Are remote workers really more productive than office based staff?
In the main, yes. Nobody would dispute the positive effect that mobile email has had on businesses. In the vast majority of cases, workers and bosses alike report increases in focus, input and quantity of work.
Doesn't remote working hamper effective teamwork?
Managed correctly, remote working can actually boost team morale. By having a different group dynamic every day means that people interact and concentrate more, and also make the most of their face-to-face meetings.
Mobile email, conference calls and presence and visibility applications make people just as contactable as if they were in the office, while Instant Messaging software can help give speedy responses to quick queries. Blending technology with simple, well-thought out internal policies will see your team develop no matter where they work.
How safe is my system when used by remote workers?
It can be as safe as you need it to be. Investing in security measures, ensuring employees are using up-to-date anti-virus software and educating your workforce on risk will negate most security issues. It’s also worth noting that most mobile email devices can be disabled remotely to ensure information is not compromised.
How can I be sure that my remote workers are actually working
There isn’t an application that can measure minute-by-minute-performance. But time of log in, when documents are saved, emails sent and web-sites accessed can all give an impression of employee activity. Call logger and billing statistics, along with integration with office call-recording systems, can also give a more detailed impression of how a worker is performing.
Isn’t remote working better suited to bigger companies?
Flexible working methods benefit many businesses, but smaller, more dynamic companies seem to thrive just as much as the conglomerates. This is because they can offer innovative working practices that bigger companies can’t and can react to the market that bit more quickly.
What makes a good remote worker?
A good remote worker needs to be a motivated, dedicated and disciplined employee. Organised, able to take the initiative and happy working on a project with little intervention, they are likely to be the kind of workers who get on with their jobs without too much involvement from their line managers.
Isn't a remote working programme expensive to set up?
As with everything, implementing a solution like remote working is as expensive as you wish to make it. That said, break-even is often very speedily reached - sometimes in fewer than three months. The question is really whether you can afford not to set something up. Considering the increasing importance of remote working for environmental, economic and human reasons, spending money on a resilient and scalable solution will pay dividends in the long run.
