If you’re running a business in the modern day, it’s hard to ignore the drive towards working from home and flexible careers. There are so many advantages for business owners who choose to let their employees work around their home and social lives, but how can you make sure everyone feels well supported and that your business is still in safe hands? There is something slightly unnerving about feeling out of control of many elements of your business, but this is where technology, good communication and excellent support step in and lend a helping hand. In fact, there are so many ways in which you can create an uplifting and motivational environment for your remote workers, whilst reaching business goals and targets. Whether you’re investing in business software to manage the security of customer data, or you’re making sure that all of your home workers have the relevant equipment to do their job role successfully, you need to step out of your comfort zone and be the driving force behind these changes.
With this in mind, consider some of the following ideas and you will soon be one step closer to creating a supportive, nurturing and extremely productive environment for all of your employees no matter where they’re working from.
Set Boundaries and Clear Expectations
When it comes to supporting remote workers, you need to make sure that expectations are clear from the outset. This may involve creating a handbook, or something similar so that your employees have something to refer to when they start their role within your company. Having clear boundaries and expectations not only gives your employees a good idea of what their working environment is going to be like, but it also provides them with useful guidelines to work from too. For example, you may have an expectation that all remote workers check in with their line manager twice a week to make sure their targets are being met. Or, you may recommend that remote workers keep their working hours within a certain time frame during the day. Ensuring that these boundaries and expectations are explicit right from the very beginning, will also ensure that everyone in the workplace is on the same page.
Hold Regular Meetings
Now, there are a handful of different approaches you can take when it comes to meetings, especially when you’ve got a team that comprises mostly remote workers. Holding meetings can be a great way to allow everyone to catch up and feel connected with the company. Everyone may have the opportunity to share their successes and report on their wins for the week, so that they feel acknowledged and praised for their efforts. What you also need to make sure, is that you’re not holding meetings for the sake of holding meetings. You should always ensure that there is a meaning behind each meeting, and that your remote workers are getting some sort of value from it. Depending on your schedule, it may be a good idea to hold a weekly meeting, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.
Use High Level Security Software
When your employees work from home most of the time, it’s very important to take security and privacy seriously. When it comes to handling sensitive data, not all software is able to provide you with what you need. Forcepoint’s data security products, however, can prevent data breaches and simplify compliance no matter where you’re working from. This streamlined system not only allows remote workers to get on with their day without fear, but it also gives your business an added layer of security for those working from a variety of internet connections around the country, or even around the globe. Investing time and money into high level security software is not only beneficial for the safety of your clients, but it can also give your remote workers peace of mind too.
Create Time to Meet in Person
Although it may not always be possible to arrange in-person meetings, it’s certainly very useful when it comes to making new friends and connections. When you dedicate time to meeting the people who work for you, it adds an extra layer to your relationship with them. Forming these relationships from a very early stage will not only create an inclusive and enjoyable environment for everybody, but it will also help to keep motivation levels high. In person, you can talk about ongoing events and topical issues with ease and spark ideas that never may even be mentioned whilst they’re working from home. Although it’s very important to allow a sense of flexibility when working, it’s also important to check in with people face to face when time allows too.
Monitor Workflows and Assess The Success of Remote Working
As a business owner, you will always be looking for ways to monitor processes and manage workflows to make sure your employees are going above and beyond to reach their targets. If there is a way that you can keep an eye on these all important targets, this will benefit your company hugely. This will also allow you to analyze the success of remote working so that you can continue to support your team in the most appropriate ways.
Don’t Micromanage
As much as you want to keep an eye across what is going on with your remote workers, you also need to resist the temptation of micromanaging. Making sure that everyone on your team is getting on with their work is obviously important, but you don’t want to break the sense of trust between you and your team. Keep the lines of communication open and you can soon hope that everyone on your team is able to carry out their work in an honest, productive and timely manner whilst they work remotely.
Listen To Your Employees
One of the most important things you can encourage your remote workers to do is communicate with you anytime they need your help. Listening to your employees is all about taking time to hear what they’re struggling with and find solutions to make it better for them. When it comes to communication with remote workers, it’s important to set a precedence from the very beginning, and ensure they know exactly how to contact people whilst they’re working from home. Whether you offer a remote working training program, or you enroll in a communication-based course, there is so much you can do to support workers who need that extra bit of help.
There are so many positive elements that can be drawn from these ideas, and many of them are very inexpensive to kickstart. Hopefully, you will soon be able to find your own way around these ideas so that your workers always feel safe and supported no matter what. As well as keeping the best interests of your remote workers in mind, you should also take time to consider the safety and security of your business. If you’re handling sensitive data and customer information, you need to make sure it’s in the safest of hands at all times. Whether you’re upping your security measures, or investing in specialist software to help you manage it, there is so much you can do.
Taking action now will help your workforce to become a more positive and enjoyable place all round. Creating a culture of support and happiness will not only begin to attract the best possible talent in the future, but it will also give your brand an excellent reputation too!
If you’re running a business in the modern day, it’s hard to ignore the drive towards working from home and flexible careers. There are so many advantages for business owners who choose to let their employees work around their home and social lives, but how can you make sure everyone feels well supported and that your business is still in safe hands? There is something slightly unnerving about feeling out of control of many elements of your business, but this is where technology, good communication and excellent support step in and lend a helping hand. In fact, there are so many ways in which you can create an uplifting and motivational environment for your remote workers, whilst reaching business goals and targets. Whether you’re investing in business software to manage the security of customer data, or you’re making sure that all of your home workers have the relevant equipment to do their job role successfully, you need to step out of your comfort zone and be the driving force behind these changes.
With this in mind, consider some of the following ideas and you will soon be one step closer to creating a supportive, nurturing and extremely productive environment for all of your employees no matter where they’re working from.
Set Boundaries and Clear Expectations
When it comes to supporting remote workers, you need to make sure that expectations are clear from the outset. This may involve creating a handbook, or something similar so that your employees have something to refer to when they start their role within your company. Having clear boundaries and expectations not only gives your employees a good idea of what their working environment is going to be like, but it also provides them with useful guidelines to work from too. For example, you may have an expectation that all remote workers check in with their line manager twice a week to make sure their targets are being met. Or, you may recommend that remote workers keep their working hours within a certain time frame during the day. Ensuring that these boundaries and expectations are explicit right from the very beginning, will also ensure that everyone in the workplace is on the same page.
Hold Regular Meetings
Now, there are a handful of different approaches you can take when it comes to meetings, especially when you’ve got a team that comprises mostly remote workers. Holding meetings can be a great way to allow everyone to catch up and feel connected with the company. Everyone may have the opportunity to share their successes and report on their wins for the week, so that they feel acknowledged and praised for their efforts. What you also need to make sure, is that you’re not holding meetings for the sake of holding meetings. You should always ensure that there is a meaning behind each meeting, and that your remote workers are getting some sort of value from it. Depending on your schedule, it may be a good idea to hold a weekly meeting, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.
Use High Level Security Software
When your employees work from home most of the time, it’s very important to take security and privacy seriously. When it comes to handling sensitive data, not all software is able to provide you with what you need. Forcepoint’s data security products, however, can prevent data breaches and simplify compliance no matter where you’re working from. This streamlined system not only allows remote workers to get on with their day without fear, but it also gives your business an added layer of security for those working from a variety of internet connections around the country, or even around the globe. Investing time and money into high level security software is not only beneficial for the safety of your clients, but it can also give your remote workers peace of mind too.
Create Time to Meet in Person
Although it may not always be possible to arrange in-person meetings, it’s certainly very useful when it comes to making new friends and connections. When you dedicate time to meeting the people who work for you, it adds an extra layer to your relationship with them. Forming these relationships from a very early stage will not only create an inclusive and enjoyable environment for everybody, but it will also help to keep motivation levels high. In person, you can talk about ongoing events and topical issues with ease and spark ideas that never may even be mentioned whilst they’re working from home. Although it’s very important to allow a sense of flexibility when working, it’s also important to check in with people face to face when time allows too.
Monitor Workflows and Assess The Success of Remote Working
As a business owner, you will always be looking for ways to monitor processes and manage workflows to make sure your employees are going above and beyond to reach their targets. If there is a way that you can keep an eye on these all important targets, this will benefit your company hugely. This will also allow you to analyze the success of remote working so that you can continue to support your team in the most appropriate ways.
Don’t Micromanage
As much as you want to keep an eye across what is going on with your remote workers, you also need to resist the temptation of micromanaging. Making sure that everyone on your team is getting on with their work is obviously important, but you don’t want to break the sense of trust between you and your team. Keep the lines of communication open and you can soon hope that everyone on your team is able to carry out their work in an honest, productive and timely manner whilst they work remotely.
Listen To Your Employees
One of the most important things you can encourage your remote workers to do is communicate with you anytime they need your help. Listening to your employees is all about taking time to hear what they’re struggling with and find solutions to make it better for them. When it comes to communication with remote workers, it’s important to set a precedence from the very beginning, and ensure they know exactly how to contact people whilst they’re working from home. Whether you offer a remote working training program, or you enroll in a communication-based course, there is so much you can do to support workers who need that extra bit of help.
There are so many positive elements that can be drawn from these ideas, and many of them are very inexpensive to kickstart. Hopefully, you will soon be able to find your own way around these ideas so that your workers always feel safe and supported no matter what. As well as keeping the best interests of your remote workers in mind, you should also take time to consider the safety and security of your business. If you’re handling sensitive data and customer information, you need to make sure it’s in the safest of hands at all times. Whether you’re upping your security measures, or investing in specialist software to help you manage it, there is so much you can do.
Taking action now will help your workforce to become a more positive and enjoyable place all round. Creating a culture of support and happiness will not only begin to attract the best possible talent in the future, but it will also give your brand an excellent reputation too!
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