How Employers Can Improve WFH Productivity

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With more people than ever before shifting to remote working, companies need to get creative and look out for new solutions when it comes to keeping employees productive and working well together, even when they aren’t physically in the same office. The good news is that with more online and cloud-based tools available today, collaborating while working remotely has become easier than ever for employees. Flexible management practices and the latest technology can be used together to successfully encourage employees to be more productive and collaborative while working remotely.

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Cloud Collaboration Tools:

Collaboration tools like this mindmap tool can be a useful option for making it easier for remote teams to get together and come up with ideas. Since it is sometimes more difficult for team members to get together and talk to each other in the same way as they would in the office, it’s a good idea to utilize as many cloud-based tools as possible that are designed to promote collaboration between employees who might be physically far away from one another.

Task Prioritization:

When allocating tasks to work from home teams, you will usually get the best results from asking your employees to perform the most important tasks first. This will make it easier for them to complete the complicated or urgent tasks on time, as most work from home employees aren’t going to work a full eight hours. With this style of working, it’s more about the quality of the work rather than the quantity of the work that is completed, so making sure that employees are clear on what needs doing first and what can be left for later is key.

Compartmentalize the Office Space:

Making sure that your employees have what they need to create a dedicated workspace in their home will help to boost productivity levels. When employees are able to work remotely, having somewhere to work that is separate from their living space will make it easier to focus. Research has shown that combining the workspace with personal space can lead to a drop in productivity levels, or even impact employee health and wellbeing as they get too immersed in their work, leading to trouble relaxing or sleeping.

Stay Connected:

It’s important to make sure that you regularly take the time to connect with your remote employees just as you would be engaging with the employees working in your office. It can sometimes be easy to just let remote workers get on with things from home, but there are lots of benefits to spending the time to get to know them better. This will allow you to better assess them and build a stronger workplace bond. Even sending a casual email or text message throughout the day shows your remote employees that you’re thinking about them and the work they’re doing is important to you.

Keep Employees Connected:

While it’s important to make sure that you are staying connected with your employees, it’s equally essential to make sure that employees are able to stay connected with one another. This is not only important for productive teamwork, but it can also impact an employee’s mood by giving them a chance to socialize and catch up with others throughout the working day, especially as working from home can get lonely for people who are more extroverted and social.

Provide Daily Work Schedules:

Some employees who are suddenly in a situation where they are working from home might find it difficult to start managing their own time and planning their own schedule successfully. For employees who are not used to this way of working, it can be helpful to plan a daily schedule for everybody to stick to. Not only does this give employees clear daily goals to work towards and help them stay focused on the tasks at hand, but it can also help to ensure that objectives are met and the workflow moves forward smoothly.

Consider a Hybrid Model:

If your employees are working from home but live locally, it’s worth considering using a hybrid model of working, where they spend some time working from home and some time in the office each week. For some employees, coming into the office to work for just one day per week can make a difference when it comes to how motivated they feel. Getting employees together in the office at the start of the week, for example, gives you a chance to make sure that everybody is clear on what needs to be done during the week ahead, along with providing an opportunity for people to catch up and socialize with their coworkers.

Encourage Employees to Leave the House:

Working remotely doesn’t mean that employees have to stay at home all day. Sometimes, people are much more productive when they get out of the house to work. If you’re running a fully remote company, it might be worth suggesting that employees find somewhere outside of the house to get stuff done, like a local library, coffee shop or co-working space where they can get away from all those home distractions. For some, the different environment and the hustle and bustle of these spaces can help them become more productive.

With remote working gaining more popularity all around the world, it’s important for employers to use a range of tools and techniques to boost productivity levels and encourage collaboration and connection between employees who aren’t physically together.