Best Remote Working Practices to Get More Work Done

Last Updated on 1 year by Christopher Jan Benitez

Although not new, remote work is now much more common. According to a Gallup poll, 56% of U.S. workers work remotely. And while some people might also start going back to work full-time or in a more hybrid capacity, the trend toward remote work seems to be here to stay.

According to Upwork’s Future of Workforce Pulse Report, 36.2 million Americans could be working remotely by 2025, an increase of 87% from pre-pandemic levels.

Leaders and executives will want to restudy and assume some antiquated techniques for doing things as many businesses and individuals integrate remote work. Remote work is changing how, when, and where we work, from group collaboration and conferences to overall performance control and timetables.

What exactly is this concept of working remotely? 

Any job done away from a traditional workplace location is considered remote labor. Working remotely allows employees to accomplish their jobs well, live comfortably, and stay in touch with their coworkers and place of business from any location, including their house or the street.

The growth of the cloud era and cutting-edge communication and collaboration tools has made it possible for many organizations to join the remote work movement. Additionally, they are starting to benefit from the delivered advantages and increased productivity that remote work may offer.

What are the good things about remote work? 

Although more conventional leaders were first hesitant to support remote work as a viable option for the workforce, most people now concur that it has significant benefits, such as:

  • Increased employee engagement
  • Greater productivity
  • Reduced turnover
  • Positive brand image
  • Lower overhead costs
  • Wider talent pool to recruit from

The control and autonomy that remote work gives employees is something they need and value. A remote work arrangement results in a typical 12% turnover discount because 54% of employees said they would switch employment for one that offered them more flexibility.

Additionally, businesses benefit from happier employees who are more engaged, productive, and eager to work for the organization.

A few statistics revolving around remote working 

Research repeatedly proves the practical impact remote work has had on each personnel and business.

Understanding how remote work affects your teams can help you deal with capacity concerns, prioritize the topics that matter most to your employees, and be able to have the biggest impact on long-term engagement and performance.

  • 61% of employees prefer being fully remote. According to a Growmotely survey, more than half of remote workers prefer functioning entirely from home. Consider conducting regular check-ins with your workforce to learn about their preferred work arrangements, whether they want a hybrid or fully remote work environment.
  • Only 76% of recent hires concur that they have the necessary tools to complete their work from home. Please make sure all of your remote workers, especially new hires, have the tools and resources they need to do their tasks. This includes hardware and software, protected access, platform logins, channels for verbal communication, transparent regulations, and organizational documentation. Long-distance hires can be successfully installed with a robust onboarding strategy.
  • 77% of remote workers demonstrated increased productivity. The results are in: remote workers typically put in more time and do better work. Ensure you’re setting realistic expectations and encouraging work-life balance so your staff doesn’t burn out.
  • Only 5% of employees are likely to remain at their company permanently, even though 62% believe that working remotely negatively affects engagement. Although employees are more engaged when working remotely, retention does not always follow. You can take tactical actions to engage, connect with, and retain your staff. Keep on having frequent connections with each employee.

Building a remote work culture

A group or organization’s attitudes, actions, and ideals form its culture. It is the heart and soul of your company and its employees, to put it another way. The dynamics of your company will change as you incorporate remote work, which will impact how employees and management collaborate

For instance, we are aware that remote work can improve performance and productivity, but it is not always associated with higher employee retention. You may take advantage of the benefits of remote work while minimizing some risks and challenging situations specific to dispersed teams by establishing a robust remote work culture from the start.

The good things and the not-so-good things 

Pros: 

  • Most of the time, those who live value remote and appreciate having more freedom and control over their work and schedules.
  •  A high-quality culture of shared accountability and belief can result from this. 
  • Additionally, people will be more involved in group-building activities that promote connection because they will have fewer opportunities to interact naturally with their group members.

Cons:

  • Other demanding circumstances can have an impact on culture when working remotely. For instance, distance and contrasting timetables can cause misalignment and misunderstanding.
  • In addition, people may start working long hours and struggle to take breaks and sign off at the end of the day or on weekends as the line between work and home life becomes hazier. 
  • This may lead to a dangerous culture of burnout where your staff is overworked, and employees feel like they need to be replaced every day and night.

Four handy tools to connect with your remote team

  • Zoom: Teams can create connections with face-to-face interaction via Zoom. Collaboration among teams is made simple by features like breakout rooms and display sharing. Real-time human interaction is fantastic for team-building activities like digital happy hours.
  • Slack: Slack is a great option for maintaining clear and fun group communication—from keeping track of progress and checking in to stimulating group discussion to water-cooler talks and sub-channels for specific interests.
  • Lucidspark: A digital collaboration tool called Lucidspark makes it simple for groups to communicate and brainstorm in real time (or asynchronously). The limitless whiteboard is your blank canvas for brainstorming, outlining ideas for projects, and organizing your goals. Use it for business or play to promote team unity and to make remote communication and collaboration easier.
  • Blink: Blink is a remote work control app that enhances the experiences of remote employees. It includes features like calendar management, discussion boards, and a newsfeed, making it simple for employees to stay connected while on the go.

How to engage the employees who are working remotely

Strategic initiatives and regular reviews would be necessary to engage remote employees. In other words, offering remote benefits or digitally satisfied hours is no longer sufficient. Genuine, long-lasting engagement requires more than that. It’s about knowing what your team members want and need and ensuring that your culture, procedures, and policies support them.

Here are a few ideas to play around with when it comes to employee engagement for remote employees:

  • Stay connected via technology
  • Appreciate and acknowledge their efforts
  • Prioritize team building
  • Provide support with proper equipment and resources
  • Set clear expectations
  • Streamline processes
  • Ask for and share timely feedback
  • Keep employees within the loop on any changes in company policies
  • Be flexible and empathetic
  • Implement a smooth onboarding process
  • Hold team meetings every day
  • Have frequent one-on-one meetings

Managing remote employees 

The ability to lead their teams from a distance is one of the most significant anxieties and difficult conditions for remote managers. It might be challenging to monitor the overall performance and develop a strong group culture when you don’t all work in the same area.

However, managing people remotely is ultimately founded on the same management principles as managing people in person. 

People must be able to depend on one another to complete their tasks, be recognized for their contributions, feel a sense of purpose in what they do, and receive regular feedback to continue improving.

Some dynamics are :

  • Clear and consistent communication
  • Building connection, trust, and engagement
  • Exploring new ways for collaboration
  • Running practical group discussions and meetings 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Employees who feel safe and treated relatively are considerably more likely to stick around and may find it easier to get along with their coworkers. Fortunately, remote work improves an organization’s options to include variety and inclusiveness because the skill pool is no longer restricted to a specific area.

Instead, hiring managers can go to the area outside the office to look for potential employees from various places, backgrounds, experiences, and identities. This will bring fresh perspectives, strengthen your company’s culture, and foster an inclusive workplace where people can do their best work.

By recognizing this, organizations may create more equitable and inclusive remote work policies that attract and retain the best talent worldwide. Remote-friendly policies can transform and empower your business to include and pay staff regardless of where they are from or how and where they work, from starting the interview process to conducting remote video interviews to allowing flexible schedules for remote workers.

A vivid remote and hybrid future that we are heading toward

Remote work is here to stay for many teams, whether full-time or hybrid. Leaders will need to adapt to a completely new approach every day for managing remote teams as employees have more demands for flexibility and remote possibilities.

Luckily, managing remote workers can be just as rewarding—and effective—as managing an in-house staff with the right technology and employee engagement solutions. Learn how to influence your remote teams and take the initiative (remotely).

Author Bio:

Aishwarya Khan Bhaduri is the Content Manager at Engagedly Inc., an award-winning People + Strategy Platform. Experienced Leader, Digital & Content Marketer, Consultant, Writer, and Editor with a demonstrated history of working in the HR, B2B, SaaS, B2C, Leisure, Food, Travel & Tourism industries.
Besides that, she’s a Certified Yoga Teacher, Pranic Healer, and Spiritual Practitioner.

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