Abstract

Considering the circumstances of the past couple years, it’s no surprise that many businesses have turned their attention towards creating a long-term plan for a remote workforce. There are many considerations that must be brought front and center to create such a remote work policy, many of which require a focused examination of technology and the practices associated with it. Let’s take a closer look at what you might want to think about when crafting your remote work policies.

Reexamine Your Current Policies

If you have previously visited the possibility of remote work, there is a solid chance that your policies regarding it will need to be updated to accommodate changes in the technology and security landscape. Furthermore, you will want to address many of the current issues that are impacting remote workers, such as employee burnout, feeling separated from the company culture, and communication in general.

Prioritize Training Practices

If you are going to make remote work a part of your long-term business strategy, then you should consider what happens when you onboard new employees. They will need to learn a lot of information and practices, including how to use any remote technology or software you utilize on a daily basis, as well as what is expected of them during their employment with your business. You should also emphasize training for current employees in the event they must ever go remote.

Focus on Communication

When people work remotely, they might feel like they are distant from their coworkers, supervisors, and employees. It’s important that you utilize communication tools to help bridge this gap. Instant messaging, video conferencing, and Voice over IP can all help to bolster communication and make working remotely less lonesome.

In the end, planning for a long-term remote workforce is something that is going to take time. You need to take into account what has worked for you in the past, how those practices can be improved upon, and cast away your previously existing biases related to remote work. After all, if you want to make something succeed, you need to be willing to change your mindset and adapt to circumstances in much the same way you had to at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

NetMGM can help your company reexamine its current remote workforce practices and establish better policies and procedures. To learn more about what we can do for your business, reach out to us at 888-748-2525.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Crafting Successful Remote Work Policies

Rafiq Masri

With over 25 years of experience in Information Technology, Rafiq is one of the most accomplished, versatile and certified engineer in the field. He has spent the past 2 ½ decades administering and supporting a wide range of clients and has helped position Network Management, Inc. as a leader in the IT Managed Services space.

Rafiq has built a reputation for designing, building and supporting top notch IT infrastructures to match the business objectives and goals of his clients.

Embracing the core values of integrity, innovation, and reliability, Rafiq has a very loyal client base with some customer relationships dating back 20+ years.

Rafiq holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and has completed graduate programs in Software Engineering and Business at Harvard and George Mason University. Rafiq is a former founder and CEO of Automation, Inc. in Ann Arbor, Michigan as well as a valued speaker on entrepreneurship and technology at industry events such as ExpoTech and others.