Strategies for Employers Embracing Remote Work

The professional world went through a remarkable transformation in which work, as we previously knew it, evolved into a new era of remote working. A study by Stanford University reveals that pre-pandemic, remote work constituted only 4% of the total available jobs in the United States. Fast forward today, about 16% of US companies have already embraced remote work and are operating without a physical office. 

Remote work is here, and it's bound to stay. If you find yourself ready to move your business into this intriguing realm of remote work, here are the key considerations and strategies to ensure your success and the well-being of your virtual team. 

The Rise of Remote Work

While remote work is not a new concept, it has seen a swift increase in adoption by many businesses in the past three to four years. Besides the previous pandemic, this transformation in the business landscape has been largely fueled by advancements in technology, making it more seamless than ever for teams to communicate and collaborate regardless of location. Subsequently, many companies have discovered that productivity can be maintained and improved, even outside the conventional office environment.

The Business Benefits of Adopting a Remote Work Setup

Cost savings

A report by Global Workplace Analytics has shown that the average US company could save more than $11,000 per employee annually by allowing them to do work remotely. When you run a business without the need for a physical office space, you don’t have to pay for utilities, buy furniture, or cover travel reimbursements and parking expenses. These savings can be reinvested into your business’s growth and innovation or passed on to your employees in the form of bonuses and improved benefits, which seems much better, right? 

Employee satisfaction

Recent studies indicate a strong relationship between remote work options and increased job satisfaction among employees. The 2023 State of Remote Work report published by Buffer surveyed 3,000 remote workers globally and revealed that 91% of participants appreciated remote work, with 22% identifying flexibility as the primary advantage.

Satisfied employees are generally more productive. They tend to go beyond their basic job requirements and exhibit a strong sense of commitment, which translates into higher output and quality of work, contributing to the overall success of the organization.

Expanded talent pool

Remote work allows companies to recruit from a global market rather than being limited to local candidates. This shift breaks geographical barriers and enables companies to bring in highly skilled professionals regardless of their locations. 

Flexibility

Flexibility is typically highlighted as one of the key advantages of remote work for employees, but it can be beneficial for businesses, too. When you hire people from different locations, you can take advantage of their varying time zones, which allows for extended hours of business operations and the ability to provide support or services to your customers around the clock. This enhances your business’s productivity, improves customer service, and establishes a more responsive organization. 

While offering remote work opportunities can provide numerous advantages for your business, embracing this approach also carries certain risks that should be carefully considered.

The Most Common Challenges of Remote Work for Businesses 

Virtual team communication

When employees from different locations are involved, instant messaging channels and email are oftentimes considered the most efficient ways to communicate. However, the lack of in-person interaction can sometimes lead to misunderstandings and confusion as employees miss out on the nuances of eye contact, body language, and other non-verbal cues present during face-to-face communication. 

Virtual meetings can also sometimes make it difficult for the team to spontaneously generate ideas and build on each other’s thoughts, thus stifling the creative process.

Inconsistencies with tools

In a physical work setup, employees are provided with computers, software subscriptions, and other tools to get the job done. In the case of working remotely, employees are commonly required to use their own devices, which often have varying levels of hardware and software quality. This discrepancy may create issues when accessing or using certain tools and may bring potential security risks that may slow down production. 

Language and cultural differences

Having a remote team means bringing together individuals from diverse countries, each with unique language skills and cultural backgrounds. The most noticeable result of this diversity is the different levels of proficiency in the common working language, which is often English. Some may speak English fluently, using idiomatic expressions and complex vocabulary, while others use English as a second language and might struggle with technical jargon or fast-paced conversations.

Beyond language, there are more subtle cultural differences that need to be understood. For example, questioning a manager's decision might be seen as disrespectful in some cultures, while in others, open debate is encouraged. The way feedback is given and received can also vary. Some cultures prioritize direct feedback, while others prefer having a more diplomatic approach to avoid embarrassment.

Business Strategies for Embracing Remote Work

Make sure to outline all the essential elements in your contract

Start by clearly defining the services to be provided by the employee, payment terms and conditions, project duration, termination, and problem resolution. Contracts are crucial for creating a valid agreement, and by specifying these important contract elements in your document, you can prevent future disputes and foster smooth working relationships for everyone on the team.

Find ways to communicate

When you aren't working in an office setting, you might not have the opportunity to work together in person or check in at each other’s desks to stay up-to-date. To overcome this, you and your team must proactively adopt alternative ways to communicate clearly. These ways can include: 

• Video conferencing
• Project management tools
• One-on-one check-ins and team meetings
• Written communication via email or instant messaging platforms

Set clear expectations

Ensure that all team members understand their roles, responsibilities, and performance metrics. The practices you can use to set clear expectations include: 

• Specifying how often team members should check in, which tools to use, and the expected response times for different types of communication. For example, urgent messages should be acknowledged within 1 hour and emails within 24 hours. 
• Setting core hours during which all team members should be available for meetings and encouraging team members to communicate their time zones and preferred working hours to facilitate scheduling.
• Encouraging team members to recognize each other’s contributions and defining how achievements will be recognized, whether through shout-outs in meetings, team newsletters, or formal awards.
• Communicating deadlines for projects and tasks.
• Documenting and sharing workflows for common tasks to streamline operations and reduce confusion.

Set healthy boundaries

Establishing clear start, break, and end times for the workday to avoid work bleeding into your remote employees’ personal time, encouraging self-care, and allowing each other to share personal interests outside work can be some of the ways to ensure work-life balance, avoid burnout, maintain productivity, and create a positive work culture. 

Encourage skill development

Provide access to online courses and training programs to help employees continuously improve their existing skills and acquire new ones, making them more competent and versatile in their roles. Moreover, regular training helps employees adapt to new technologies, tools, and methodologies that can improve their performance and productivity.

Organize virtual social events

Virtual social events help team members get to know each other on a personal level. These events help strengthen their relationships and build a sense of belonging and unity, which is essential for a remote team spread across different locations. Aside from having relaxed, casual interactions, consider incorporating games to break the ice and make the event more fun!

Maximize the capabilities of workforce analytics tools

Modern workforce analytics tools are valuable for collecting employee data that you can use to make data-driven decisions about employee performance and remote workforce management.

Workforce analytics tools allow managers to track employee activities in real-time and get insights into how time is spent on various projects. This visibility helps identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, allowing you to make proper adjustments to workflows. 

Moreover, these tools can help you manage workload more effectively, ensuring tasks are equally and fairly distributed among team members. This enables you to prevent burnout, keep employees engaged, and promote a healthier work-life balance.

Final Thoughts

The shift to remote work is not a temporary adjustment but represents a fundamental change in how we approach collaboration and productivity. Employers who embrace this change will not only attract top talent but also nurture a more engaged and satisfied workforce.

Start embracing the future of work together—one where flexibility, trust, and collaboration lead the way to success.