We often get asked how we maintain productivity when we’re not based together and it gets hectic in office. There was never an easy answer, but since everyone has been asking us about this, we’ve decided to come up a few ways to make your remote workforce more productive.
As more millennials enter the workforce and companies go global every day, there is a growing trend of flexible and remote work. Businesses are starting to catch on that what really matters is work output and not how many hours you spend in the office.
There is finally the acknowledgment that some people are simply more productive in the morning, evening, and in the middle of the night. The traditional 9-5 structure is outdated and honestly, has been for a long time.
We discuss whether it is possible to happy when working remotely
Create a flexible management style
Some team members prefer working in an office and some prefer to work in a coffee shop or set up a home office. Honestly, we just rather have more productive employees rather than watching who is doing what and when. To make this work, you should:
- Focus on hiring and retaining talent that thrives in this environment.
- Ensure there is a learning curve so you can identify who needs time to adjust and those who cannot fit
People can get a lot more done without the hassle of an hour-long commute in cramped public transport and where they can be comfortable. Some offices can be incredibly loud and distracting, which is not a suitable environment for everyone.
Make your employees happy
There are hundreds of studies that show that happy employees provide better service, work harder and are generally more satisfied at work. You need to make sure that you encourage and help your employees in every single way, especially those who work remotely. Here are some ways to do so:
- Flexible work hours helps those who work late to start work later, as long as you match their work to deadlines
- Some employees honestly love options, so we have co-working space available for those who need more structure and remote work options for those who don’t need them (more on this next)
- Spend money on offering employee benefits, because retention is cheaper than having to find and hire new talent all the time
Give them options
Every once in a while, we all come together to work on a project together or need a little bit of structure in our day-to-day. This means having an option for people to work remotely for a few days a week can help ensure you build a good company culture.
Looking at the bottom line, allowing flexible and remote work saves money. We have space at co-working offices in most countries around the region, which allows us to hop into an airconditioned office to get some work done.
Learn how to apply the remote mentality to building a brand
Remote work is here to stay
Recent studies show that companies that allow remote work have 25 percent lower employee turnover compared to more traditional companies. Clearly, more employees want flexibility and remote work options.
The biggest driver for remote work, are the companies themselves. As more begin to measure output rather than trying to track what time each employee enters and leaves the office, it makes remote work a genuinely viable option for more people.