printer, or a high-definition monitor. Leaders should budget for stipends to be used for home office supplies and furniture, or for credits toward the monthly bill for an in-home, enterprise-grade network solution that is separate from an employee’s residential network. These aren’t just extra perks; they also support remote employees’ needs with the connectivity and workspace set up they would have in a company’s office.

2. Ensure remote training and support. There wasn’t a lot of time for training at the start of the pandemic, but it’s not too late to course-correct. Leaders should conduct an internal audit to learn how people are using technologies and tools and what they like or don’t like. If audits reveal employees are dissatisfied with a technology, they may just not know how to use it properly, and a training session could be a quick fix. Going forward, any new technologies or processes should be introduced through exercises that simplify the tools and get people comfortable using them. Remote tech support is another critical element now. This means IT staff need capabilities like remote access to an organization’s devices and must be versed in handling problems that are not physically in front of them.

3. Secure all locations, connections and devices. This is easy to do when everyone is in one place, but less so when a workforce is distributed. While cloud services enable remote work, increased reliance on the cloud has created cybersecurity concerns. A recent IDG survey found 98% of businesses surveyed said securing applications, data and infrastructure in the cloud is very or somewhat challenging. Technology leaders must provide access to the network and cloud applications while ensuring security. Some options include secure gateways, site-to-site VPNs, application-aware firewalls and network access controls. Leaders must also ensure employees have the right protections on their residential modems and any personal devices that connect to a company’s network. This may entail a company providing security software or hardware to employees and walking them through home setup. Finally, leaders must provide training and education on various threats and how to prevent them. Employees are the first line of defense against bad actors, and awareness is key.

Tips For The Employee Experience

While mobile devices and connectivity allow people to stay connected to colleagues from anywhere, this doesn’t mean they should be working 24/7. To ensure they are respecting and supporting remote employees’ personal needs, business leaders should:

1. Recognize that work now can happen at any time. Leaders should give employees the flexibility to care for their families or run errands during a workday as needed. Core blocks of time during which employees must be available to colleagues should be instituted, leaving the rest of the day open for independent work and family needs or errands. Performance metrics should revolve around productivity and quality of work, rather than time spent glued to a screen.

2. Aim to reduce virtual fatigue. A recent study found 70% of respondents wanted one day a week with no video meetings. Making some virtual meetings camera-optional gives employees a break from the screen, and casual internal meetings can be phone calls, so people can step away from their desk. The same study found 80% of respondents wanted one day a week completely free of meetings. Designating a video meeting-free day each week allows people time to focus and can reduce Zoom/Teams fatigue.

3. Support employee health and engagement. Health and wellness benefits like fitness classes or gym reimbursements, seminars on stress management, and smoking cessation programs should continue to be a part of a remote-work scenario, even if they must be virtual. Likewise, a distributed workforce doesn’t need to be a disconnected workforce. Happy hours, trivia nights, holiday parties and more all can happen virtually, so companies shouldn’t abandon team-building opportunities just because some or all employees are remote.

Preparing For A Different Future

The idea that employees can only be productive inside an office has dissipated. By turning the concept of remote work from a curiosity to a necessity, the pandemic revealed people can be productive from anywhere with the right tools.

To remain agile amid an ever-changing, still-uncertain future, it’s now up to business leaders to provide the strategy, structure and technologies that help employees thrive no matter where in the world they are. 

Original Article: (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/01/08/six-tips-for-a-future-proof-remote-work-strategy/?sh=6885e9826f9f)