Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, plenty of businesses have gotten a crash course in managing remote workers. As recently as December around 71 percent of workers were still operating on a remote basis, and in many cases, companies are finding that their employees are happier and more productive when working from home. Experts have predicted that remote work is here to stay. This “new normal” might mean that your company uses a hybrid office/work-from-home model or pivots to permanent work from home. Either way, now is the time to formulate a system for managing your remote workers:
- Make HR information readily accessible: You may already have an online HR portal, but now is a great time to critically evaluate its accessibility. Can your employees easily find information about their benefits, payroll, company policies and other important information? If not, consider investing in an integrated payroll system, which offers a centralized location for employees to find everything they need.
- Create an onboarding system for new hires: It’s hard hiring remote workers, and it’s even harder for them to feel like part of the team without meeting in person. Consider offering a virtual onboarding system for new hires, including company resources and video introductions to their supervisors, managers and other key coworkers.
- Make it easy to connect with HR and coworkers: As you know, communication is key when your workforce is remote. Make it easy for everyone to connect with HR as well as their coworkers: invest in tools like videoconferencing software and chat programs. These tools are key for day-to-day operations, but they also provide avenues for social opportunities—at least until local happy hours or company lunches are feasible once more.
- Support your employees’ physical and mental health: Employees who work from home can get burned out. The lack of boundaries between “work time” and “free time” make it feel like one is always on the clock. Encourage your workers to take time off when they need to, and make it easy to find information about how much paid leave or other benefits are available. You could also offer gym memberships and other perks to benefit mental and physical health.
- Offer flexible schedules: Working from home can make it hard to juggle other responsibilities. Offering flexible schedules is a good way to ensure that the work gets done, while honoring the fact that your employees’ lives usually do not revolve around their jobs.
- Set clear expectations: Conversely, make sure your expectations are clear. If an employee absolutely needs to be available during certain hours, or turn in assignments by a specific deadline, make sure they know what’s expected of them.
- Plan in-person get-togethers: Finally, try to organize in-person get-togethers when it’s safe to do so. Getting to know each other face-to-face goes a long way toward building camaraderie.
For more HR tips for remote workers, go directly to the source: Windsor HR Services, Inc. Call us today to find out how our HR solutions can help your company run more smoothly.