Is Your Team Remote Ready?
Written by: Charmie Torres, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Before the pandemic hit, 35% of employees had not experienced working from home. The traditional office setting was the norm for most industries. But with the rapid shift to remote working, many organizations had to relearn how to manage all business operations outside the confines of an office in almost an instant.
Business operations involve all the processes that happen within an organization to keep it running and earn a profit. Plans and actions must be set organization-wide and within teams to work towards meeting the goals of the company. One of the best ways to achieve this is having the best set of resources, whether it be people, equipment, platforms, or processes. And of course, with the guidance and leadership of business owners and managers – navigating the new ways to conduct business operations lets you stay on track.
The rapid shift, however, didn’t bring all sunshine and daisies that normally come with remote working. It introduced many disadvantages like downsizing, inefficient collaboration, mental health lows, and work-life boundaries being crossed. Because of this, experts have suggested being prepared to work from home for the next 2 years or even permanently. By being prepared for the transition of completely remote teams, it helps you achieve two things: first, to overcome the challenges of non-face-to-face collaboration, and second, to effectively continue thriving as an organization.
Let’s take a look at several practices and questions you and your team can assess to ensure if you’re journey to transition remotely will be successful.
1. Good leadership while setting clear expectations – Implement the new standard of conducting business by setting clear expectations, key roles, and responsibilities for the team. Identify any additional responsibilities your team will take on during this time.
2. Right set of collaboration tools and resources – Are you equipped with the right collaboration tools and resources? Is everyone comfortable using certain software or platforms? Clearly communicate which project management apps you’ll be collaborating in like Microsoft Teams, Google Suite, ClickUp, or Slack.
3. Is your team projects-based or regular ongoing work? Most jobs that are remote are project-based. According to a Harvard Business Review article, restructuring jobs to work as remote positions long-term or ongoing is optimal. Enough time is needed, especially for new hires, to acclimatize to company culture and standards.
4. Are you able to provide training and support fast enough? – Identify the jobs and competencies that are flexible and those that are not. Offer training to address those skills given that face-to-face training is put on hold for the foreseeable future.
5. Do you have experience using external providers? – Outsourcing talent like digital marketing, virtual assistant, IT consultants, or web development will continue to rise within the next few years. It’s best to leverage on this strategy to work with the right people for your business.
6. Offshore Remote Teams work best for businesses that need cost-effective, performance-driven execution work as opposed to strategic input. With the economy at a standstill, coming up with other ways to maintain high standards of conducting business while being cost-effective is key.
Working remotely is proving to be the best option for businesses of all sizes, and if you’re looking to hire a remote team that is capable of working efficiently and meeting deadlines without breaking the bank, consider Löngun Services. Löngun can provide business owners with extremely affordable fees for accounting and customer service work as well as give you the opportunity to grow your business without compromising the quality of your services. To learn more about our service offering, visit our website.
Charmie Torres, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Charmie Torres is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Löngun, a business process outsourcing company. Löngun was conceived in 2018 in response to clients who needed more than accounting services. Born and raised in the Philippines and studied in one of the top universities in the UK, Charm aims to bridge both worlds to develop a diverse work culture and environment. “It was a knee-jerk reaction to offer administrative, virtual assistance, and graphic design services as well because this is what many of our customers needed to grow their ventures.” With a team of well-rounded and experienced professionals (a motley crew of accountants, customer service professionals, technical experts, graphic artists, and administrative personnel), Löngun’s mission is to help business owners focus on scaling their business by taking care of the company’s non-core activities and streamline their workflow. Also, serve as a catalyst to her Filipino employees to reach their fullest potential.
