Working remotely is not just a trend; it’s the new norm. Organizations like Twitter are now allowing their workforce to work remotely for an indefinite period. And it’s not just the IT industry. Many industries are now looking to leverage remote operations to get a competitive edge.
Millennials are now actively looking for remote work opportunities. The flexibility and the freedom that it offers are simply unmatchable.
The desire to abandon employers in favor of those who have a remote working option is rising. In Gallup’s State of the American Workplace Survey, people who work remotely 60 to 80 percent of the time say they make more positive progress in their shift than those who work from an office.
These stats clearly show how remote working can significantly enhance productivity. It would be ultimately beneficial for the business.
When we talk about remote working, we have to consider the impact that a good environment has on people. Even in a traditional office, a toxic culture could be the reason why people leave.
When we restructure our operating procedures for remote teams, we have to take advantage of creating a stronger team. Here are a few concepts to help you build a productive and healthy remote working environment.
Have clear goals for both teams and individuals
A great culture is only possible if your team has clear goals regarding what they have to accomplish. A team with no vision could lead to demotivation and no enthusiasm among the employees. Moreover, it is equally important to communicate those goals to the team efficiently.
Also, your goals should be realistic and achievable, as unrealistic goals could be another reason for the demotivation of your employees.
Having a set of goals helps you bring together your employees as well. They work collectively with harmony and cohesion to achieve those goals. This allows them to get along with their peers and build a good working culture.
And it’s not just about culture; it is much easier for the organization to check on each employee’s progress. At the end of the month or year, you can easily and quickly assess if the relevant person has been able to achieve their goals or not.
Having a document that has all the team’s goals and objectives will do the trick. You can easily share it with all your employees.
Use a proper medium for communication
In the last point, we said that communicating the goals of the organization is very important. Communication is the key to the success of any business. It plays a vital role in shaping the work environment and the culture of the company. Effective communication is only possible by incorporating the latest tools such as Slack or Skype. Gone are the days where emails were used to communicate and collaborate with other people.
Using tools like Skype enables you to communicate instantly with anyone regardless of wherever you are. It reduces the communication gap as you can now quickly and easily reply to the relevant person. Also, you can schedule a meeting through a conference call to discuss any issues or queries.
Furthermore, it helps you bring on and train new hires. For new hires, adjusting is a bit of a challenge. But if they have one-to-one channels with their supervisors, it will be easy for them to blend in. Also, for other employees, it formalizes collaboration and mentoring. This will help build a good and healthy remote working environment.
Prioritize wellbeing
Working remotely allows you to spend more time with your family. But on the other hand, that does not mean that you will have no problems at all. Many people working remotely find themselves unable to maintain a balance between their work and personal life.
Therefore, you must look after your wellbeing and your employees as well. Working remotely does not mean that they won’t need time off. Indeed, they will need it to relax and take care of their mental health.
Also, encourage your employees to work at a specific time. If they don’t set any time, they will find themselves working around the clock. Segregate your office from your personal space and leave your workplace entirely at the end of the day. Encourage your staff to adopt these practices as well.
Try to make sure that you take breaks during the time you are working. It is essential to keep your body working both mentally and physically. Try getting up for a short walk or for lunch instead of having it at your workstation.
Self-care and a balanced work-life should be embraced and promoted. These activities will assist you in building a good work environment for your team.
Wrapping up
With the pros outweighing the cons, one thing is for sure that remote working is the future. As previously said, remote work does not spell the end of employee efficiency or workplace structure. If you can implement it correctly, it is possible to recruit and retain high-level talent.
The essential thing in a remote working setting is trusting people to get the job done. And there is no other option available except for that. You cannot physically supervise in a remote setting. Even if you can, employees might get frustrated because of it. However, there are many tools that you can use to keep track of the progress of your employees.
Nevertheless, you can now hire remote teams from any part of the world with just a few clicks. But most importantly, creating a good and healthy work environment is essential.
The importance of having a healthy work environment can be understood by its impact on your business. If your organization has a toxic environment, it will lead to demotivation and demoralize the entire workforce. Also, there is a chance that you’ll have a high labor turnover.
Building an excellent team environment is essential if you want to achieve success with remote work.
Guest author: Ahmed Jamal is a content writer at Aspired, a remote hiring agency. He is a passionate and experienced writer in writing creative and technical content, particularly related to brands, digital currency, app development, and more. The writer aims to stamp out gobbledygook and make boring content and blog sparkle. He knows how to enchant readers and engage them. Ahmed helps companies to address prospects and make sure that his content is getting the traffic. He strives to help companies enhance brand recognition and generate leads, moreover, win more business. His writing builds clear marketing messages and strategies that boost sales consistently.