Many employees worldwide have gladly embraced the opportunity to work remotely over the past two years. According to numerous surveys, 77% of them state that they’re more productive working out of the office. Similarly, 73% believe that flexible work arrangements increased their job satisfaction.Â
When you run a business in the midst of the Great Resignation, you should be aware of the fact that 35% of employees are determined to quit current positions if not offered flexible work arrangements, including remote work.
Attracting and retaining top talent in the tight job market need to be your top priority. Knowing that 77% of survey participants put remote work opportunities high on the list of benefits when choosing a workplace, you need to be open-minded about flexible work arrangements.
The first step toward creating a productive remote work environment is devising a clear Remote Work Policy.Â
Here you’ll find out why remote work policy is important, and what steps you need to take to create a highly functional remote work environment.
Why Is Remote Work Policy Important?
Building a strong remote company culture is a demanding process and a well-devised policy is just the foundation of it. This policy will help you set boundaries, and define clear expectations and responsibilities for every employee.Â
A remote work policy should contain all the answers your employees may have about this work model and you should use it to build trustful relationships between remote teams and management.Â
When you start creating a remote work policy, bear in mind that it should comply with specific laws and regulations to avoid potential legal issues. This is especially important for those employing worldwide regarding various taxes or social security standards.
Now that you know that you need a remote work policy to set rules and boundaries and define responsibilities so that everyone is aware of all the possibilities and consequences, it’s time to see what you need to focus on to make it work.
Set Work Hours Vs. Flexible Schedules
Many managers who run distributed teams tend to work within set 9 to 5 work hours. But, this can become an issue when running remote teams in different time zones. So you need to define who needs to stick to set work schedules, allowing your remote team members in different time zones a level of flexibility.
If you want to offer your employees the freedom to choose when they want to work, you need to outline that their presence is required in the meetings, setting expectations related to communication.
Crucial Communication ChannelsÂ
We can’t emphasize enough how important seamless communication between remote teams is.
Therefore, make sure that you focus on all communication aspects in your remote work policy, answering how, when, and where you expect your team members to communicate. You can determine various communication channels based on priority.
For example, you can convey crucial information about the company’s goals via email, and move informal chats to Slack or another direct messaging platform. Dividing different communication platforms by priority, you’ll make it easier for your employees to stay in touch with each other and be in sync with everything going on in the company.
You also need to be clear about employees’ availability, defining when you expect them to be available on various communication platforms. Make sure to let them know that you support asynchronous communication and that you don’t expect them to respond immediately to every message. In this way, you’ll help your remote employees switch off their work at the end of the day, without feeling stressed or pressured.Â
Remote Work Equipment
If you want your employees to stay highly productive, you need to provide them with quality equipment. Your remote work policy should contain a detailed list of equipment that you as an employer provide, outlining that this is the employers’ responsibility.Â
You’re also responsible for providing technical support regarding hardware and software, as well as additional training for workers who need it.
Employee Performance TrackingÂ
Many business leaders running remote teams often wonder whether their employees are really working. At the same time, remote workers worry that their achievements can go unnoticed.
If you want to shed light on remote employee performance and gain real-time insight into their daily computers, try involving employee monitoring software in your workflow.Â
But you need to be transparent about it, defining what activities you intend to monitor, and when and how you intend to use the track records of your remote employees. This clarification will help you gain employees’ consent, shedding their doubts about the monitoring process.