Successful Remote Working
The internet has changed the landscape of the office environment. Remote working is more common today due to the technological advances made possible with the web than ever before. But can this relationship work between employer and remote employee without the traditional office environment? Do companies feel confident their remote employees are doing their jobs consistently? In reading up on this topic and talking to several remote employees, several key factors come up consistently when the remote working is well, working.
Communication
A system for communication on a regular basis without adding steps to accomplishing work is key to making a remote working arraignment successful. While management discussion always matters significantly, it’s even more critical that remote managers stay in frequent contact to ensure management knows what’s being worked on and the progress being made with remote employees. The perception is if communication is not happening between management and employee, work is not being done. But how to do to this without creating more work in a remote working arraignment can be a challenge. A regular schedule of Skype calls or utilizing the Slack platform for projects can help communication flow seamlessly on projects without adding to the workload or having to shift through long email chains to get a status of performance.
Clearly Defined Goals
Management must establish expectations that might normally develop over time in a tradition office when hiring remote employees. A remote worker will also not have the opportunity to get the “feel” of the personality of the office. Something as simple as not knowing a coworker does not like morning meetings can cause conflict. Measurable goals combined with a clear understanding of the workload and office politics are crucial for this arraignment to be productive.
Schedules are Key
Having flexibility is not a free pass to work whenever and not be available for updates. It is the remote employee’s responsibility to keep management informed of when they are and are not available. A mutually agreed upon schedule between all parties is the best way to organization remote working.
There are many dynamics of a traditional office, and there three tips are just my findings. Your situation may include more or less, and not all jobs can have a remote working position. Remote working grown %115 since 2005, is expected to continually grow over the next few years according to this information from Latest Telecommuting Statistics. If you are a remote worker and have some advice not included in this post, please comment your suggestions. Every situation and job are unique, and others could benefit from your experience.
