Thousands of businesses across the globe have started to re-think how their business operates in a bid to stand out amongst their competitors. This increased need for agility saw an increase in the number of remote companies across the country.
A remote organisation allows its employees to work from a location that suits them – usually their own homes. This article will share some future-proofing tips for remote businesses so they can continue to strive towards success in 2023.
Create Remote Training Programmes
Effective training should remain a priority for remote businesses. Some of your employees may be struggling to get to grips with new technologies, which could be hindering their progress. As a result, you will also see this negatively affect workplace productivity. Therefore, it is crucial for all business leaders to provide thorough and practical training to their employees. Companies should regularly ask their staff for feedback to identify areas of the business that require more attention/training.
To future-proof your business you should create a training programme for all new and existing employees. It should aim to simplify the tools that your organisation uses, encouraging staff to feel more comfortable in their job roles. If you feel like your companies training programme is not effective, look for ways to improve it. You can learn more about this by conducting some online research.
Implement ISO 27001
Working remotely does come with risks. Now, companies must up their security management by securing multiple locations, devices and internet connections to protect their sensitive information. Employees will now require access to their organisation's software from various locations, which puts your company at risk of a data breach. To help protect your company's reputation, you should consider implementing ISO 27001.
ISO 27001 is a certification that protects your company from security threats. It is a security management system that includes a range of policies, documents and security controls to help you manage information security. Your ISO 27001 policy should outline what is expected of your team while demonstrating to your clients that you are proactive in protecting their personal information. If you need help creating your policy, you can use these future-proof ISO 27001 policy templates from High Table. Their toolkit allows you to keep costs down by helping you take on ISO 27001 documentation yourself. It includes a range of templates that will save you time usually spent on extensive research.
Pursue Virtual Team Building Activities
Employee engagement is a vital asset to any remote company. Although, it can be harder to achieve when your staff are in multiple locations. To future-proof your business, you need to improve the employee experience. Make sure your team stay connected with one another to help you create a positive workplace culture. One what that you can achieve this is by engaging in virtual team building activities.
Just because your team are separated, this doesn't mean you cannot encourage them to build strong relationships. Team building exercises encourage collaborative working and can bring your team closer together. Now, video conferencing tools have made it a lot easier for remote businesses to interact with their staff, regardless of where they are in the world. Take a look at some virtual team building activities online to inspire you.
Acknowledge The Need for Flexible Work Schedules
Remote work saw an increase in the demand for flexible work schedules. Now, employees understand the importance of a healthy work/life balance and are looking for their employers to accommodate this. It has been reported that 9 in 10 employees in the UK are looking for flexibility in their next job role. Adapting to this change in work schedules can help make your company a more desirable place to work for both new and existing employees.
If you are going to implement flexible work schedules, you will need to ensure that employees know what is expected of them. Your organisation should create a flexible working policy that clearly outlines the number of hours an employee is required to work each day/week. This will ensure that your employees do not take advantage of their flexible work schedules while still meeting their deadlines and achieving their goals.
Leverage Technology
The technology your remote business chooses to use will dramatically affect the future of your business. All remote organisations should leverage technology and put time into finding the best software for their daily operations. Luckily, the internet has made this a lot easier as there are a plethora of reviews out there that you can use to your advantage. Ideally, you want to choose tech that will help you create a seamless work experience.
You will need collaborative software that allows your employees to communicate with each other so they can exchange information and ideas. You will also need to ensure that your employees have the right tools to do your job. For example, an employee may have an old laptop that is constantly disrupting their productivity. The organisation's job is to help the employee out and provide them with the tech they need to successfully complete their daily tasks.
Author: Stuart Barker | Director at High Table the ISO 27001 Company: https://hightable.io