Smart working has arrived to automate remote employment and operations. The idea is to take advantage of existing technologies to ensure that remote employees can maintain productivity.
According to FlexJobs data, remote work grew by 159% between 2005 and 2017. Additionally, 90% of respondents to a 2019 Staples workplace survey said that more flexible work arrangements and schedules boost employee morale.
With the disruptions currently being caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of remote workers has only increased. Businesses need to figure out how to reach the highest possible productivity and morale, even when working from home (WFH).
In an ideal scenario, smart working will also increase profits for owners and managers; Gallup reported in January 2020 that highly engaged WFH offices had a 21% increase in profitability. Optimization must be the key focus to inform your practice.
Smart working is a specialized branch of teleworking. Teleworking applies to any work from home. Smart working uses technology to bring employees and resources under a single umbrella and optimize people’s workdays. This is a principle I’m familiar with at my company, a digital process automation software, as we work to help companies become more efficient and organized.
So, how can you reap the benefits of smart working?
Maintain constant communication.
In a traditional office, someone can walk to their manager’s desk and ask for clarification on an assignment. They remember to set dates on paper and digital calendars, talk with co-workers for assistance and tackle issues during in-person meetings. Proximity informs productivity.
Remote work does not have proximity, by virtue of its definition. While smart working can assist with communication, management needs to make it a priority. Everyone needs to adapt.
Schedule regular meetings with your employees. Confirm that everyone knows what they need to accomplish. Plan Q&A sessions, and keep team members in the loop about clients. Plan meetings for efficiency, and prepare agendas with strict guidelines.
Keep online communication channels open, such as Slack or company email. Check them constantly and respond. Even with flexible working, employees look to their managers for guidance.
Define your processes, and set tangible goals.
This principle applies to all forms of work. For remote work, it’s even more important because you are less likely to see your employees, managers or supervisors. Goals inform how you use available technology to streamline specific processes.
Many workflow processes can prove inefficient. They rely on people or older software to complete tasks. Automation can reduce these inefficiencies, but only if you know what you want to accomplish.
Let’s say, for example, that you are implementing digital workflows. Certain platforms can help you reduce paperwork and other manual tasks. Many don’t even require human involvement.
How do you know which processes to input into the system? Track the volume or the organizational impact of your processes. Number the main processes, and see the frequency in a week or month. If a process impacts your customers, ask for feedback, and prepare to adapt. Lastly, set dates for when you want to accomplish goals.
Let’s say that you want employees to improve customer support with a reliable Q&A database. The digital workflows need to support your business by gathering data and helping users find the right information. When you know what you need to accomplish, then it’s easier to get everyone on board.
Unify your systems.
Tracking work is easier when all employees and their assignments are located in the same place. This includes documents, processes, files, correspondence and management.
Many workplaces already have secure servers and accounts where employees upload their work. Smart working takes this a step further.
Have a limited number of collaboration tools with each fulfilling a specific function. If, for example, you have one cloud-based server, tell everyone to upload documents to that single server. Don’t allow team members to use Google Drive if you have a dedicated cloud platform to manage documents and files with the right permissions. Keep your data in order and safely managed by your IT department.
Many options can integrate different platforms using standard API. Implement tools that can cover multiple needs so your users don’t need to open different tabs and browsers to send communications, log their hours or manage tasks. Real collaboration is simple and effective.
Strike work-life balance for everyone.
Some industries, such as medicine or technology, require employees to give more than the standard 40-hour workweek. WFH can blur the lines between work and leisure time.
Managers and employees, as a result, may not clock out until late at night. They then risk burning out. Gallup notes that 51% of employees in the U.S. are seeking new jobs, and 51% would switch to a job with more flexibility.
Smart working can ensure that you keep employees on task without micromanaging them or invading their privacy. Ensure they are using the programs and their logged-in work hours match with the assignments completed.
Maintain remote team health and camaraderie.
When WFH is mandatory, many people will miss office camaraderie. They can feel disoriented from staying at home all the time, unable to perform their usual routines. From a physical perspective, they may be losing sleep or neglecting their diets.
Schedule daily or weekly check-ins using Slack or Zoom. Ask your employees how they are doing and keep your inbox open to receive messages for help with projects. This may seem basic, but the basic steps are the most crucial.
Encourage employees to take advantage of telemedicine or virtual appointments. Teladoc Health, the largest U.S. provider of this service, reported that it has seen a 50% spike in activity from patients. It is working to add more doctors to its network to handle the demand.
What is the result of good smart working? Employees are satisfied, and that increases their productivity and morale, leading to fewer missed deadlines and less turnover. Take advantage of smart working to streamline, and even optimize, your processes.
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May 19, 2020 at 07:10PM
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Increasing Your Remote Teams' Productivity With Smart Working - Forbes
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