As a business, it is important to be prepared for instances when remote work becomes integral to company operations. This could occur in the case of a worldwide pandemic outbreak such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) or even a change in the long-term business strategy. Remote work can require employees, who are usually at the office, to to work from home. However, it can also occur when freelancers are hired to produce content for a company. 

In a previous blog, the Find Your Audience team provided examples of the communication platforms that can be used to ease the workflow for work-at-home employees in response to COVID-19. In this post, however, we will discuss techniques on how to ease the remote work process for in-house employees and freelancers alike. 

Firstly, it is important to connect with workers through the use of effective communication tools. This can encompass applications that have a chat feature. Some examples of these applications include Slack, WhatsApp, Hive, and even Discord. Being able to communicate in an efficient manner allows employees to always be on the right track when it comes to managing or working on client projects. If a small change needs to be made, for example, then it can be communicated on a communication channel that has a record of it in case of accountability issues. 

Of course, a number of chat applications also come with video conferencing capabilities. This can be a great way to start live video calls with a marketing and creative team in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page. In order to ease employees into this type of technology and communication tool, ensure that they have the right equipment for excellent sound and video quality. 

While using these communication tools, make sure that everyone’s voice can be heard in discussions and conversations about productivity updates. This can be accomplished by fostering a company culture based on teamwork, letting individuals discuss ideas and options without interrupting others. 

Remote work in terms of employee and freelancer compensation should also be clear. Will a company’s workers be receiving their payment via direct deposit to their bank, by mail, or by another payment option such as PayPal? Establishing this early on can help workers keep track of their productivity for a company. On the company’s side, having a record of invoices along with information about employee productivity rates can also help with business costs. 

Another way to optimize a business for remote work is to enable sharing for features and documents. This allows key individuals to access, view, comment on, and make changes to files. An easy way to do this is through the use of Google Drive, which allows users to create sharing permissions, records changes made within documents, as well as stores company and client assets all in a secure location. Google Drive also allows users to access documents from anywhere and at any time, allowing for flexibility when it comes to remote working conditions. 

Whether a business has hired freelancers to work remotely or asked their regular employees to do so due to unforeseen circumstances, it is important to optimize the process and workflow. Doing so through effective feedback, consistent communication, clear payment options, and file-sharing capabilities would allow a business to succeed in the long-term.

Is your business ready to introduce workers to remote work or take it to the next level? Give the Find Your Audience team a call at 647-479-0688. Alternatively, you can send an email to hi@findyouraudience.online. With clients and employees across the country, the Find Your Audience team consists of experts in communication and remote work strategies.