Working from home initiatives must become a part of internal company culture if there’s hope for widespread success and adoption—this is even more important with remote workforce management.
Most organizations today have access to the tools and solutions necessary to make remote work realistic and productive, but if policies and procedures aren’t adopted and welcomed fully by employees and leaders who work primarily in the office, then remote work will not succeed. Encourage collaborative work between those in-office and those who work remotely, starting with these methods:
Always ensure every single meeting is available to everyone on platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Skype. Your co-workers may not be physically present, but reacting to discussions and ideas through visual meetings creates a warmer, more collaborative atmosphere for employees. Video conferencing requires some work at the outset, and it’s well worth the investment to have the right technology.
Be flexible with meeting times, particularly recurring meetings. It can be tricky to accommodate time zones across the world, but by keeping everyone’s schedules in mind, each employee will feel valued.
Be deliberate and clear on expectations so employees—both remote and in-house—know how, where, and when communication occurs. Teams can’t be expected to collaborate efficiently if a team member seems to go MIA from responding to Slack messages or isn’t up to speed on the company-adopted solution where progress is tracked.
An easy way to build both team productivity and morale is to provide a dedicated communication channel that’s available to them24/7. This gives workers the space they need to share with each other while also building bonds. CH Insurance in Syracuse, NY has been navigating this for almost a year now. We have learned many lessons and added many of the items from above to give our team and culture the best chance for success. If you have any questions or need helpful ideas, please reach out to us. As always, CH is in your corner
Source: Lucidchart content team, CH Insurance