The 2020 and 2021 pandemic taught us that we have the infrastructure to support plenty of remote workers, and given the cost-benefits savings involved, many companies want to keep the remote process going. But, how do you nurture a remote working culture in 2022?
Create Routine & Cultivate Trust
Whether it’s an online ‘log-in’ system, or a morning teams call, most companies will find a way to ensure their employees are present and correct as well as engaged in their work.
As we enter a new phase of remote working, this daily routine must also make way for a work culture that fosters trust between management and employees. Constantly checking up on workers is a waste of resources. Focus on whether or not your employees are hitting their deadlines and performing generally overall rather than nitpicking over how long it takes for them to respond to an instant message.
Find the balance; treating your employees like adults and trusting them to achieve their work goals will create a better remote working environment. You will quickly be able to spot those who are not committed.
Don’t Leave it to Just a Few
There is a tendency to leave the remote workers to a single member of staff. It is usually the “Tech-savvy” person or a manager, but that is not how you nurture a healthy remote working culture. You need to cultivate a team attitude online and offline. At the very least, set roles for remote workers and those who manage them, such as designating some people as tech-problem solvers, some as product question solvers, others as managers, HR and so forth. Putting one or a few people in charge of handling remote workers is not a good idea.
Embrace and Encourage Flexibility
It is important to structure the day in a similar way to working in an office, however, we must also accept that this is not an office environment.
The increase of remote working has the incredible potential to alleviate great stresses for workers. Namely, it is a step towards equality, allowing mothers and parents in general to work whilst at home with their children. It can also be used to create an inclusive company ethos for those with chronic illness, disabilities and mental health issues.
Be flexible and understanding of your employees. Avoid micro-management and accept that employees may choose to work their hours around their home commitments – providing this does not impact upon the day to day running of business, there is no issue with this. Demonstrating trust in your remote employees will get the most out of them.
Hire Talent that Easily Incorporates Remote Working
Let’s face it, there are a lot of freelancers out there that you can use. If you want to keep your remote working process going, you could consider hiring a few of them and taking a project-to-project hands-off approach. Alternatively, you could start hiring new staff from headhunters London and onboarding them straight into a remote working environment. That way, there is no troubling transition from office worker to home worker.
Fancy sourcing your employees from farther afield? Using an employer of record service like Remote will ensure you’re able to take your pick from the largest possible pool of candidates during your next recruitment drive. An EOR service enables a company to find and hire talent from abroad by routing the recruitment process through a legal business umbrella in the desired country of employment. This avoids the traditional hassle of managing factors such as payroll, HR, or taxation, allowing you to focus on onboarding your new acquisitions. In combination with a strong remote-working environment, this creates ample opportunity for you to build a truly global workforce.
