Here’s how Business Leaders are Ensuring Successful Remote Work

Just a few months back, remote working is referred to as an alternative work program. Companies who have adopted it will allow employees a certain degree of flexibility in their workplace arrangements. Fast-forward to the present, and the concept of working from home has become mainstream. Based on a study by Global Workplace Analytics, 62% of organizations see the importance of affording flexibility to employees in how they work.

While smartphones allow communication at all hours, office policies around alternative work programs have not necessarily kept pace with technological advancements. With more technologies being developed to support remote work environments, well-thought-out workplace policies will be the key to making these programs successful. Here are three ways leaders are building and managing successful remote work programs.

It is not uncommon for remote work programs to be applied unevenly across the same organization. That is what having a clear policy is essential when it comes to rolling out these alternative work programs. This includes penning down clear criteria who get to work remotely and when. Due to differences in job scopes, there will be some who are more suitable for remote work than others. For those roles that might not work in a remote setting, companies want to lay down other types of flexibility they are entitled to, such as an option to stagger their hours in the office or to work longer hours but shorter weeks. It is essential to be fair and transparent. Let employees have the opportunity to demonstrate their effectiveness off-site so that it eliminates the perceived injustice that other coworkers are allowed to work from home. The framework should also include clear guidelines on how to conduct work off-site. This could range from avenues for accessing technical help and cyber-security measures.

Employers often face problems when it comes to evaluating remote employees. The biggest mistake many managers make is to assume that remote employees should be evaluated using different metrics. Instead, you have to develop agreed-upon goals for each employee, regardless of their work arrangement. In addition to individual outcomes, companies also should pay attention to measurable data. For example, track client satisfaction or project completion rates for each individual. Proactive communication, time management, and creating clear goals and milestones are all best practices that managers should have when managing flexible workers, and companies should train their managers as such.

One of the common sense practices that always falls through the cracks when it comes to remote work is security. You might not realize this, but employee behavior is your most significant security risk. According to Dell’s End-User Security survey, 45% of employees “admit to conducting unsafe behaviors throughout the workday.” If you want your remote program to be successful, you have to think through how to manage your employee’s security protocol. They should be required to take a security training program to learn the importance of strong passwords, as well as raise the caution level when using public WiFi networks.

The most successful alternative work programs have clear policies emphasizing that you value remote workers while providing proper training. Don’t think of flexibility as accommodation for your employees. Instead, focus on how they can increase employee productivity, engagement, and performance.