It's happening: offices are going virtual. For some time now, and particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic around the world, many companies and employees have been adapting to working remotely. Your company can make a lasting success of this workplace revolution, with potentially huge savings in office rental, clear work-life balance benefits, and improved productivity. But first there are important changes to consider. At Riviera Route, we have spoken to leading business figures and we have compiled a list of the top 5 tips that will help you shift your company to a happier, healthier, more productive and more profitable model.
#1: Get on top of the practical arrangements
The first issues to address are quite practical. Are your company's IT equipment, systems and support up to scratch?
"Having the latest hardware is great" - one business owner told us - "but if the video meeting apps you use or the remote access software you operate on are slow and unreliable, then that powerful new tablet or laptop you bought will be wasted".
Also, don't overlook the suitability of arrangements at home. Some staff may need help upgrading to faster broadband, and any additional internet provider costs should be factored in. Also, training in safe use of company equipment may be needed, and your office management team should review issues like insurance, regulations on Display Screen Equipment (DSE), workstation assessments, etc.
Data security will be another vital consideration for any company. This is particularly relevant for companies that need to offer a solution allowing employees to access network drives and shared folders.
#2: "Home" working or "agile" working?
Not every employee works in the same way. While some can successfully recreate the office environment at home, others take a different approach to getting the work done. One CEO talked to us about her firm embracing the concept of "agile" working. "If my staff can manage their workload whilst enjoying a cappuccino at their local café, or whilst walking the dog in the park, then I am happy as long as the goals are met" - she told us. The key thing, she added, is having clear deliverables, clear timelines and good reporting mechanisms, because of course managers will not be able to supervise every move. For many businesses, the age of "clocking in and clocking out" is well and truly over.
#3: The emotional shift to a new way of working
Beyond practical adjustments, you will need to keep an eye on how your employees feel about this new business model. Big changes always have the potential to cause anxiety. Your firm will require a clear communications strategy to explain how the transformation will take place, and how staff will be supported along the way.
Ensuring fairness, and the perception of fairness across your staff, will require new techniques in the post-office environment. "Nothing erodes team morale quite so quickly as a suspicion of favouritism or secret deals." we were told. In an open-plan office, workers become used to observing any changes, positive or negative, that affect their colleagues. But in a remote-working company, extra care will need to be paid to making sure all staff understand and support the changes that you bring, especially if these involve promotions or restructures.
#4: Bringing the team together
In a virtual office, keeping your team's spirits up will require new thinking. Socialising will be as important as ever to make your staff feel part of a team with a shared mission. Give some thought to scheduling monthly socials, virtual office drinks or even virtual quizzes every now and then.
Remote working will mean that "together time" shifts from quantity to quality. Workers will no longer sit together for eight hours each day, so you'll have to find ways to make bonding time particularly memorable. High-quality, carefully-planned team away-day and retreats will therefore become much more important. Your team members may soon only meet face-to-face a handful of days in a year, so you need to make sure every minute counts. Experienced retreat planners can help make sure you achieve the right balance of team-building activities, strategic blue-sky thinking time, honest face-to-face discussions and "getting to know you better" time. And consider how a retreat with complete change of scenery - an away day that's truly away - can reinvigorate and motivate your staff.
#5: Pencil your retreat in now
The remote-working revolution has been a rapid, largely unexpected consequence of the pandemic. Most companies have had little time to prepare for it. Uncertainty is common, especially about how the situation will evolve, and how the world's economy will bounce back.
But these concerns shouldn't stop you from planning to bring your team back together after months of physical isolation. Can you think of something more exciting to look forward to than a trip to a sunny destination like the French and Italian Riviera? It's more affordable than you think: prices start at €150 per person, per night.
We understand that there's a lot of uncertainty at the moment, particularly when it comes to foreign travel. That is why Riviera Route is offering a no-obligation, deposit-free opportunity for companies to plan their retreats in 2022 and 2023. This means you can think ahead, without setting any plans in stone. So please contact us to discuss your tentative retreat ideas. We'd love to help you plan your team-building incentive travel, with no commitment from you until you're sure of your circumstances later on.
Pencil it in!
