The concept of working remote is nothing new, but it surely wasn’t the standard a few years ago. Some organizations have long-standing policies supporting remote work for employees with extenuating circumstances, specific terms of employment or as an incentive to reward employees.
However, the majority of workers have only experienced working from home within the past couple years (with special thanks to COVID-19). Now that businesses are asking employees to return to the office, it’s no secret that employees enjoy working from home. Safety and health concerns are still prevalent, fighting traffic every day and being forced to leave the comforts of home where there are typically fewer interruptions are all contributing factors that support why employees prefer to work from home.
Instead of fully complying with return-to-work mandates, employees are demanding more work-from- home options from employers and are not afraid to explore other job opportunities that do offer remote opportunities. Organizations are being forced to acknowledge that remote work is here to stay.
Employers are challenged with developing new strategies that allow for a viable, remote workforce while ensuring successful remote employee retention. These strategies must consider which employee roles are suitable for remote work, how to track and monitor work from home performance, which tools and systems are needed to support remote workers, and how to shift the organizational culture to support this new reality.
The good news is that many organizations have stopped resisting a remote workforce and understand that employees who work from home can be highly productive and even tend to experience higher levels of employee satisfaction. However, a dispersed workforce that is not interacting within the confines of a shared office space requires the appropriate tools to ensure effective communication and collaboration.
Employers should be focused on developing a culture where remote workers feel like they are part of a team, supported, and not on an island alone. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) has received a lot of attention in this space and vested interest is expected to rise. UCaaS is a cloud delivery model that includes enterprise messaging, online meetings, and team collaboration. Examples of UCaaS include Zoom, Microsoft Teams and RingCentral.
Caution must be taken by companies to avoid “Zoom fatigue,” which refers to the tiredness associated with the overuse of virtual communication channels (source: National Geographic, 2020). Communication guidelines should be established to ensure remote workers have fewer interruptions during work hours, by which productivity will increase and burn out will decrease.
Organizations who have implemented cloud ERP systems are at an advantage when it comes to fostering a productive remote workforce. Cloud ERP systems promote flexibility and mobility. It offers streamlined processes and provide a single source of real-time data that can be accessed anytime from anywhere. ERP vendors are constantly enhancing their products to support new trends and technological advances. However, companies must be diligent in adopting these enhancements by updating their ERP systems frequently with new features and functionality.
Ensuring workers are adequately trained to perform their jobs from any location and automating manual business processes within ERP platforms should also be top priorities to promote operational efficiencies and productivity. ERP products typically offer many off the shelf features that complement a remote workforce.
For example, HR can leverage functionality that eliminates the need for physical interaction with employees such as remote onboarding forms, chat boxes and automated learning management for continued education and training. Payroll and AP teams can utilize electronic ACH payments to eliminate paper checks. Centralized data within ERP systems makes reporting and analytics more streamlined, accurate and easier to access. Workflows and checklists are common tools in ERP systems that can help organize and manage common tasks, such as financial close activities.
Although many of the tools previously discussed are readily available to help companies support a remote workforce, none of them will be effective without adequate internet connection and network capacity. Work-from-home infrastructure is a fundamental need and cybersecurity policies need to be rolled out to protect sensitive business and employee information.
Although it may be a daunting task, organizations must push forward with establishing polices and implementing adequate tools to support their work from employees. Employees are looking for a happier, healthier work life and employers can reap the rewards of increased productivity, performance and loyalty. It’s a win-win.
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, CSI Companies partners with organizations nationwide to deliver solutions-focused workforce services. We have the resources necessary to scale with any enterprise, yet are small enough to maintain the personal service we’ve become known for over the past 27 years. To learn more, visit csicompanies.com.
