One indelible image of the COVID-19 pandemic will certainly be the screenshot of Zoom meetings. Remote working has been practiced for decades in many industries, but it took a global lockdown to take it mainstream. Many experts have argued that working from home will play in an important role in world economics not just until ‘things get back to normal’, but forever.
Scott Galloway, a business professor at NYU, has famously declared that the pandemic hasn’t changed the future, but accelerated it. Remote working was already going to happen and recent events simply moved it forward on the timeline. But how has the transition impacted the most important element of your business, your people?
Even as some states have allowed offices and businesses to carefully reopen, many are staying home. From Google to Facebook to Twitter, remote working will be an option for employees. At companies, like Buffer, it’s been a facet of the business from Day One; they’ve been one hundred percent remote since they were founded.
Whether you decide to welcome back employees on a rotational basis, keep on-site staff below normal capacity, or take other steps to stay safe, now is the time to plan on implementing remote workers and keeping them supported.
Communication. This is the key to everything, isn’t? Remote workers find direction, motivation, and inclusion through contact. CEOs are reaching out to all levels of their companies more than ever, making productive, constructive “checking in” calls and emails a part of their daily routine. It’s not just a time to give instruction, either. Great leaders put their team in a position to succeed, so asking what they need and how you can help is a key component of these conversations. It’s also very important to keep the communication going both ways. If you expect your team to be available and responsive, you should hold yourself to the same standards.
Tools. This carries on the theme of putting your team in a position to succeed. Working from home has different pros and cons for each employee. CEOs can use communication and task management software to keep communication lines open and projects moving forward. Investing in the right tools puts workers on a shared platform to get things done. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to support your team in their unique needs as well. From supplying desks, chairs, printers, even improved internet access, you’ll get more out of your remote workers. Worried about the cost of a couple of desks? You’d be better off thinking about how you could save money by not having to have such a large office space, or needing to get bigger as you hire more employees!
Work/Life Balance. Find the line and maintain it. One of the biggest challenges in working from home can be staying on task, but if you’ve employed the right people, getting them to take a step back can be a challenge, too. CEOs can set the tone by instructing employees to stick to ‘quiet’ times, discouraging work-related communication before and after a set time.
It’s also an opportunity to support new healthy habits. Consider investing in the mental and physical of all of your workers, especially those you don’t get to see every day. Offer at-home workout routines, access to telehealth and mental health professionals, and create ways to let your team inform you of how they’re doing, even if it’s just by changing their Slack status.
Right now, you prepare for a lot more than a pandemic by seeing how we got here and using that to see where we’re going. Any industry relies on people, systems, and creativity. Put those three things first, and any company can come out of this stronger.