One thing that business in 2020 will forever be associated with is remote working. Many companies and individuals have, due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, suddenly found themselves adopting this way of working over the last year.
Despite the fact that, for many, the situation has been enforced, there have been some significant benefits, both for employees and employers. It is becoming clear that remote and nomadic working has the potential to be hugely positive. Louise Dell, founder of Kyero tells us on how to make a remote working model beneficial in 2021 for business and employees alike.
Supercharge your business
Flexible and remote working gives you a superpower as a business – you can attract exceptional talent and skills that you might not otherwise with a conventional office set up. There are vast swathes of (excellent) professionals that simply cannot – or do not want to – work a standard 9 – 5.
Trust your team to get the work done and know that many working people want this kind of freedom and flexibility, rather than the traditional constraints of having to be in a set place at a set time. The goodwill created by this type of approach and attitude is invaluable. Plus, from a business perspective, a remote team means considerably reduced overheads in relation to office space and office management.
Work is no longer a place you go
The old notion of work being a place you go to is being rewritten thanks in part to Covid-19. Work is a thing you do, not about where you go to do it. If you have great people, their value and contribution are all about them as individuals, and little to do with where they are. We’ve always found that a happy team with a good work-life balance works well and delivers for the business. Far more so than if people are spending two hours a day on an overcrowded tube before they’ve even started work.
The viability of nomadic working has been tried and tested this year – we aren’t so tied to the office anymore and can just as easily dial into meetings from the UK or abroad. In fact, during the first lockdown, there was a 30% increase in interest from Brits looking to move overseas according to data at kyero.com, driven in part by this new ability to work anywhere.
Embrace technology
A remote working model is all very well on paper, but how do you actually make it work?
Technology really is key. Slack, Zoom, Trello and Tettra are excellent remote working tools that help you communicate effectively, stay connected and keep organised.
Slack is a useful tool as it helps replicate an office environment, with channels dedicated to projects, teams or more cultural aspects of work life. Use technology to recreate the good bits of the office and keep communication and team spirit high. It’s important to find the right fit for you, and make sure that your processes are clear, easy to follow and work for your team.
Understand the culture of a remote team
Managing a team remotely is different from managing a team in person. Things like micro-management really don’t work (although do they ever?). Instead, your role as a manager is to support and remove obstacles standing in the way of the team achieving their goals.
Recruiting the right people is also critical. Staff need to be comfortable working remotely and motivated by the challenges and rewards it can bring.
People are your greatest asset no matter where they are
Work, for many people, is not just a job but a way to collaborate, socialise, be creative and get inspired. It’s important to find ways to channel that virtually and facilitate teamwork despite not being together in person.
It’s important to keep communication transparent and open. By using video chats, you can regularly ‘see’ your colleagues, and organise regular check-ins, team meet ups (including at least one annual face-to-face get together when there isn’t a pandemic), and all-staff monthly calls so that everyone feels involved and in touch.
