Tips for Embracing Work from Home Policies and Remote Workers

The pandemic forced many of us to shift from the more traditional in-person work policies we were comfortable with to 100% remote work at a breakneck speed. While this was a rushed process for many organizations, some already had the tools and processes in place to help manage the switch.

As business owners and decision makers, it’s crucial we embrace these changes and ensure we’re empowering our employees to be just as productive and effective when working from home or remotely (if not more so).

In addition to work from home, with today’s labor costs and trends, the same factors that will make work from home a success are the same factors that will make hiring remote workers a success.

Here are three key factors that will set your organization up for success when implementing work from home policies and hiring remote workers:

Set and Track Metrics and KPIs

Metrics known as KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are crucial for measuring the performance of both remote and work from home employees. Without KPIs, you’ll have no way of measuring your remote team’s productivity or success.

Make sure to set and clearly define KPIs for each of your employees, and be sure to communicate and report on those KPIs regularly. KPIs should be easily reportable, specific to each individual or role, and tracked over time. Strong KPIs are those that support and align with both individual employee goals as well as the goals of the organization as a whole. Examples of strong KPIs include:

• Utilization Rate (how much time worked is spent on billable activities)

• Number of Clients / Customers / Members / Patients Served

• Revenue or Profit Generated (per employee, daily/weekly, etc.)

• Customer or Client Satisfaction Scores

• Number of Tasks Completed (for employees who repeat similar tasks)

• Etc.

Setting strong KPIs will ensure your team knows what is expected of them, and will give you a valuable way of measuring their performance without micromanaging or directly observing their work or processes.

Maintain Accountability

Maintaining accountability is crucial for the success of remote work. Without the physical presence of a manager or coworkers, it can be difficult to monitor and measure the productivity of remote workers. Maintaining accountability helps to ensure that expectations are clear and that remote workers are meeting their responsibilities. This can improve morale, increase efficiency, and help to build trust between remote workers and their managers.

By setting and regularly reviewing the KPIs set above, remote workers can stay focused and motivated, and managers can make informed decisions about their performance and how to support their continued success.

At EON, we hold weekly accountability meetings, both with our in-person and work from home employees to discuss both company-wide metrics, as well as individual goals and KPIs.

Utilize the Right Technologies

Technology is the backbone of remote work, and it is crucial to ensure that your employees have the right tools to perform their job. Utilizing the right technologies will ensure that your employees have the necessary resources to perform their job effectively and avoid any disruption in their work. Examples of empowering your employees with the right technology include:

Providing High-Quality Hardware:

This includes providing your team with the same equipment for their home office as they would have in the office. Just sending employees home with a laptop isn’t enough. We recommend docking stations, dual monitors, keyboards with ten keys, etc.. If your expectation is that employees working from home should have the same (if not better) performance of those working in the office, then you need to ensure those employees have the same high-quality equipment and work environments that they would otherwise have in the office. This means business-class, company-owned, and company-managed equipment.

Implementing Robust Communication and Collaboration Tools:

Implementing robust communication and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams is important for remote workers because it helps to maintain the connection and sense of community that without them can easily be lost when working from home. Without access to in-person interactions, remote workers can easily feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues, which can lead to decreased morale and reduced productivity.

Tools such as a unified communications-based phone system can provide remote workers with the means to stay connected with their colleagues, regardless of location. These tools, if configured and implemented properly, will allow remote workers to share ideas, work on projects together, and communicate in real-time, helping to create a more collaborative and connected work environment.

Avoiding Bossware:

Bossware is software used by employers to monitor and track the activities of their remote employees. While monitoring employees activity remotely might be tempting, many employees may feel that their privacy is being violated, and that their employers are micromanaging their work. This can lead to feelings of resentment and decreased morale, and can negatively impact the overall success of remote work. You’ll have far more success if you manage your team’s performance through the KPIs and accountability practices defined above, than using screen recording or keylogging tools.

In our industry we have a saying, “Don’t try to fix an HR problem with an IT solution.”, and although tempting, doing so rarely (if ever) leads to success.

Not Skimping on Security:

Investing in cybersecurity is important when it comes to in-office work, but it’s even more important for work from home and remote workers. Employees who work remotely are often more vulnerable to cyber attacks and security threats. Remote workers often access company resources and sensitive information from unsecured home networks, which can increase the risk of data breaches and security incidents.

Cyber criminals are well aware of the vulnerabilities associated with remote work, and may target remote workers specifically in an effort to gain access to sensitive information. Investing in cybersecurity helps to protect both the remote worker and the company from these threats by providing the tools and resources needed to secure sensitive information and prevent security incidents.

Work from home cybersecurity best practices include end-user training on things such as secure communication, access to secure VPNs, the enforcement of strong passwords and two-factor authentication, encryption of remote devices, and a ban on BYOD or using personal, unsecure devices for work purposes.

Remote work, flexible schedules, and work from home policies aren’t going away.

While it may seem daunting or uncomfortable at first, work from home policies, flexible work schedules, and remote workers are all viable options, they aren’t going away, and they each present opportunities that your competitors will no doubt be leveraging.

If done properly, not only will your existing team be more productive and more efficient, you’ll also no longer be limited to hiring from your local geographic area. Give us a call today, and we’ll help ensure you’re utilizing the right technologies to empower and support your remote workforce.