What lessons can we draw from the current situation in order to make remote working smoother and safer in a post-Coronavirus world?
2020 has been unprecedented for a variety of reasons . . . not least the number of times we’ve all seen the word “unprecedented” in print! But on a more serious note, the spread of the Coronavirus has had an enormous impact on pretty much every aspect of modern life, from health and wellbeing to socialising and, of course, work.
For many of us, doing our jobs from home has become the new norm over the past couple of months, and this brings its own unique set of challenges.
But every difficulty presents an opportunity to learn, which is why it’s important to regularly take stock and reflect on the lessons we can draw from the current climate. One thing we all want from this difficult situation is that the country is able to bounce back quickly – and that involves making remote working a smoother, safer and more rewarding process in a post-Coronavirus world.
With that in mind, here are four of the most important factors required in any home working experience.
Preparation
The concept of working remotely certainly won’t be alien to us all. Many people working in white-collar jobs will be familiar with working from home, cafes or even hotels where our jobs require lots of travel. But for others the work-from-home lifestyle will be an entirely new experience. Making sure your business can be smoothly transferred to a remote working routine is key to business continuity and, whether or not your organisation chooses to go back to its traditional working patterns after the Pandemic is over, knowing that you can be responsive to such restrictive circumstances can be seen as a positive.
Catering for remote work doesn’t simply mean encouraging staff to use their own device away from the office once a week, of course. It means ensuring that a number of tools and security measures are embedded into your business at all times. Let’s look at a few of the most important ones:
The cloud
Staying connected is key in any business at any time, but particularly if you are operating without a physical business hub. You need to make sure it’s still possible for team members to retain access to the same documents and data that they would be using day-to-day from their office computer.
The cloud can be key to enabling this. For those who don’t know, applications within the cloud makes it easy to upload documents in a safe and secure online space where other people within the business can see, download and even edit the document, before re-uploading. This makes team projects and collaborative efforts possible without the need for long email chains – and it’s a much more flexible solution than the traditional office file server.
Security
It’s hard to overstate the importance of IT security when it comes to home working. Your business is generally more vulnerable to cyberattacks when its network is open to multiple location, so taking rigorous precautions is an essential consideration.
Firstly, having the right security and monitoring software in place is important for protecting devices, limiting access and keeping data safe. You also need to make sure your team are in the know about some of the most basic but effective security measures, such as strong passwords, making use of secure networks, and knowing how to spot a phishing attempt.
Communication
Communication is one of the cornerstones of good business practice, and becomes more, not less, important when face-to-face meetings aren’t an option. Employers have to duty to stay in touch with their team and make sure they are clear and comfortable with the work on their to-do list. This is also an opportunity to catch up with staff on a personal level. One thing the Coronavirus pandemic has taught us is the importance of checking in on each other and offering support.
There are plenty of online tools to make communication easier and more secure. From a simple one-on-one phone call to video conferencing (VC) tools like Microsoft Teams, being physically distant doesn’t have to mean an end to collaboration. Using timekeeping software like Toggl and communication tools like Slack can also compensate for the fact that you can no longer simply lean over the desk and ask your colleague what they are working on.
From Cloud services to infrastructure to security, the expert team at Right Click can help you improve your business tech in whatever way you need.
Get in touch today and let’s start the conversation. Call us on 0203 475 7076 or drop us an email at [email protected].