What started as a temporary measure has become a permanent movement for many businesses. More than half of executives intend to allow their office employees to work from home at least one day a week post-pandemic. And employees prefer the option, too — 72% would welcome the opportunity to continue working out of the office for at least two days a week.
But many remote workers are still figuring out how to work effectively outside the office. Here are a few things companies can do to help them out.
Technology is rapidly evolving, especially now that there’s a greater need for innovation. Companies that want their remote teams to be successful are tapping into new technologies that enable them to perform more of their tasks off-site. Here are a few examples:
For many employees, the work-from-home lifestyle is a brand-new experience — and they didn’t have time to prepare. While they likely have a home computer to work from, it might not be as powerful as their work computer, and their home office (if they have one), is probably not nearly as well-outfitted.
To better equip remote employees, businesses may choose to provide:
Smart lockers can facilitate the safe and secure transfer of these items from the office to the home. Installed in office buildings, they serve as a contactless means of exchanging equipment, documents, and other resources while employees work from home, and they can even help with onboarding new hires.
Another challenge for new remote workers is figuring out how to work in the same place where they live, particularly at a time when opportunities to leave the house are minimal. They may also have lost some of the comforts and conveniences they had at the office, like access to meal programs and fitness centers.
Here are a few ideas for helping remote employees adjust to the new routine:
If they’re used to regularly connecting in-person with their colleagues, employees might start to feel isolated when they’re working off-site. Regular check-ins through phone calls, video meetings, and other communication platforms keep people connected.
It’s important to make time for informal ways to engage, too, such as virtual happy hours and coffee breaks, online games, and creative competitions.
Working from home increases productivity for many employees — they’re no longer commuting to and from work, and they’re saving an average of 35 minutes a day that they used to spend on unwanted interruptions.
But they need the right tools at their fingertips to stay focused and work efficiently:
For a safe way to distribute equipment and other resources to remote employees, check out smart lockers.
Source: https://smiota.com/resources/5-solutions-to-ease-remote-work-challenges/