Working on the go and allowing employees the opportunity to work from home / remotely can be extremely beneficial. Half of the respondents in a RingCentral survey in the UK said they were more productive working at home, while Future Forum debunked the employer myth of reduced productivity in remote workers by finding people were 29% more productive at home and 53% more likely to be focused compared to their in-office counterparts.
But while the smallest details can hamper productivity at home, contrary to popular belief, home life issues don’t always affect how well a person can work from home. While children, visitors, social media, pets, and other distractions such as the TV or popping the kettle can be distracting influences, it is more likely the technical and collaboration aspects of remote working that will impact a person’s ability to get the job done.
While technology has advanced so much to allow seamless collaboration from outside the office, there are many remote working issues a person might have to contend with.
Poor Internet Connection
The ability to work from anywhere and everywhere is largely dependent on how good your internet connection is. Ensuring employees can access the best internet service for their location is essential. As is ensuring they have a backup, should the connectivity fail.
Tips and tricks for getting online can be useful in this scenario, and any good remote worker will know ways around an issue like this without having to resort to the free and often risky public Wi-Fi when out and about. From internet sharing between devices to using a mobile network and VPN, these can be effective strategies to tacking these remote working issues.
Time Zone Issues
Allowing remote working means you can access a wider talent pool for your company; however, not everyone will be in the same time zone oracle. If you are reaching out beyond your local area for employees, you need to accept that those people might have a different 9-5 than you and this can pose problems for them if they are working during your closed hours.
Allowing them easy access points and troubleshooting guides can be beneficial but can only go so far. You need to show them flexibility and understand that if things go wrong and they cannot access support when you are out of the office, this can help them keep moving to the point. You need to have protocols in place to assist with any issues such as this as a priority and then work with your remote team to find more effective workarounds and options to help them avoid things grinding to a halt should this occur.
Technical Difficulties
If someone on site has a technical difficulty, you will find out, and they will be able to get the help they need. However, remote workers don’t have that luxury. As an employer you need to factor in the different technological issues an employee could face and have a plan of action that will kick in should they encounter such problems. It can be something as easy as remotely wiping or locking devices so information stored on them doesn’t get into the wrong hands if stolen. Or if their devices stop working, you have cloud backup so they can easily link from one to another without any loss of progress or productivity. By thinking ahead and pre-empting the situation, you can help them resolve technical remote working issues quickly and easily.
Poor or Reduced Communication
It doesn’t matter if you have one or all of your team working remotely, communication is the most important factor. This is where effective communication apps come into play. These apps can allow people to log in real-time, chart their progress, and make updates as necessary so everyone is kept in the loop at all times.
Making a habit of checking these messages frequently and ensuring people have notifications switched on to avoid anything being missed, and working with everyone to ensure they understand the importance of communication and collaboration, especially in team settings, so everyone is on the same page.
Remote working can be extremely beneficial to any company. However, there will always be small issues you must contend with like you would if they were in the office with you. As an employer, you need to be on the ball concerning these remote working issues and have policies and procedures in place to support and help them stay on track and get the job done.
