Proven tips to fully transition to remote working in 2021

2020 has been the year that we embraced remote working – whether we were prepared for it or not. Despite a steep learning curve, many companies have seen its advantages and are beginning to embrace this new style of working.

We’ve gathered our top tips on how to switch safely and seamlessly to a remote office in 2021.

1.    Get everyone on board

Not everyone has enjoyed working from home during lockdown, and many people much prefer the social space and dedicated work environment that an office provides. If you are planning to switch to a fully remote workforce, you’ll need to anticipate this and decide how you’ll accommodate your employees’ wishes and preferences. You might choose to keep your office open with a smaller number of desks so that those who wish to work there can do so. If that’s not an option, consider how you’ll provide the same sense of community and social contact that people would get in a physical environment, and what you could offer your employees to make them feel more comfortable working from home.

2.    Plan the logistics

The transition to remote working may be a chance to change the way things are done in your organisation. For example, you’re likely to need a paperless office system and a setup of regular video conferences so that people can keep in touch. It’s a good idea to implement a trial period of remote working to analyse how your productivity changes, what problems people encounter, and if there are any challenges that can’t be tackled from afar.

3.    Take security precautions

The cybersecurity risks associated with remote working are heightened. It’s vital that everyone in your organisation is aware of the vulnerabilities that can arise when working from home or another location. Make sure you provide company devices for every employee, put training in place to avoid data breaches, and implement security measures to protect your company from cyber-attacks.

4.    Provide reliable connectivity

Staying connected is essential when working remotely. Poor internet connections can impact on productivity, impede customer service and frustrate your employees. There are significant differences between a typical home broadband connection and professional-standard business broadband. Get the best from your workforce with high-quality business broadband connections for all remote workers.

5.    Look after staff health and wellbeing

It’s easy for employees to feel forgotten when working from home, so it’s more important than ever to make them feel valued. Despite the work environment changing, you’re still responsible for staff health and safety while at work, so provide ergonomic equipment and training to guard against RSI, eye strain and other common workplace ailments. Make sure all staff have regular one-to-ones where they can raise any issues that are affecting their wellbeing. Hammer home the importance of a work-life balance: make it clear that you don’t expect employees to log on at midnight just because they physically can. Your company culture is likely to change significantly as a result of the transition to remote working: make sure that change is a positive one.

Need help setting up your remote workforce?

Croft’s business communication solutions are designed for remote working. Covering everything from collaboration and conferencing tools, cybersecurity, business broadband collaboration and more, our team of experts can set your virtual office up for success!

Get in touch with us for invaluable advice, or get a free quote on the remote working equipment your business may be lacking.