It’s been over a year since the COVID – 19 outbreak that changed lives and since companies and universities have requested that their employees stay home and work remotely. For many, this was the first time that they were working from home and away from their coworkers and the office. This can be confusing and can cause employees not to perform at their best when working remotely.
Creating policies and training employees in advance is always a wise idea, but not every scenario is perfect and in times of crisis you must adapt on the spot. If you’ve been caught in the middle of a crisis and are having to adjust to scenarios that are quickly changing, there are ways that you can find solutions.
Even without a great amount of training done in advance, you can use methods to increase your employee’s productivity and keep things flowing while working from home. Here’s a list of steps that you can take based on research that will help both managers and employees to adjust to working remotely.
Managers Can Do Small Things to Support Employees
Working from home, with the many distractions and communication issues, comes with its own unique set of challenges for employees to face. Managers can do easy, small, and inexpensive things to support their employees while they’re working from home and to help them adapt quickly to a new way of work. Here are a few actions that you can start taking today to make your employee’s transition to working from home easier.
Check-In With Your Employees
You’d be surprised at how successful it can be to do as much as simply check in with your employees daily. Working from home means that you don’t get to see your employees in the office and receive updates throughout the day from them. Whether it’s a group call or individual calls one on one, your employees must know that there are predictable calls where they’re able to touch base with you.
Implement Technology to Foster Hybrid Working
A hybrid working environment is perfect for both employer and employee. With the right technology in place, communication, collaboration, and productivity won’t skip a beat. Employees will be able to work in the environment which works best for them while maintaining a high level of productivity. New technology like unified communications which allow for voice, chat, and video from mobile or desktop applications make collaboration seamless, whether with colleagues or customers.
Offer Support and Encouragement to Employees
Throughout a time when employees will not only be struggling in their work-life but their personal life as well it’s important that they know they have your support. Employees need to know that you’re backing them and listening to what they have to say. Answer questions and sympathize with any struggles that they have, including personal issues.
Use Multiple Methods of Communication to Stay in Touch
Only relying on one method of communication isn’t a good idea, especially when employees are newly adjusting to working remotely and attempting to continue steady communication. Communication methods will change from day-to-day talk in the office to communicating over electronics. At the start of working remotely, it’s important that employees still feel connected.
Video technology services like Elevate can be used for meetings and to keep employees connected to each other. For quicker communication when meetings aren’t needed but employees still need to communicate, and all in one communication platform is imperative, which includes voice, chat and file sharing. Giving your employees multiple methods of communication will ensure good communication and no misunderstandings.