Social distancing has been identified as a crucial method in order to help slow the spread and rate of infection during the current coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. As the UK continues to wind down, with schools, transport and more businesses scheduled to close and work from home, flexible working specialists Instant Offices have investigated the industries that are likely to be prepared for complete remote working, and how businesses can overcome the typical challenges of managing a remote team.

Although three-quarters of companies worldwide have already switched to flexible working options, with 83% reporting a boost in productivity, constant remote working is something that many haven’t developed the infrastructure for.

Top 10 fields for remote working:

After technology, marketing is the second-best industry for remote workers, with 24.5% of remote jobs posted from this field. The reason for its popularity is that numerous roles can be covered completely online, including content writers, social media managers, SEO strategists and digital marketers.

• Information Technology – 29.2%
• Marketing – 24.5%
• Business Administration and Management – 4.7%
• Mobile App Development – 4.5%
• Shopping – 3.9%
• Other – 3.5%
• Education and Training – 3.3%
• Arts – 3.3%
• Human Services – 3.2%
• Correction and Security – 2.9%

Communicating with Remote Teams

For many workers, increased connectivity in personal and work lives has made the transition into remote working a relatively easy one. Faster and more reliable Wi-Fi and broadband, access to cloud systems and team collaboration tools mean ‘the office’ can be just about anywhere. By streamlining your work processes in this way, your team can be more professional, productive and efficient in the long run.

Regardless of times of uncertainty, having a remote-working team can help reduce the stress of members of staff who want to self-isolate, which will also reduce the chance of in-office infection.

Creating a comfortable and healthy company culture with the WFH umbrella overhead is impossible without acknowledging each employee’s uniqueness. As we enter the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are aware of how to effectively transition into the world of hybrid workplaces without changing the company’s entire “vibe.” However, a few companies are concerned that even with many privacy features on employees’ laptops, their office data may be compromised. That being the case, the companies can opt for custom software development for communication purposes with their employees by contacting firms such as Real Innovation Group.

However, along with the benefits, there are some challenges to managing remote teams and the team at Instant Offices have provided the following tips to help businesses adapt:

Communication – Getting people in different locations to work together for a common goal can be tricky. That said, the Internet has provided many powerful tools to assist with communication and collaboration in today’s modern workplace. Even when people are working from home, there is still a need for training, especially if there have been updates to their systems. Implementing Corporate Training Software can help management give the training that they need to their workers and ensure that outcomes are being achieved.

Keeping track of activities, goals, and productivity – Not everyone can work effectively in a remote location. In remote settings, employees must know how to manage themselves and often wear different hats. It is therefore important to ensure team members are aware of the company’s long-term and short-term goals. You should also make sure that the essential task management tools and software are provided to employees so that they can go about their daily work efficiently.

Growing Company Culture with a Remote Team

Generally, co-located teams have an easier time building a company culture than remote teams. That said, there are some things business owners can do to create a positive company culture with a remote team:

Choose tools that match your culture: It is essential to choose apps and software that match the culture you are trying to create since all communication and collaboration will happen using online tools. If you want to create a fun and laid-back environment, choose tools that can match the atmosphere. You also want to make it as easy as possible for your remote team to stay up-to-date. Be it via video conferencing tools, chat apps, or the comments section of your project management tool, you need to offer various ways to keep in touch and be on top of the work. For instance, to help your customer care agents, you can use tools such as call center AI software or other automated resources. Such applications can benefit companies through facilities, including conversation monitoring, interaction history, chatbots for customers, reviews and ratings for agents, etc. Moreover, an enterprise can optimize the software to incorporate necessary information about their products and services so that the agent can assist a customer with any problem.

Team building: Team building does wonders to foster communication, especially among remote workers who do not see each other on a daily basis. While people are self-isolating it’s still possible to be social with platforms such as Skype or Zoom for group messaging and video chats for a light-hearted catch-up to see how everyone is.

Recognition: Public recognition for a job well done is one of the most effective and most natural ways to motivate a remote team. Shoutouts in a team chat, during meetings, or any other way, will not only boost morale and motivation but set a standard for other team members to strive for.