How to Adapt to Long-term Remote Working

The coronavirus pandemic has affected businesses in multiple ways but not all of them are negative. A valuable consequence of adapting to this new normal is that countless SMEs have overcome obstacles that previously stood in the way of their digital transformation.

From cloud storage and online security systems, to the rapid growth of video software and instant messaging within the workplace, there are a lot of positive adjustments taking place within companies across the UK.

Working from home (WFH) is by far the most common, as it has enabled many businesses to continue operating rather than putting all of their staff on furlough.

If you're reading this guide, you must be interested in adopting remote working at least to some extent both now and in the future. Below is some advice from our team for making the transition as simple and effective as possible.

The popularity of home working

If you'd asked a bunch of business owners back in 2019 whether they'd consider remote working as an option, the majority of them would have said no.

This wariness was simply down to a fear of change, which led to the assumption that productivity would suffer enormously if employees were allowed to work from home.

The solution is twofold and actually very easy to achieve: implement the right technology and trust your people.

Chances are you've had some staff working from home over the last year or so.

Though they may have returned to the office, it's time to think about offering them the opportunity to work remotely either on a regular basis or simply when the need or desire arises.

By switching to hosted desktops, your day-to-day operations will continue seamlessly and suddenly have a much greater ability to adapt and grow.

When you allow your staff to work remotely and show belief in their commitment to their roles, you'll find that workflow becomes stronger than ever.

It can even lead to an increase in output, as giving people their own space to get work done can inspire exceptional results.

Ways to integrate home working

Accommodating a range of needs is the hallmark of a strong company that cares about its staff.

When you pay attention to what makes each individual employee tick, you gain insight into how to create the perfect work setup.

It's rarely a case of one size fits all, so be prepared to adapt and remain agile.

Some team members will have no quarrel with home working and actually prefer it to being based in your commercial premises every day.

Don't take this personally, as everyone works in different ways and has their own preferences.

Flexibility is seen as a huge perk by many office workers - don't underestimate the power of combining office-based roles with remote working capabilities.

Choosing the right WFH format

The key is to decide how much home working will be allowed and how to make it a fair system. For instance, you could adopt any of the following approaches:

• Structured: Roll out home working across the board on a particular day, such as every member of office staff works from home on a Friday. Another option is to let individual departments work remotely on certain days, essentially creating a WFH rota. Both versions of this system have a very clear structure but will still be appreciated by your employees.
• Request-based: Staff can request remote working days in advance in the same way they organise annual leave. This will be approved by their line manager and overseen by your HR department.
• Flexible: A more open system will allow staff to simply call in to say they'll be working from home that day. This works very well when there's an unforeseen situation, such as their car breaking down, a child being home from school due to sickness, or anything else that makes it difficult for them to get to the office.
• Full-time: Some businesses will have greater freedom and give staff total control over how much they work from home. It could even be that certain staff work from home on a daily basis due to them living far away.
  

Creating a system

Whilst some people have always wanted to work from home, others require the hustle and bustle of an office in order to stay motivated.

The key is to help your employees create a routine, use communication tools that fit your requirements, try out different methods of collaboration, and establish a system that suits your business and its staff.

As with when you're based within commercial premises, your workflow and productivity are dependent on consistency and efficiency.

If you're the type of person who needs a quick chat with a co-worker every hour or so to stay upbeat, there's a way to incorporate it into your day when working from home.

If you'd rather knuckle down and block out all distractions, remote working makes this very easy to achieve too. Trial and error can take a while but it really does pay off.

Hosted desktops for home working

If there's one thing that's absolutely certain to enhance the way you and your staff work from home, it's hosted desktops from GoCloud. To find out more, get in touch on 01482 751133 or email hello@gocloud.co.uk.