Remote working is quickly becoming a natural part of the work environment. Indeed, thanks to team collaboration and cloud communication tools just about anyone can clock in from outside traditional offices. And as the option increases in popularity work’s becoming something you do, not somewhere you go. However, like with any business transformation companies must know how to prepare for the remote revolution or face some tough obstacles.
Why take the plunge?
Above all businesses must be agile and innovative, which means encouraging diverse people to work together on projects. It’s easy to assume the best strategy to achieve this is keeping everyone in the same room or building, however, statistics suggest otherwise.
For example, in a survey by CoSo Cloud, the cloud services provider, in 39% of staff who work remotely a few times a month 77% experienced greater productivity. Moreover, PGI, the web conferencing services, reported 82% of telecommuters feel less stress when clocking in outside offices. This isn’t to mention overhead costs naturally dropping from not needing to deck out an office full of people.
However, in the remote space a lack of face-to-face interactions can especially see staff lose track of business goals and even suffer from feelings of isolation. But the good news is there are plenty of tools available to make remote workers feel they’re just a few feet away from their team, rather than in an entirely different country. Check them out.
Use video frequently
One of the most important technologies for any globalised workforce is video conferencing. It recreates the face-to-face conditions employees otherwise miss out in a remote environment and allows staff to form tighter bonds. Specifically, video helps simplify comms with nuances like body language and visuals added into the conversation mix. With such technology, companies can naturally connect with remote workers and bring them deeper into the team.
Build a collaborative culture
Relationships have more impact on workforces than we often consider. And since remote workers spend most of their time outside the office, it’s vital to go the extra mile and facilitate a culture of constant collaboration. Real-time messaging and file sharing solutions are just a couple of the ways to foster this.
Stay aware of different time zones
Make sure you take global time differences into account when keeping employees connected. Whether your team is part in-house, part remote or you have staff from around the world, inclusivity is always essential. Bring everyone into meetings where possible and if people can’t join record interactions, share notes and ensure everyone stays in the loop.
Ready? Set? Go
The rise of unified communication as a service and new collaboration technologies has made it easier than ever for companies to facilitate remote workers. However, it’s critical to ensure you have plans in place to help you tap into the true potential of your dispersed workforce. 
