In 2020, the world made a shift in the way they work. Offices shut down, and workers were remote. According to WFHResearch, although we are back to normal as of 2023 in regard to COVID impacts, 12.7% of full-time employees still work from home, while 28.2% work a hybrid model.
Studies also show that by 2025, 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely, which equates to about 22% of the workforce. Whether you're an employee working remotely or a business owner looking to move your company fully remote, we have some strategies and tips to make your day-to-day more productive and secure.
Tools For Remote Work Success
Working remotely can be vastly different from working in an office or on-site. It makes sense that workers have had to adapt to their new work environment and learn to utilize tools they typically wouldn't have. Adjusting to a unique work setting and new work tools can be challenging. However, to make remote work successful and productive, we've composed a few essential tools to help you and your employees stay secure and efficient while working from home.
1. Use Anti-Virus Software
Ensure that all devices used by your employees have updated anti-virus software installed. This will protect your organization from malware infections, phishing attacks, and other cyber threats. One of the best ways to ensure this is by having employees use company issued laptops that they can use at home or at work instead of thier own personal computer.
2. Implement Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to remote access to your systems. It requires users to provide a secondary verification form, such as a one-time code sent to their mobile devices and passwords, making it harder for hackers to steal their login credentials.
3. Provide Remote Support
A remote IT support team that can help employees troubleshoot technical issues is essential to maintaining a productive and secure remote work environment. Remote support can help employees quickly resolve computer issues that disrupt their work, minimizing downtime and increasing productivity.
4. Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
VPN offers a secure tunnel for remote workers connecting to the company's private network, encrypting their communication to increase privacy and security. This way, remote workers can access company data and handle sensitive information without worrying about cyber threats.
5. Educate Your Employees
Regularly holding training sessions can help your employees understand the risks and learn to stay safe while working remotely. Employee education ensures they can spot phishing emails, use strong passwords, and stay updated on the latest cybersecurity threats.
What to Consider When Creating Remote Work Policies
An essential aspect of creating a thriving remote work environment involves developing your IT work policies. Having a clear, thought-out plan as to what is expected of your employees and the typical remote workday will determine the level of success the remote work environment provides. A few things to consider when choosing your work policies could include:
- Data compliance considerations (i.e., remote workers under HIPAA, etc.)
- How data is handled in a remote environment and does that meet compliance requirements specific to your business
- What protections are in place to minimize risk
- Equipment Requirements (i.e., PC, camera, printer, shredder, etc.)
- Ensuring everyone has a camera
- Printing at home
- Faxing at home
- Usage of communication and collaboration tools
- Standardizing what tools everyone uses
- Setting expectations of use of tools
Ensure your policies are formed considering what works well and what your business is or isn't capable of.
Ways to Utilize Collaboration and Communication Tools
Another crucial aspect of remote work environments is how your team plans to effectively communicate and collaborate when all are based in different locations. If not everyone is under the same roof or in the same meeting space, how will you work together and have discussions? Luckily, a lot of progress has been made with these types of tools recently, and there are lots of options and capabilities.
One of these tools that Usherwood recommends is Microsoft Teams. You can utilize Teams as a central hub for team communication, allowing members to chat, share files, and collaborate in real time. Key features of Teams include:
- Conducting audio and video meetings with team members, clients, or external participants
- Sharing and collaborating on documents, presentations, and spreadsheets within Teams. Multiple team members can simultaneously work on the same file, track changes, and leave comments
- Sharing specific files or folders with external users securely, granting them controlled access to collaborate on documents or view shared content
- Digital calling/phone system to take calls from anywhere
- Chat functionality
There are plenty of other communication and collaboration-oriented tools out there that may work better for your business. What matters is finding the tool that helps your company produce the most efficient, secure, and proactive results.
Ensuring Activity and Productivity for Remote Workers
Building a productive remote work environment may not be easy, but it's possible with the right tools and mindset. It takes human elements and enablement to provide your employees with the right resources and company culture to maintain.
While we don’t recommend overly monitoring your employees, you can manage a thriving remote culture by incorporating a camera-on policy in video calls and ensuring your employees have the right tools to succeed. Creating an interactive nature amongst your workers and conducting company-wide meetings where everyone works together will strengthen your culture. Help your employees feel important and needed for the team, and always strive to communicate and collaborate to produce the most beneficial results for your business.
Build a Successful Remote Work Culture
Working remotely is quickly becoming the norm, but it brings various challenges that organizations must address, such as data privacy and security. With a productive yet safe work environment, your employees can work efficiently, improving your business's overall workflow and success.
Take steps today to ensure your remote workers are productive and secure in their new work environment. It's crucial to your organization's success.
