Adjusting to new working methods is a strenuous task, but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. Remote work became the new normal in 2020 and 2021, and many business leaders now grapple with deciding whether to bring things fully remote or maintain an in-person or hybrid model. If you’re waffling between the physical and the virtual, here are six questions that could help you choose.
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Are you willing to invest in the right tech tools?
Before you commit to telecommuting, you’ll need to acquire new tools. Project management and messaging software are essential to help your team keep in touch and all projects on track. You’ll also want to ensure everyone has access to upgraded cloud storage to maintain all data.
With an increase in complicated and hybrid work set-ups, a virtual office subscription such as this can also be a huge help. Keeping home and business addresses separate can make the transition more comfortable for employees and increase productivity.
Can you adjust when IT issues occur?
While technology can always fail at inopportune times, there’s no question that connection issues during telecommuting are a threat to smooth operations. Your company’s infrastructure can ideally handle the increase in tech issues and the knowledge of employees, but it merits consideration.
Losing business over unexpected problems in communication is a genuine risk when you switch to a remote-first approach.
Can you empower your management staff remotely?
The ability to directly oversee tasks is one facet that’s harder to access when working remotely. The same skills that make an excellent in-person manager apply but are harder to utilize. If management is still capable of inspiring and helping other employees away from the breakroom, it might be worth making the change.
What does owning or renting office space cost?
Sometimes fiscal sense makes the decision more straightforward. Even if your company has to deal with some additional barriers, it could be worth the adjustment period if you save enough money on the change.
There are risks to leaving your physical office and relying entirely on technology, but you shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the savings you’ll earn by forgoing an office lease.
Will it encourage familiarity with e-commerce practices?
Depending on what type of business you own, your relationship with digital commerce and social media marketing could already be quite substantial. For many companies, the ability to interface with modern trends slips away.
Needing to interface with technology in a communications capacity each day can increase your employees’ awareness of such trends and interactions.
Are you able to trust the reduced employee monitoring?
While remote desktop programs and other tracking software are available, there’s only so much you can do to keep on top of remote workers. This micromanagement is often not a problem for small teams that work closely together or conference calls throughout the workday.
It can be a risk depending on the size of your company, as being at home is often far more distracting than the classic office environment.
Wrap up
Telecommuting introduces the potential for increased productivity but requires the proper support and willingness from yourself and your team. There’s no single factor that can determine if telecommuting is right for your businesses, but you can sort through the pros and cons to come to a proper decision.