The Covid pandemic brought with it radical changes to the working world. Businesses were forced to pivot from a traditional, inflexible structure to one that handed autonomy back to the workers, giving them the opportunity to largely work when and where they like. Naturally, there was a lot of trial and error as working patterns shifted to this remote-first approach. But, even in the wake of the pandemic, it’s clear that lessons have been learned and the new world order, with flexibility at its core, is here to stay.
So, with the 9-5 seemingly a thing of the past, how are businesses minimizing the impact of losing this structured approach to work? If you’re concerned about the long-term implications of flexible working on your clients and your profits, here are four things you can do to minimize the impacts.
Offer remote training
One of the key benefits of having your employees come together in an office environment is the opportunity it creates for learning. This setting is more conducive to ongoing and impromptu training that is less likely to happen when communicating exclusively through digital channels. To combat this, companies can offer remote training schemes to help ensure that employees don’t miss out on the professional development opportunities they might’ve had in the office.
One of the key benefits of remote training over a live course is that it can be done at any time, giving employees more control by allowing them to schedule it in around existing professional commitments. Offering regular opportunities for development will help to enhance the skills of existing employees, and could make you more attractive to prospective ones. In fact, one survey found that 76% of employees believe offering additional skills training to staff makes a company more appealing.
Offer a WFH budget
Almost across the board, both business owners and employees in all different sectors have noted higher productivity rates since transitioning to remote-first. However, in order for these higher rates to be achieved, it’s vital that workers have all the tools they need to complete their job on a daily basis. Of course, this will include any technology like laptops or monitors, but it’s also important to consider their health and comfort, beyond the essential items.
Staff should be encouraged to have a proper desk setup that’s conducive to productivity and will provide them with enough support throughout the day. Ergonomic chairs and keyboards can help to take the pressure off of their bones, joints and muscles, optimizing comfort whilst at work. By playing your part in supporting the health and well-being of your remote employees, you may see improvements in productivity and team morale, while reducing sick days and the risk of burnout.
Prioritize your customer service
If you’ve always operated in a traditional way, with employees all together in one office, managing your customer service may be one of the biggest challenges of a remote shift. You’ll want to ensure a smooth transition so any queries or potential leads aren’t missed, which is why it’s so important to have a plan in place. Naturally, this starts with implementing the right software and platforms for your team to use. Using a centralized system (and ensuring staff are properly trained on how to use it) will help you to organize customer queries and prioritize issues by SLA.
In addition to this, lots of companies are realizing the benefits of hiring a virtual receptionist or assistant. These employees can provide a bespoke, round-the-clock service, offering support on tasks such as call handling and appointment scheduling. Not only does this have the potential to save you time and money on hiring and training new employees, but virtual support could help to boost productivity, by freeing up more time for permanent staff.
And of course, having 24/7 support gives the impression that you’re open for business any time of the day or night, reassuring customers that their issues will be resolved promptly. This could be the difference between retaining their business and losing it to a competitor.
Surviving the shift
As the working world shifts to a more remote setup, there’s no blueprint to follow to minimize the potential impacts. However, keeping these three things in mind as you move forward to this new way of working will ensure you can make the most of a remote approach and take your business operations to the next level.
