Are Digital Workspaces The Future Of Small Businesses?
When launching a new company, you must hit the ground running. This means that you have a clear plan in place that will allow you to handle anything that is thrown your way, including shifts in workplace culture.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused such a shift, bringing remote working to the forefront. With a series of government-mandated lockdowns meaning that many companies have to close their physical premises, remote working and digital workplaces have become a necessary lifeline for survival.
While remote working is not without its issues, there are many benefits associated with utilizing it. This includes:
The ability to offer employees a flexible working schedule. For example, once the pandemic is over, you can provide them with a ‘blended’ work schedule, that allows them to switch between their home and office.
A significant improvement in an employee’s work-life balance.
The chance to save money by no longer having to hire office spaces/equipment.
Increased employee productivity.
As a result, many companies are considering remote working in the future - even after the pandemic. With that in mind, you may have begun thinking about how you can sustain a digital workplace over time. Here are some tips to get you started!
Find new ways to communicate. An often-discussed downside to remote working is limited communication and connection between employees. For example, you cannot host in-person meetings or discuss ideas face to face. As a result, you need to find a variety of different ways to communicate with your employees. This could include video conferencing or messaging systems - find the best solution for you and stick to it.
Ensure your employees have the right supplies. Every employee will have a unique living situation that could have an effect on their ability to work from home. For example, while it is easy to assume that everybody has access to a computer, this may not be the case. You should ensure that every employee has the supplies they need to fulfill their duties. This may mean that you need to alter your spending budget.
Focus on IT Support. Working from home means relying on your online services - which could lead to problems without proper support. For example, if a program you are using crashes, this can result in a loss of important information and hard work. IT support services can be used to ensure that all of your data is backed up and stored securely. Additionally, they can be used to enhance your cybersecurity - eliminating the chances of data breaches. This is particularly important if you deal with any classified or controlled information.
Remember, you are part of a team. When working from home, employees may begin to feel isolated. Therefore, you must find new ways to work as a team and develop employee relationships. When your employees have stronger relationships with each other (and yourself), their levels of productivity and efficiency will rise significantly. This means that work will be of a much higher quality. You can encourage teamwork by focusing on new ways to complete group projects and hosting online parties that allow employees to meet each other - if only behind a screen.
