The pandemic, last year, has turned the tables for businesses of all sizes, around the world. Employees have adjusted to the new work from home normal. And employers have also accepted the changes in the operations, likewise.
However, there are still many gaps that need to be filled.
To put this into perspective, communicating the essential information and gathering data is still a hurdle that needs to be overcome.
The Problems Amidst The New Normal
Although WFH eliminated the health issues pertaining due to the Covid-19, it does not mean that there aren’t any more problems. According to a report, the remote workforce for US employers increased 153% during the years 2005 through 2017.
While this might seem amusing, the fact of the matter is it only accounts for 3%-4% of Americans working from home.
The same report also mentioned that nearly 43% of US businesses implemented WFH norms in the middle of February 2020.
Evidently, with such a large workforce making an emergency shift to working from home would have initially struggled to adjust to the new normal.
Setup/Equipment
Notably, a massive population of US employees used office equipment. But when the lockdown or WFH was implemented, many didn’t have the required setup at home to continue work.
What made the situation even worse was the issue with the internet. Although several studies suggest that internet services have improved through the pandemic, the user traffic also increased simultaneously. And this created a substantial downtime for businesses with a remote workforce.
Data Security And Safety
Typically, offices either outsource their IT security and safety or have an in-house team to curb the risks. We all know this. But, what many of us won’t know is, most of the offices have several security checks in place to prevent data breaches and loss.
For example, VPNs, firewalls, authentication keys, and many more such securities are put in place by employers. And it is very likely that the remote workforce won’t have such securities in place. Thus, making them prone to data breaches and theft.
Communications
Another surmounting issue that several employers pointed out is the failure to communicate efficiently. Typically speaking, most of the companies have dedicated teams for different operations. And likewise, effective collaboration between different teams is all the more vital to the success of the tasks assigned.
When working from the office, the usual communication methods include emails. instant messengers, and of course, physical contact. However, these tactics weren’t efficient enough when working from home. Particularly, because there’s no physical presence of employees and no verbal conversations.
Recruitment And Onboarding
Most importantly, the recruitment and onboarding processes were affected pretty badly with the new normal in effect. The process requires several steps, including personal interviews, document verification, and legal compliance.
For example, no interviews were conducted personally. Likewise, remote i9 verification is mandatory for all employees in the US. All these tasks need the employee and the employer to physically interact with each other.
The Solution…
With so many issues, along with productivity loss and declining efficiency, employers must come up with tactical solutions. Thankfully, there are several tools that can help with the same.
Keep reading to know more.
Setting Up Work Space At Home
The very first thing that needs to figure out is setting up a home office. Well, surprisingly, many employers are already issuing complete setups to their employees.
For example, some employers are providing systems to their employees, while others are reimbursing the depreciation costs to their employees. The benefit- employees no longer can complain about system downtime and breakdowns.
Thus, ensuring that the employees stay productive and efficient in their tasks.
Ensuring Data Security And Safety
Employers who already had a tiny workforce working remotely are now extending their IT security setup. In short, employers are now deploying system security to a remote workforce.
Notably, the best part is, all these security concerns are also managed by remote teams. Thus, they better understand how vital these tools are for brake free operations.
Effective Communication Tools
According to a report, video conferencing tools like Zoom had received over 300 million users during the initial days of lockdown. This data is self-evident how the technology has gained a tremendous boost during the pandemic.
Notably, Zoom isn’t the only tool out there. Plenty of other communication tools like GMeets, Slack, and so on have also been growing exponentially since the pandemic has struck. These video conferencing tools not only helped connect the teams remotely but also helped with productivity and efficiency. Effective communication is sure to motivate better performance, and likewise improve focus and dedication.
Streamlining Recruitment And Onboarding
Most of all the operational tasks that benefited from technology during the new normal are the human resources department. Notably, there’s hardly any technology left untouched by the HR personals.
For example, job portals and social media became the new way for job search. Likewise, skype and GMeets were used to conduct personal interviews. Onboarding processes were also efficiently assisted by employing software tools.
There are, in short, plenty of ways that the HR department has benefited during the pandemic.
The Takeaway…
If you’ve been following until now, you must have a pretty good idea about how technologies are helping businesses survive through tough times. And not to mention, still stay productive and profitable.
It only requires some exploration and a little careful decision making to know what technologies can benefit your business. Given that, your teams can stay on course and still be as efficient as they used to be when working from the office.
With the apparently growing cases of Covid cases and no sight of it going away soon, it is very likely that you might need to continue remote operations for several months to come. It needs no mention, therefore, that integrating the right technologies is vital, more than ever.
On this note, we rest it up to you to choose what technologies you ought to use. And accordingly, reap the benefits for your business and stay on top of your industry or trade.