Options for remote work are spreading through businesses like wildfire. Fast Company reports that when considering implementing a remote work policy there are three things an employer should consider:
– Technology.
– Discipline.
– Clear instruction.
Ensuring each employee has portable hardware that can be transported to and from the office is a no-brainer, but more than that, employers must ascertain that an employee is connected with the right tools to succeed as a remote worker. From Video Conference API to a helpful project management service, employees should be set up with what they need from day one of working offsite.
Overall, working remotely has been shown to boost productivity. The increase in flexibility tends to encourage employees to get more done in less time. Most of us face more distractions at work than we’d like to admit and commuting can be a real brain drain. However, it’s important that employees given the flexibility to work offsite are the sorts of people managers can trust to do quality work with minimal supervision.
While discipline on an individual is important, clear instruction from employers is just as vital. If an employee isn’t accomplishing what a manager had in mind, it’s more likely that the instructions weren’t clear enough than that the employee couldn’t be bothered to complete the work well. When it comes to remote work, managers should be clear about when an employee will be working and how as well as with what frequency and employee will be reporting their progress.
