Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, employers and employees were busy with work-from-home plans. Telecommuting or remote working is win-win for both the employer and the employee. The employer saves valuable real estate costs, cuts overheads, and accesses a wider labour pool. The enterprise becomes agile and resilient, and able to seize opportunities fast. Employees manage work-life balance better and do not waste time on the commute. But such benefits realise only by implementing remote working the right way. Done wrong, it backfires and the stakeholders end up with the worst of both worlds.

Here are the tips to manage a remote workforce.

1. Provision Resources

Get the basics right. Remote workers require adequate hardware, high-speed broadband, and a dedicated space at home. 54% of HR leaders believe poor technology and/or infrastructure is the biggest barrier to effective remote working.

Make sure the remote worker has a dedicated and powerful dedicated laptop or PC, with a good camera for video conferencing. Make high-speed broadband connection one of the eligibility conditions for work-from-home. Set up an ergonomic workstation for productive and healthy working.

Keep the tool stack for remote workers to the least. Some basic yet powerful apps such as Google Docs, a chat tool, a video conferencing platform such as Zoom or Google Hangouts get most tasks done. Large enterprises can also toy with their custom build and inherent more secure options. Offer easy access to the company’s cloud-based servers through a VPN, on a need-basis.

Have extensive yet clear documentation as a ready reckoner. Funnel communication into as few places as possible to reduce silos and fragmentation.

2. Ensure Systematic Collaboration 

Communication and collaboration are the biggest challenges to remote working.

IT leaders have to create a communication strategy to manage the remote team. Make sure the strategy covers both formal and informal communications.

Establish rules of engagement for formal communications. Set expectations on the frequency, means, and timing of communications. Schedule these meetings at an agreeable time.

Do not neglect informal communications. Informal communications help nip issues in the bud and build a rapport that often gets the job done faster. Consider an always-on video conference room, where remote workers can come and go as they please. Such a simulation mimics the spontaneous communication that takes place in the office.

Do not assume people know how to operate virtual communications or are comfortable in a remote working environment. For many, video is less comfortable compared to text or even face-to-face conversations. Offer training and familiarity in the new environment. Extend the training not only on how to use telecommuting tools, but on how to manage time well, and other nuances.

3. Establish a “War Room”

Shifting employees to remote working on a large scale is a major change, and can trigger shock waves. CIOs and IT leaders have to lead from the front to mitigate the challenges.

In the initial days of remote working, monitor the situation closely, and solve any issues that flare up proactively. Rally a team of experts with remote work experience. Make such experts resource persons. Entrust them to communicate the nuances of effective remote working.

Document the challenges in real-time. Record success stories as benchmarks to emulate. Such actions serve as a “single source of truth” for all pressing questions.

Render transparency to the process for credibility. Keep everyone in the loop, including employees who still commute to the office.

4. Make Changes in Patterns of Work 

Successful remote working needs changes in the usual pattern of work.

Iterate. Break projects into smaller steps, to allow remote workers to work on manageable tasks, seek approval, and proceed to the next step.

Avoid multitasking. Remote working requires a focused and dedicated effort.

Shut off distractions. Minimise disruptions and interruptions such as unneeded emails. Set guidelines, such as responding to emails within 24 hours, using text for urgent matters, no calls between certain hours, and more. Stick to these protocols.

Empower the remote worker. Micromanaging or seeking constant updates online will disengage and fatigue already stressed employees.

Ensure discipline with flexibility. Remote working is synonymous with flexible timings. Many remote workers end up working round the clock. Ensure a disciplined effort, but with fixed hours. Make check-in and checkout mandatory for remote work sessions. But look at the ends than the means. In the remote working landscape, people juggle work and family commitments. When adherence to a fixed procedure is not mandatory, enable employees to complete their work in ways easiest and most productive for them.

5. Manage the Social Aspect 

As the adage goes, out of sight, out of mind. Work from home might end up with a skilled, talented and committed employee falling into a rut. Remote working does away with in-office dynamics that sets in when people see each other in the lobby, eat lunch together, and stop by the office for a chat. Remote workers who do not enjoy such access lose out on the informal dynamics.

Have regular conversations between managers and remote workers. Converse and observe to understand the challenges and concerns facing the employee. Make proactive interventions as required.

Offer development opportunities as sops to missing out on the office ecosystem. Increase recognition. Recognition may be a monetary reward, public acknowledgement, tokens of appreciation, or low-cost perks.

Do everything to assure the remote worker that they remain key stakeholders and are in the company’s plans for the long haul.

6. Reinforce Organisational Values

Culture binds a powerful team. The physical distance imposed by remote working risks dilution of culture. Successful remote working requires reinforcing organisational values.

Reinforce the shared values through constant messages. Offer recognition. Make the contribution of the remote worker and their impact visible. Employees confident about the importance of their job are less anxious. They remain more committed to the shared values of the enterprise.

Trust the remote worker with sensitive customer information and commercial secrets.

71% of enterprises already have remote working policies. By 2030, as Generation Z enters the workforce, the demand for remote work will increase by 30%. The impact of COVID-19 will speed up the pace of remote working adoption. Enterprises having action plans to manage the remote workforce will enjoy a competitive advantage.