In recent years, remote working has become increasingly popular, with more and more businesses adopting flexible working arrangements. This trend has been driven by several factors including technological advances and changing attitudes towards work-life balance. Nevertheless, the answer is yes, according to recent studies. in fact, research has shown that remote working can boost productivity by up to 40% and increase employee job satisfaction and morale.
In this blog, we will explore the benefits of remote working and how it can help businesses succeed in today's fast-paced and ever-changing environment.
What Does Flexible Working Mean and Why is Everyone Doing it?
The concept of flexible working has been around for a long time, but in recent years it has become more critical than ever. This is due to several factors, including technological changes, the rise of the gig economy, and an increasing focus on work-life balance. With more people working remotely than ever before, it is essential to understand the benefits of flexible working and how it can improve morale in the workplace.
The concept of flexible working has been around for a long time, but in recent years it has become more critical than ever. This is due to several factors, including technological changes, the rise of the gig economy, and an increasing focus on work-life balance. With more people working remotely than ever before, it is important to understand the benefits of flexible working and how it can improve morale in the workplace.
The Benefits of A Flexible Workforce
In addition to the Cloud, there are a number of IT solutions that can help businesses achieve greater flexibility. For example, video conferencing and instant messaging platforms can allow employees to communicate with each other in real time, no matter where they are. This can be particularly beneficial for remote teams, who may not have the opportunity to meet in person.
One of the biggest benefits of flexible working is the ability to work from home. This means that employees can save time and money on commuting and can also enjoy a more relaxed and comfortable working environment. For many people, this can lead to an increase in productivity and a greater sense of job satisfaction.
Remote Working Concerns and How to Mitigate Them
To be able to offer your staff flexibility, they first need the tools to do their job remotely. They need access to their files, applications, emails, and collaboration tools to be able to work and keep in touch with their colleagues remotely.
Microsoft 365 is one of the most popular cloud services favoured by flexible businesses. Microsoft 365 combines the productivity applications that you know and love, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and combines them with some new favourites such as Teams. The service is a monthly subscription per user and allows each team member to save their documents in the cloud using OneDrive, collaborate in real-time using Teams, and work on documents using productivity tools.
Once you have the basics in place, it is next time to consider a dedicated policy for working from home. Having a policy in place will help staff to build an understanding of the expectations placed upon them when they are working remotely and help managers to reason with their staff and effectively implement rules. A good working-from-home policy gives clarity to all parties and helps to alleviate tension that can come when staff are physically distanced.
A good policy includes:
- Details on schedule requirements (such as core hours where staff must be present)
- Communication procedures (what should be used, and when)
- Productivity measurements and expectations
- Eligibility (some roles will not be suitable for flexible working)
Furthermore, there are security considerations that need to be made. In your office, you likely have secured and monitored Wi-Fi, and Anti-virus tools on all machines. When staff work remotely, often on their own devices, you have much less control over the security practices they implement. For example, they may opt to work out of a coffee shop, using public Wi-Fi without a VPN. This leaves them vulnerable to snooping from a malicious actor and could result in your important company files being lost or intercepted. A strong security policy will help to mitigate this risk.
It is also recommended that you enlist the services of an IT support partner if your business does not have its own IT team. When you have staff working in different places and at different times, IT issues can weigh heavily on productivity. If your team members do not have support around them then they will waste time resolving technical gremlins or be less productive as they attempt to work around them. Having a team that is available for calls throughout the working day and can resolve issues for your staff independently will slash the amount of time wasted through technical niggles.
A Partner to Help Your Business Become More Flexible
As a managed service provider, we can help businesses achieve the level of flexibility required to succeed in today's fast-paced and constantly changing environment. We can provide businesses with the tools and resources they need to enable their employees to work remotely and flexibly, without compromising on security or productivity. By working with us, businesses can enjoy the benefits of flexible working, while also ensuring that their data and systems are fully protected.
When staff work in different places and at different times, IT issues can weigh heavily on productivity. if your team members do not have support around them then they will waste time resolving technical problems or be less productive as they attempt to work around these problems. Having a team that is available for calls throughout the working day and can resolve issues for your staff independently will slash the amount of time wasted on small but time-consuming IT problems.
Learn more about working from home and the benefits it brings by viewing our free Working From Home Guide ⬇️
