Is your organisation geared up for remote working?

Amidst the uncertainty that Covid-19 is causing, many organisations are navigating through what is likely to be some challenging times ahead. Remote working is at the top of the list for many organisations and we’ve compiled a list of the key things that may help your organisation in implementing successful remote working.

Communication

The companies that are open with their concerns and plans are the ones that are going to garner support from their teams. This is not a time to keep your staff in the dark; in fact expressing concerns and bringing them on the journey will make them feel appreciated that you’re including them in the conversation - however hard it may be. And if you do have staff working from home, ensure regular communication and routines are maintained with them via weekly meetings.

Staff Engagement

Morale is likely to be down over the next few months and for good reason. Every news report is portraying doom and gloom, causing natural worry about job security and the future. If your colleagues are working from home, this concern could be exacerbated if they’re not included and kept in the loop with team plans. To keep people accountable and maintain contact, ensure you touch base with your staff once a day to check in and do your best to keep their spirits up! This could be through a WhatsApp or Facebook group, and maybe to share something light-hearted once in a while. And finally, encourage your staff to maintain their health by exercising and eating well (sound advice regardless of pandemics)!

Technology

There’s nothing that should hold a company back from successfully having their staff work from home in this day and age. Many companies are transitioning to the cloud for easy access outside the office. Technology such as Zoom, Skype and Slack are commonplace and simple to set up and will keep you talking to your teams regularly. Logging all your tasks on a platform such as Trello and Monday will also help keep things on track and maintain accountability and communication. If required, have someone on point as your technical support if things go wrong, so you can ensure things are running smoothly and productivity is maximised.

Ergonomics

Many employees aren’t set up to work from home. Sitting at the dining table or on a bed might sound like a good short-term plan however if the remote work spans across weeks or months, you’re likely to get health complaints of a different nature. It goes without saying that a dedicated workspace like a spare room is ideal so that you and your team can focus on the task at hand, minimise distractions and leave work behind at the end of the day. Invest in a good chair and desk setup for staff to avoid back pain and provide lumbar support. And instead of staff having to hunch over laptops, consider the use of smart TV screens that many households have now, or desk-mounted monitor arms. Monitor arms allow for smooth, effortless tilt, swivel and height adjustment for different monitor viewing positions which can reduce neck pain and eye strain.

These times are certainly trying but there’s a number of things your organisation can put in place to keep things ticking over, the first of which is keeping your team feeling safe. If you would like advice on how we can modify your current workspace or enable your staff to work from alternative locations to make things a bit easier, feel free to contact the best office fit out company in New Zealand.