The COVID-19 pandemic has made an effect on every aspect of our life, especially the way we work. Businesses have restructured daily operations, mostly focusing on shifting works from on-site to full-time remote wherever possible. Workers have also been depending on their employers for regular guidance and information.
As expected, such an extreme transition to remote work caused issues for future workplace planning. To help your company plan the way forward, we will discuss six ethics that we discovered from the transition to remote work.
Transition to remote work is possible
Mercers’ survey claimed that 94% of employers found similar or improved productivity from employees since working remotely. This finding is contradictory to the earlier concepts that raised fears, saying that remote work will pull down performance. It also gives us hints that business leaders might support remote and flexible working arrangements even after the end of the pandemic when things will be under control.
You do not even need to struggle thinking about productivity monitoring. With CloudDesk® remote employee monitoring software, you can virtually keep track of performance just like you used to in the office. The software helps to keep records of work hours and helps to analyze performance by showing productivity and idle times. You can ensure remote employee engagement with this tool as it periodically sends pop-ups.
You employees can also work flexible time with the monitoring software by pausing its time clock, which is supportive for remote working environments where nieces and nephews will always run around and require some personal time. Try the apps’ free demo so that you can have a deeper understanding before the final adoption.
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Emphasize constant information management systems
In a time when virtual communication is everything, workers looked for technological support from the workplace IT support– and it is when many businesses found lackings within their information management system. Connecting your employees to the information wherever they need and whenever they need is a must for the business. Make sure that your employees do not have any barrier to gather data so that they can bring value from it and make it your advantage. This pandemic has definitely shown us the technical barriers and we need to work on them.
IT support is a must
Businesses rely on flawless communication and it has to be accurate all the time. To ensure your employees are connected all the time, allow them to use platforms to create groups, communicate, and collaborate seamlessly with each other and with clients. Most importantly, as a business leader, you need to make sure that the remote team has a connection to a dedicated IT support team all the time. It will help them to address technical errors quickly and keep the work schedule smooth.
Evaluate your business’s IT security for remote work by answering the following question:
- Should your employees use company-issued devices or their personal devices for accessing business data?
- How to eliminate the risk of unauthorized physical access to business devices?
- If employees are allowed to access data from personal devices, how does IT support to maintain the security of the network? What to do when risks from using an external device arise?
- Given the news of phishing attacks increasing every day, are the employees trained enough to identify phishing emails and other online threats and defend themselves?
- Is your remote work policy up-to-date and does it cover the security and privacy arrangements?
Cloud computing is stable and growing
Cloud computing is an ideal solution for administrative teams, especially when they do not have physical access to a location. This reduces the need for staying around the server room and allows workers to spread out across locations. Shifting to remote work requires virtual access to databases on the go, and the cloud system enables administrators to do so on a large scale without hampering the workflow. The elasticity that the cloud offers is helpful to scale up remote employee numbers. You can also increase or decrease the computing power whenever you need— a more cost-effective step for your business when the core plan is to grow rather than spending for the long term.
A recent report by IDC is supporting the fact that business investment in cloud-based services is remaining as strong as ever, even though some other IT spendings have seen a decline. Cloud service providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are dealing with spikes in revenue. This suggests that businesses will continually rely on cloud services for the transition to remote work, even after the end of the pandemic.
You might also like to read: MANAGING REMOTE WORKERS TOOLKIT FOR SUCCESS
Cybersecurity is now a priority for businesses
Cyberattack threat was always a problem, and the danger is now higher than ever as some employees rely on public WiFi and use personal devices without updated protection. OpenVPN found in their survey that remote employees are considered as a bigger security risk than onsite employees by 90% of IT leaders. These concerns require precautions to go away, and your organization should arrange regular training sessions on security protocols for the remote workers.
Stay off of the Zoom-fatigue
We should not be surprised that the number of video-call meetings has skyrocketed in the last months. But, the concerning issue here is the rise of exhaustion from Zoom-calls. Attending too many video conferences can consume your energy and reduce engagement and morale. Some companies are helping to fight this struggle by putting “no meeting days” on the calendar and by training employees to schedule video calls only for emergency cases.
Remote work is influencing us to be a collective workforce, and it is helping to detect which parts are unprepared– especially the part where we have to establish a flawless connection between employees and business information. In a sense, it is a great opportunity to transition to remote work permanently and create solutions that will always stay around. So implement these remote work programs, make sure the IT infrastructure has come to a length where everyone can work without a sweat, and use the employee monitoring software to keep track of performance as well.
Darren Trumbler is a versatile content writer specializing in B2B technology, marketing strategies, and wellness. With a knack for breaking down complex topics into engaging, easy-to-understand narratives, Darren helps businesses communicate effectively with their audiences.
Over the years, Darren has crafted high-impact content for diverse industries, from tech startups to established enterprises, focusing on thought leadership articles, blog posts, and marketing collateral that drive results. Beyond his professional expertise, he is passionate about wellness and enjoys writing about strategies for achieving balance in work and life.
When he’s not creating compelling content, Darren can be found exploring the latest tech innovations, reading up on marketing trends, or advocating for a healthier lifestyle.
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