Remote work has been a topic of discussion for a myriad of reasons. In the past there have been good arguments pro and con the idea. 

The arrival of COVID-19 is changing the whole debate.

The freedom and flexibility that comes with remote work has become a very valid argument in an unexpected way.  As COVID-19 is taking us all to places well outside our comfort zone, remote work has become the answer to some of the challenges we are facing. It allows employees to keep the company wheels turning from the safe isolation of their own home. 

Doing things differently

But as much as remote work is softening the economic impact of the virus, there is no getting away from the fact that remote work will require doing certain things differently, both for the employer and the employee. 

In essence it means that we must change from sharing the same physical space to virtual collaboration on a very high level. For the employee that’s requiring a good amount of discipline. From a managerial point of view, remote work drastically changes how you coach the team. 

Setting rules for remote work

For starters, it’s important to be clear about the company regulations around remote work. Unless your company has  an established track record with employees who work from home, some policies will need to be put in place. Some areas that might need discussion are: What hours of the day are employees expected to work?  When should employees be available? What is the expected email response time? How will you evaluate performance and productivity? 

And then there is the way remote work works that changes things from the perspective of human interaction. Working from home has its benefits, but equally comes with its challenges. Many employees find it quite isolating, so it may be a good idea for your company to open the discussion on mental wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak. 

But that’s not where it stops. 

Getting the right tools

A big part of this shift in approach lies on a logistic and collaboration level. Working from home is going to need the right tools. 

The transition from working in the office to work from home means the need for an appropriate home work  area, reliable internet access and the set-up of a secure VPN’s to employees who need access to sensitive company data. 

But also, unsurprisingly, when working remotely, good communication remains as important as it ever was.  It just will need a very different approach.  To put it simply, it will need to move from the office meeting room to  a virtual meeting space. This can range from a messaging tool of some sort to video conferencing software to real-time collaboration tools all the way to end-to-end work management tools. 

A wide range of solutions and options is available, so the key is to establish the company’s needs. 

Where ProWorkflow can help

ProWorkflow is a comprehensive and feature-rich work management solution that teams can rely on no matter where or when they’re working. Features like real-time collaboration, secure sharing and storing of documents, easy access to work statuses and work progress, consistent visibility of who is responsible for a certain task at any stage empower teams to do their best work — even while working from home. 

Feel free to sign up for a trial or talk to us if you think the ProWorkflow feature set might help your company to function effectively and productively as a remote team. 

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