Should the prospect of working from home go from luxury to necessity, both you and your workers want a solution that keeps everything consistent; workflows, communications, even your social interactions.
That way, there’s no distractions or discrepancies when the office moves from the cubicle to the kitchen table.
Arranging an out-of-office solution can at first seems daunting, but it’s essential not to be dissuaded by the prospect; if anything, approaching yours with an optimistic attitude could bring with it some unique benefits.
Surveys suggest that a properly calculated setup could actually help boost productivity, lower overhead costs and contribute to employee retention – three key benefits that trouble us all once the concept becomes reality.
Look upon your company’s home working setup as an opportunity, not just a solution. From a technical perspective, most modern solutions will be ready to support you out of the box, so consider all your existing technologies – they’re designed to help you make the most of remote working.
Staying Secure
Consider your VPN. It’s already securing your company data flows, so make it accessible to key employees. By encrypting your users’ personal Wi-Fi connections, you can be confident that security quite literally begins at home, and that they enjoy the same encrypted connections that you do in the office.
Keeping Consistent
Common software suites, from Adobe to Microsoft Office, are designed to be accessible from anywhere. So long as your employees have their own user accounts, there’s absolutely no loss of software functionality once they move from office to abode. Knowing they can stay on track eliminates your employees’ uncertainties, while the freedom to work from the sofa or a private space keeps them relaxed, willing and able.
Staying in Touch With Customers….
With VoIP, your voice quite literally travels. Any handset, any connection, any number; your VoIP supports it. Make the most of redirects, call routing, number porting and number twinning, and nobody need ever miss a single call. Like Office 365, your VoIP admin software is available from anywhere online, so there’s no restrictions on how and when to manage this setup, either.
…And Each Other
Don’t ever lose your company rapport. Working from home needn’t be lonely, and with comms software such as Microsoft Teams or Yammer users can keep in contact, conduct video calls and ensure there’s no communication breakdowns. It seems trivial, but it might well be essential to you and your employee’s wellbeing. So embrace the applications and ensure that your company camaraderie never breaks down; within 24 hours, we at Mirus were able to introduce Teams to all our users, close the Mirus offices and arrange a weekly pub quiz to help keep staff spirits high – so plenty is possible.
Keep on Top of Training
Your Teams setup could also be used to keep training consistent. By syncing meetings with your Outlook calendar, you could arrange regular training workshops for employees online, ensuring a consistent learning programme. Training hosts can also share their PC screen with viewers, allowing for visual, cooperative training methods with a more organised approach to feedback.
Of course, we can’t ignore the importance of keeping you, your employees and your business secure over the course of your out-of-office working, so we’ve provided some more links below to help you ensure your setup stays secure.
Other useful Remote Working content.
The Rules Behind Your Remote Working Policy - Blog
The Rules Behind Your Remote Working Policy - Infographic
The Makings of the Modern Workplace - eBook
The Ease and Efficiency of Microsoft Teams - eBook
Remote Working Successfully - eBook
Even if it requires a little preparation, there’s no reason not to use your home working initiative to approach challenges a little differently – and start making the most of this new way of working.
Looking for More Information on Remote Working?
