How Did The Business Switch To Remote Access During A Pandemic?

Remote working has become the standard during these days of quarantine. Many companies have adopted a work from home policy and instructed their employees on how to start working from home. But this transition to work from home has not been the easiest one. Here is how the business switch to remote access during a pandemic.

1. Self-Organization

First and foremost, you need to think about self-organization. When you are in a regular workplace like an office, you have your colleagues working right next to you. You can compare your productivity and achievements with theirs which creates healthy competition and motivates you and your colleagues to work more and better.

Now that you are not in an environment you are used to, you won’t have the same circumstances to drive you forward which can lead to feelings of desperation, exhaustion, and demotivation. This is where self-organization comes in: once you start organizing your day and following a schedule, you will be way more motivated.

At the same time, self-organization is about making sure that your workspace at home is just as organized as your day. You need to find a comfortable desk to work at and get rid of all the unnecessary objects you might be keeping on it. You can also free up some space to keep snacks and drinks by your side, but it’s better to separate work from breaks for food.

2. Communication

The second thing you should think about is communication. Because you will be away from your regular workplace and your team, you will need to find a way to ensure that your communication is always fast and easy. There are several things you need to keep in mind:

• Take into account all the channels for communication. You could be using a regular messaging app like WhatsApp or you could even set up channels for communication on a business messaging platform like Slack. The only thing you should remember is that you need to consider all of your options.
• Decide what is most comfortable for you. Once you know what channels you can choose from, you need to decide what is most comfortable for you specifically. Then, ask your team members what they find comfortable and easy to use. Lastly, find a compromise.
• Make sure that others have all the necessary means for communication. Speaking of your team members, you need to make sure that they have all the necessary platforms installed and accounts set up to start using them.

3. Getting the Essentials

The third thing you need to do is get the essentials for switching from a regular working routine to a remote working routine. Here are the most important things each of your team members and you yourself need to have:

• A computer: A good personal computer or laptop is the number one gadget that should be on your list.
• A good Internet connection: Almost nothing can be done even on a good laptop if you don’t have a stable Internet connection.
• A channel for communication: As discussed in the previous point, you need to make sure that everyone installs the right messaging app and sets up an account.
• A comfortable workspace: A desk or a table in a room where nobody will disturb you is the best bet for anyone who wants to be productive.
• A strict routine: And, of course, you need a comprehensive schedule to follow throughout the day.

4. Outsourcing

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for business owners in the times of quarantine is that they need to carefully work out how many employees they need to be able to manage the workload they have, whether big or small. The other side of this is that some employees might not be able to manage their workload.

This is why outsourcing can be so useful. For example, if your job consists of writing, you can use a writing services review site like Writing Judge and a freelance platform goLance to choose a professional writer who can do part of your job and help you get through the quarantine. Just make sure that the writer you decide to work with is a reliable person.

5. Security

Security is always a big issue for businesses, but it should be even more important for employees because they could be the ones getting who will have to suffer from the consequences if there is some kind of security breach. Of course, you won’t have to worry about physical security as much as you would usually do, but digital security is still a thing.

You need to make sure that all of the business files that you share with your team members are sent through protected channels. For example, Google Drive is known for being a safe way to share files.

6. Employee Health

Though employee health is always important, it is even more crucial during the quarantine. Because you will be spending most of your time at home, you might find yourself becoming more and more sedentary.

This is why you need to make sure that you take regular breaks and exercise daily to keep yourself fit. Then, once you get back to the office, you will need to try to maintain your new schedule or make a smooth transition to an adjusted schedule.

7. Training

Last but not least, you need to remember that there could still be new employees hired during the quarantine. These employees will undoubtedly need the training to prepare them for working in your team as fully participating members.

If you are a part of the HR department in the company you work for, you will probably be the one managing this training. Create a separate plan for the training process that will be appropriate for your new circumstances. Make sure that you are training new employees just as thoroughly as you normally would.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, though most people can’t navigate to work for the time being, most companies have successfully adapted to these new circumstances and helped their employees switch to remote working.