The Home Office – Conducting Business as Usual in the New Normal

With the return to school in the fall remaining unclear, and many businesses leaning toward remote work for the next year or so, the landscape of corporate America is rapidly changing.  Conferences, meetings, and seminars will likely not be worth the risk of infection.  Where charismatic networking gurus were the cream of the crop before, results-driven introverts may take the spotlight moving forward.

So far, an estimated two-thirds of Americans have been working remotely over the last several months.  Who knew all those meetings really could have been emails?  The general trend seems to be that workers may resist being called back into their offices after enjoying conducting business in pajamas from the comfort of their couches, even with children playing in the background.  So, how can you tell if the home office environment is right for your business?  Well… that depends.

• Are you open to navigating new ways of operation? You may need to reimagine your performance measurement and rewards system.  In the traditional office setting, you can clearly see the effort being put into a job.  When you shift your focus to results only, remember to also consider the effort needed to get there.
• Does your business rely heavily on face-to-face interaction? Or are your goals more reliant on voice and data communications?  For informational business models, it’s important to respect the personal time and priorities of your employees and maintain flexibility.
• Do you have an open culture? Businesses who are technologically advanced are more likely to transition to an alternative workplace successfully.  When management is open to change, the it’s easier to implement techniques that eliminate costs and increase performance.
• Will a work from home environment be feasible for all departments? Having positions that rely on direct contact with other employees, or if it’s important for your clients to be able to reach your employees immediately, a home environment will be difficult to sustain.  If most of your work is done via telephone or email, your success rate can be quite high.
• Be prepared for some push back. If your staff is made up of younger individuals just entering the workforce, you’ll likely have a smooth transition.  Your more seasoned employees, on the other hand, may have a harder time adjusting.  Also, middle management may have to change the way they relate to their employees and could end up giving the most resistance.
• Are you willing to invest in your initiatives? Your staff may need training and support from administration.  Are you willing to provide software, technical assistance, internet access, etc.?  Your employees need to be able to conduct business as usual from wherever they are, and should be provided with the tools necessary to do so, or else otherwise compensated.

Work From Home (WFH) is the “new normal” and is here to stay. Navigating the remote landscape is what we do for the WFH teams. Adhering to company policy still requires PC, Laptop, Smart Device and VOIP Phone setup, WFH location delivery, user setup support, asset tracking and the return of that asset when a team member leaves, network monitoring, cloud services and ongoing user help desk support, system updates and more. A task that must be organized and managed … we can help organize it all and keep it that way. Call us today to discuss your needs (800) 538-0669.