The pandemic has shifted the way everybody lives their life. From handwashing to interacting with people, all were changed in some way. One of the most significant changes that have been affected by the pandemic is the work setup.
Many have adapted the work-from-home setup to keep themselves safe. It has become the new normal for most companies to keep employees protected from the virus. It also looks like this setup isn’t going away any time soon. This is true despite the slow return of businesses as they welcome workers back to the office.
In a survey cited by Forbes, it looks like employees are very into the work-from-home setup. The survey revealed that 65% of correspondents wanted to stay with remote working. Meanwhile, 33% are digging the hybrid model. This could be the new normal for most. You can just imagine how technology has played a huge role in operations.
While it’s less stressful compared to working in the office, how do companies maintain this setup? What strategies are they using to keep their employees well-monitored? How are they micromanaging workers who need special attention? These are just some problems technology has resolved. Find out how technology developed solutions for the work-from-home setup.
Meetings
Meetings are an essential component of a company’s strategy building. Without them, a team won’t be calibrated. Updates on processes wouldn’t be relayed. Employees wouldn’t be “in the know” about what the company’s next actions are. Meetings are a vital part of an operation’s structure. Good thing that technology made it possible for leaders to connect with their teams. In fact, the video conferencing app Zoom became one of the most downloaded apps in 2020. Videocalls became a part of every employ ee’s life. It’s the only way to get the leaders’ messages delivered across their teams. It’s a little solution that has become very helpful for companies to stay afloat while in the middle of a global crisis.
File sharing
You know how important document management is in an office setting. You can’t just send and receive files. Everything needs to go through a secure server. This has made it puzzling for companies on how to handle confidential documents. Good thing there are computer systems that allow a company to have private networks. These networks have made it possible for companies to save files in the cloud. They can then open its access to employees via company-issued computers.
These computers were sent to the employees’ houses, so they could begin working from home. Cloud computing has been very useful for businesses in this aspect. Another way of file-sharing businesses have used was online document processing. Google Docs and Office 365 became the most useful tools for file processing. They allowed companies to create documents in very collaborative but secure ways. Sharing files for business purposes has become effortless. Thanks to the power of programs and cloud storage.
Hiring process
Managing employees doesn’t start with existing workers. Even recruitment processes have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most jobs were posted online. The hiring processes were done through the internet or email exchanges. Applicants were not summoned to the office for interviews. Most of the initial interviews happened over the phone. Companies have also worked with reliable third-party services for applicant and employee background checks.
This is a crucial part of the recruitment process. Businesses don’t want to hire people who have unfavorable employee histories. That’s the only way for them to find out more information about their applicants. The pandemic has essentially affected business processes including recruitment. Technology has paved the way to a productive hiring process done over the internet.
Coaching
One of the most challenging parts of working from home is focusing on employees’ performances. Worse is micromanaging workers who are not doing well. It would have been easier to approach them if all of you were working in the office. Calling them out with the way they handle their job would have been easier if you’re with them physically. But since the pandemic limited physical interactions, technology had to step in.
Micromanagement needed to be done online. Short coaching sessions were facilitated through business communication platforms. Programs like Slack, Skype for Business, and Basecamp became staples for messaging employees. Companies have benefited so much with their functionalities. Leaders were even able to do brief huddles through these programs. This has saved time for many since they just used these platforms instead of holding meetings. Micromanaging is made easy thanks to these messaging systems for enterprises.
These may just be the start of developments for remote working. It looks like the novel coronavirus’s threat will linger for a very long time. Because of this, working from home will always be there as an option for employees. Technology is going to shape the world of business more in the coming years because of this.
