While some companies may be attempting to bring employees back into the office in a limited manner, others have fully embraced a more permanent remote work model. However, it seems like the majority of companies are considering something in-between, as many predict large organizations will be implementing a hybrid model in the fall.
Nevertheless, between employee demands for flexible work arrangements and the looming threat of COVID-19 variants, remote work is likely to stay in one form or another for the foreseeable future.
Despite most organizations operating remotely for the past 15 months, many employees still don’t have optimal home office setups needed to maximize productivity. Whether it’s tools to increase productivity or a comfortable place to work, a lack of resources or equipment is often one of the biggest hurdles for companies looking to increase home productivity.
If your organization is planning to continue to support a remote workforce, it’s important to help equip your teams with the tools they need to be successful. To achieve this, companies should keep in mind “The Three C’s” of remote work productivity: communication, collaboration, and comfort.
When working to improve your team’s remote work productivity, below are some important items to consider:
Communication
When companies were forced to quickly adapt to remote work in March of 2020, one of the biggest questions was how drastic changes in employee communication would impact productivity. For the most part, companies have found communication doesn’t necessarily suffer, so long as employees have the right set of tools. Below are some effective communication tools that should be an essential part of your remote communication business strategy:
- Video Conferencing – Face-to-face interaction is absolutely important in the workplace, and thanks to innovative video conferencing solutions such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype, teams are able to easily interact with the push of a button. Be sure your teams are equipped with a good video conferencing system to keep meetings – and quick discussion sessions – productive.
- Chat Platforms – Even while working in the office, text-based chat platforms such as Slack were an integral component of employee communication at most companies. The importance of chat platforms has only increased with remote work.
- Headsets – A good headphone/microphone combination makes jumping on calls and meetings a breeze. No one wants to spend the first 5 to 10 minutes of meeting figuring out headset issues, so low-quality headsets can be disruptive, to say the least. If you’re looking for a good headset, check out this Sony WH-1000XM4 or the classic Apple AirPods Pro.
Collaboration
Having the ability to effectively communicate isn’t just enough — employees need a way to collaborate on projects and stay organized. Collaborative tools can not only help keep employees on track while working remotely, but they can also help leaders stay in the loop and measure progress. Be sure your teams are equipped with the right collaboration tools:
- Virtual Calendars – Regardless of whether your organization uses Google or Outlook email platforms, both solutions come with virtual calendars that employees use to schedule and share meetings, set reminders, and share availability.
- Project Management Platforms – Project management platforms are essential for keeping teams organized and measuring progress towards a goal. Platforms like Trello or Teamwork allow you to break down projects into individual steps and assign tasks across a distributed workforce. Further, you get an “at a glance” visual record of individual and team progress on your important projects.
- Shared Drives / Network – Your organization likely needs to have a safe, secure place for employees to share and access files. If your company doesn’t have a virtual network, Google Drive is an affordable and secure cloud-based option for storing and sharing word documents, spreadsheets, slides, and more. Other options include OneDrive (if you’re Office 365 centric), or Dropbox.
Comfort
While working from the dining room table or kitchen island may have been a temporary solution during the early days of the pandemic, employees who are working from home for the long haul need to invest in a comfortable home office setup. Establishing a comfortable workspace ultimately helps employees stay focused and engaged throughout the workday. A comfortable workspace should include:
- Desks – When choosing a good home office desk, consider how much space you think you’ll need. Do you have a lot of paperwork? Do you use two or three monitors? Be sure to select a surface that works for you. We recommend investing in an adjustable standing desk like this UPLIFT Standing Desk or the Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk.
- Chairs – If you’re going to be spending the majority of the workday in your chair, then you should make sure it’s comfortable. Investing in a good chair is a good way to prevent back and neck strain. Your chair should have adjustable heights, armrests, and neck support. Check out this FlexFit Hyken Mesh Task Chair or the Xuer Ergonomic Office Chair.
- Monitors – Having multiple monitors is one of the best ways to increase productivity at home. Working from a single laptop screen might be adequate when responding to a few emails, but most project work requires multiple screens. We recommend the Dell UltraSharp 27″ Monitor or the HP M27 Full HD Monitor.
- Keyboards – If you’re typing all day, your laptop’s built-in keyboard isn’t going to cut it. Look into a nice ergonomic keyboard like this Logitech Ergo K860 Wireless Keyboard.
Finally, you can empower employees to tie together all this technology with Port Replicators to make “plugging in” rapid and easy.
Many companies are still grappling with the most effective ways to operate across a distributed workforce. However, figuring out the most optimal solution is key to managing costs, increasing employee comfort and satisfaction, and meeting business objectives. If your team is struggling with remote work productivity, consider hiring a consultant to help refine your business’ remote operating environments. A good business consultant helps ensure your teams have all the processes and equipment needed to operate as efficiently as possible.
At Lilly Consulting Group, we work with executive teams to identify and improve inefficiencies and effectively allocate capital resources. Contact us for tips on how to maximize the productivity of your remote team.
