While talking, it is important to talk slowly and clearly, along with using proper voice modulation. In a video call, it is essential to ensure that you have a proper background which lets the other member see you.
One of the interesting side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the discovery that remote working is not only feasible over a longer period but in many cases, effective as well.
Knowledge workers are now seriously considering this option as a very viable one especially when it comes to work-life balance. Companies employing knowledge workers are also changing their approach to the work model and many of them are talking about having a significant part of their workforce work remotely.
Given all of this, it will be a good idea to see what makes remote working effective for employees.
Ability to collaborate effectively
Remote working calls for much higher levels of collaboration between teams. When in office, it is easy to walk across to someone and get things done. When working remotely, one must rely extensively on tools to enable this collaboration. Hence, knowledge of tools like Zoom, Slack, Teams is essential. It is also important to know how to make the best use of these tools. There are many best practices and great features that these tools have which one must be completely familiar with.
Collaboration in a remote environment also needs a lot of discipline. It is best to have most activities planned on the calendar rather than using collaboration tools in the typical WhatsApp model where one just puts messages or calls at random.
Communication skills (both verbal and written) become extremely crucial if one must collaborate effectively in a remote working model. Brevity in written communication is also essential. While talking, it is important to talk slowly and clearly, along with using proper voice modulation. In a video call, it is essential to ensure that you have a proper background which lets the other member see you.
Preparation is an important part of effective collaboration in a remote working model. It is essential that before any meeting, one is clear about the agenda, points to be made and decisions to be taken and therefore, clearly precise that Minutes of Meeting are a must. Most of the online collaboration tools have very powerful features that can help.
Ensuring productivity in a remote working model
Conventional wisdom seems to suggest that people who opt for a remote working model want to have a much better work-life balance and more flexibility on the work front. They do not want to have the same crazy schedules as they used to have in the office. As a result, one would expect that they will be less productive than their peers in the office, but in reality most of the companies have reported that work from home has boosted employee productivity. According to a recent report by
Deloitte says that 60% of the companies have reported an increase in individual employee productivity, although business productivity has decreased for 99% of all companies surveyed. The report, titled 'Future of Work accelerated: Learnings from the COVID-19 Pandemic' was written after surveying and talking to CXOs of 42 Indian companies.
The current pandemic and its long-term fallout have ensured that remote working is here to stay and will happen at a much larger scale. Given this situation, it will be important for employers and employees to ensure that work happens as per schedule and productivity is sustained.
From an employer standpoint, the following are some of the recommended practices to ensure employee productivity in a remote working model:-
1. Proper employee infrastructure - Ensure that the employee has the necessary infrastructure to work without disruption. This includes laptops and adequate connectivity mechanisms. In a country like India, employees will also need adequate power backup for their machines.
2. Helpdesk for employees - The helpdesk for employee support needs to be top class and a good ticketing system backed by a well-trained rapid response team that works 24x7 on stringent support SLA’s is an absolute must.
3. Online learning for employees - All employee learning will need to move online and should be available preferably in the form of microlearning nudges or short webinars on the device of their choice. Learning data should be tracked closely.
4. Innovative employee engagement activities - A remote workforce can very easily get disconnected from the organizational ethos. Well-designed engagement activities will ensure that the organization's culture sustains. HR activities that acknowledge employee efforts like ‘employee of the month’ or ‘celebrating happy hours’ can always help employees to be motivated and stay connected with the team.
5. Agile Project management - Managers will need to be even more connected with their teams to not only closely monitor the work but also to provide constant direction and guidance remotely. This is a different kind of skill and managers will need to acquire the same.
6. Employees need to take ownership of their work while working remotely - They need to ensure that they escalate possible bottlenecks quickly. They need to quickly evolve their skills and their problem-solving abilities need to be top class.
An intense focus on collaboration and a desire to leverage the flexibility afforded in a remote working model to improve productivity will help employees contribute effectively even when working remotely.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house