The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has made massive changes to the majority of our day to day lives. One major change that many of us are still getting used to? The switch to remote work. A huge number of businesses have decided to have their workers change to remote working in a bid to slow and minimize the spread of the virus. Of course, it’s going to be a big change for you when it comes to managing your staff, but it’s also going to be a big change for your staff who are going to have to get used to this new isolated mode of work. If you want to make these staff as productive as possible while they’re working from their own homes, here are a few areas to focus on!
Provide IT Support
The first thing you need to do is to make sure that your staff has full IT Support. Without good IT support, they could find themselves dealing with regular issues with their tech, which they’re wholly relying on to complete their work. While it could take them a long time to resolve IT and tech issues themselves, you could, instead, have them contact an outsourced IT department who can help to get their work back on track and significantly maximize their productivity during their working hours.
Provide Communication Software
It can get lonely working from home, which can have an impact on team spirit. What’s more? A lack of communication could result in underproductivity, missed deadlines, and other issues that can have a direct impact on your company’s profits. Clear and open communication is going to be absolutely integral to your business’ success, so you’re going to have to make sure that your employees can communicate with one another as they would in the office. This is in spite of the fact that they are all operating in completely different locations. The good news is that there is plenty of communication software out there, specially designed to help remote workers. Microsoft Teams is a great option, as it provides multiple means of communication, including voice calling, video calling, and even instant chat features. Your team will still be able to hold meetings, chat casually about tasks and more.
Be Understanding
Of course, you’re going to have to be understanding during this time too. You want to push your staff to be productive, but don’t take it too far. It’s likely that some team members are going to be ging through a tough time right now. They may have child care worries, they may have health concerns, they may be feeling isolate and alone, or they may be experiencing a whole host of other issues. If they are, they may be slightly less productive for a short period. Be understanding and supportive. This is part and parcel of operating during a pandemic.
These tips may seem simple, but they can really help your staff while they’re working on a remote basis. By helping your staff, you’re also helping your company. So, it’s worth the time investment!