How to Use Telecommuting Effectively?
With the numerous pros and cons of telecommuting, it can be challenging to decide whether to allow your team to work remotely. However, proper preparation is the key to successful telecommuting. Equipping employees with the necessary tools, policies, and guidelines can enable them to perform as effectively as they would in the office, potentially even more so when telecommuting. Here are some best practices to ensure the success of the telecommuting team,
1. Establish a Clear Telecommuting Policy: Creating a comprehensive telecommuting policy can provide peace of mind, ensuring that the employees will deliver even without direct supervision. This policy should detail work hours and output expectations, eligibility requirements, security protocols, and potential consequences for policy violations. For instance, the City and County of San Francisco have published a detailed telecommute policy on their official webpage, outlining the steps and resources needed for employees to be eligible to telecommute.
2. Equip Employees with Necessary Tools: There are countless online tools available for various tasks, whether it is video conferencing with a large team, collaborating on a single document, or setting up virtual water coolers for employees to gather. Providing employees with tools to communicate, improve, and be productive will enable them to perform their jobs effectively. Tools like Time Doctor can help them monitor their progress and productivity, ensuring their success even when working from home. Time Doctor offers features like distraction alerts to keep them focused during work hours and addresses any performance monitoring issues with time tracking, app & website monitoring, and even offline time tracking.
3. Implement Communication Guidelines: Communication can be said as one of the major challenges of telecommuting. This can be mitigated by establishing communication standards. Here’s how,
- Specify which communication channels employees should use, such as which online tools to use for virtual conferencing or project collaboration.
- Define common availability hours, which could range from a few hours a day to a few hours a week, to facilitate efficient communication and collaboration.
- Set specific response times to eliminate guesswork. For example, specify that messages should be replied to by the end of the day or first thing the next morning.
3. Allocate Time for Socialising Among Employees: With limited face-to-face interaction, it is even more important to make an extra effort to boost employee morale and improve company culture. Encourage the team to socialise, even if it is virtual. Telecommuting can reduce work interruptions, but it can also make employees feel isolated. They may feel detached from the organisation and team members. Organisations can facilitate scheduled virtual activities like movie nights, where everyone can watch and discuss a film together from their homes.
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