How Remote working is evolving
March 28, 2023Remote work was thrust upon us in difficult times and many businesses found it was actually more beneficial to work from home or with a hybrid configuration whereby people visit the office a couple of times a week. What happened initially was a huge shift that many people were unprepared for.
Their on premise solutions just wouldn’t work in an environment where people were forced to work from home. Now that people are choosing to work remotely and all the statistics suggest it’s actually increased productivity and lowered ongoing costs for businesses – it’s here to stay, but it’s changing all the time. It’s given rise to companies such as Grow Remote who are assisting companies and employees in Ireland with the challenges that remote working can present and provide effective solutions, training and content to help them thrive in this ever-changing environment.
What effect has remote working had so far?
Remote working has been of huge benefit to businesses and employees alike over the last few years. Prior to remote working, there was a statistical disparity between working in major cities and working further afield in terms of the wages offered. Now with remote working available, people are finding that they can achieve the same salaries they would have as if they lived in the major cities and work for a larger selection of businesses as they are no longer geographically locked to a commutable area. What this does is expands the earning power of employees throughout the country they live in and also gives businesses a wider array of talent to employ and a more diverse cultural fit for the workplace.
What this also leads to is a far smaller environmental impact than having a workforce commute to work every day and sit in an office. There are less people using cars to travel to work, no costly office space to maintain for businesses and it provides the flexibility for people to choose when they work and from where. Ultimately this strengthens rural communities as much as urban, employees are able to have a greater selection of where to live and as such smaller communities are able to grow as a result.
Have a team working remotely?
Remote working has come a long way since its inception and in 2023, it's evolving more than ever before. The pandemic accelerated the shift to remote working and as a result, businesses have had to adapt to new ways of working. One of the biggest challenges of remote working is building and maintaining a strong team culture from a distance.
Building a remote team requires careful consideration of how to create and maintain a sense of community and belonging with each individual. This includes regular communication, team-building activities, and opportunities for social interaction. It's important to create a sense of shared purpose and vision to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals too.
How do we prepare people for remote working?
As with any transformation, there are challenges to address. One such challenge is a potential skill-gap within the workplace. Working remotely does mean that there are often new workflows, new processes and a new way of working with a team from a remote location. This can vary from software through to time/project management. Utilising a wider array of software means that users could require further training or how to remain productive on a day-to-day basis without the ability to just shout over to a colleague and say “how do I…”
Bridging this gap is a challenge faced by many businesses. This is why the software that businesses use for remote working is important. Familiarity is key, using software that people are already familiar with helps but also having an internal training regimen, an effective on-boarding process and having clear workflows set out will ultimately assist your workforce in becoming stronger by working remotely.
What software can you use?
Collaboration is also crucial in remote working environments. With team members scattered across different locations and time zones, collaboration tools are essential for effective communication and teamwork. It's important to choose the right tools that fit your team's needs and preferences, such as project management platforms, instant messaging apps, video conferencing tools, and file sharing systems.
Google Workspace is a popular collaborative tool that has helped businesses transition to remote working and enhance their productivity. It includes applications like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, which allow teams to communicate, collaborate and manage their work seamlessly.
Google meet is surging in popularity of late too, as part of Google Workspace it offers remote teams the ability to use video conferencing software with a suite of fantastic features, such as presenting securely, breakout rooms and reactions. It’s an effective replacement for some of the more costly conferencing software out there and comes included with Google Workspace. It’s a viable (and in most cases better) alternative to Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Slack among other software.
In addition to Google Workspace, there are several other collaborative tools and apps that have helped businesses adapt to remote working. For instance, project management tools like Trello, Monday.com and Asana are popular choices for remote teams to manage their workflows and keep track of their tasks.
There is also customer relationship management (CRM) software like Salesforce, Copper and HubSpot can help businesses manage their customer interactions and sales pipelines in teams, even when working remotely. Integration tools like Zapier and IFTTT are also important for businesses to automate workflows and streamline their processes.
The 9 – 5 is no longer on the table
Another important aspect of remote working is flexibility. The traditional 9-5 workday is no longer the only option, and businesses are starting to recognize the benefits of flexible working hours. This can help to boost employee morale, reduce stress, and increase productivity. Remote working also allows for a better work-life balance, which can lead to happier and more engaged employees.
To make remote working a success, businesses need to consider the culture of the team and the company. This means taking steps to create a positive and inclusive environment that supports and motivates team members from a remote position. This includes recognising and rewarding achievements, promoting open communication and transparency, and providing opportunities for growth and development that can be challenging when not done in person.
In summary, remote working is evolving in 2023 to place greater emphasis on team culture, collaboration, and flexibility. To make remote working a success, businesses need to build and maintain a strong internal culture, choose the right collaboration tools to work together, and be flexible in terms of working hours. By doing so, businesses can ensure that their remote teams are productive, engaged, and motivated, leading to a more successful and sustainable future.
Speak to us
Damson Cloud is a fully remote business and we’ve been working together with the UK and Ireland's largest businesses for over 10 years with their Google Workspace and other collaboration tools. We’ve led the market when it comes to digital transformation and we have a long list of success stories for our clients. To speak to us and find out how we can help you, please get in touch with us here.
