The changes to the way we work have certainly been tested over the past few years. Workplaces have been forced to adapt to numerous lockdowns and remote work is on the rise. Being able to offer flexibility to your staff can be an essential tool to both attract new talent and retain your existing team. When you’re recruiting, the ability to offer an entirely remote position can mean that you’re suddenly able to consider candidates from across the country, rather than limiting yourself to one area, or to people who are in the position to be able to relocate.
So can it be done effectively?
Here are some of the basics that you will need to consider:
Do the staff have access to laptops and other tech?
Does the employee have a safe working environment?
Is the information that they are dealing with confidential?
Do you need to get cyber insurance and internet security installed or upgraded?
Compensation if an employee is using their home internet connection?
A way to stay in touch with the team, beyond email. Platforms like Slack and Teams are great for team communication and enabling catch-ups
Guidelines around how often and in what way the entire team will catch up
Project management tools that are accessible for every worker
With these essentials in place, the biggest factor in making remote work a success is workplace culture. Consider upskilling your management team to make sure they are ready to support your remote staff or even to give them the skills to allow them to do their roles remotely.
Remote working can be isolating for an individual and sometimes the meaning in email and text can be lost so it is important to factor in a regular face-to-face meeting or video conference to bring coworkers together, enable mutual understanding and to build the team culture.
If you’re planning to offer remote work to your team, make sure you have strong communication channels, and robust systems to support your flexible workers.
If you don’t have staff, have you looked at the benefits of outsourcing those tasks that you don’t have time or the desire to do. Our bookkeeping team is happy to assist with all of your remote bookkeeping tasks. We have the technology and skills in place to offer a remote virtual service.
