How to Improve Teleworking for the Long Haul

Now that vaccines are available being administered to healthcare workers and vulnerable populations and hopeful projections to have upwards of 100 million vaccinated by the summer, businesses are beginning to institute plans for returning to normal. But what does that normal look like? Most agree that few organizations will return to pre-pandemic workplace policies where workers spend hours each day commuting to and from a fixed office space and working 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Teleworking Gains Momentum During and After the Pandemic

For most businesses, teleworking offers compelling benefits that are difficult to ignore. Despite fears by some business leaders and managers that worker productivity and team collaboration decrease when workers are allowed to work remotely, the exact opposite happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent study by Mercer, an HR and workplace benefits consulting firm, of 800 employers found that 94% indicate employee productivity was as good or higher before the pandemic. Add that it is easier to recruit and retain teleworkers, often at lower compensation rates than workers who go to a physical workspace, and the business case becomes even more compelling. 

FlexJobs, which provides resources and a job site for flexible and remote jobs, for example, recently found that 81% of workers indicate they would be more loyal to an employer if given telework options. Brie Weiler Reynolds, a career development manager and coach at FlexJobs, notes the irony, “What is most surprising about this is that productivity has remained strong amid the worst conditions for working remotely. Consider that remote workers during the pandemic have also had to deal with the intense stress of a worldwide global health crisis, and the compounded responsibilities of having children, partners, spouses, or roommates at home, and yet they’ve been able to remain productive or actually increase their productivity.”

Hybrid Workplace Emerges as a Prevalent Post-Pandemic Model

And while some workers will continue to telework 100% of the time, many will return to hybrid workplaces—scenarios where they work from home some of the time and from either fixed workspaces or on-demand workspaces such as coworking spaces. 64% of companies in a recent survey indicate they plan to allow their workers to continue working from home, at least part of the time, once the pandemic is over. A surprising number are already making plans: one-third of have already permanently reduced their office footprint. 

Getting the Most Out of Teleworking for the Long Haul

Short-term teleworking plans at the beginning of the pandemic have evolved into teleworking for the long haul. With this in mind, the following list of recommendations was compiled to aid workers in their transition to teleworking in the new hybrid workplace normal. 

Which Employees Need Office Workspace

While most workers want to extend teleworking flexibility beyond the end of the pandemic, not all want to do so and moreover not every worker thrives in a 100% remote work environment. Business leaders and managers must ascertain which employees need to come into the office or coworking spaces—and how often. Of course, in order to manage workspace and schedules, it is important to account for several different questions, including:

• Should certain teams be in the workspace on the same says for in-person meetings and collaboration?

• Are there certain days when employees can work from home (e.g., Fridays)?

• What meetings are best to have in-person and which ones are okay to have virtually?

• For those meetings that need to happen in-person, is a coworking space okay or is a dedicated rented meeting room better?

• Are there certain days of the week when all employees can focus on independent work with little or no interruption? 

Consider Using Coworking Space, Day Offices, and Rented Meeting Rooms

With long commutes and traffic congestion remaining a problem after the pandemic, having employees drive long distances to a permanent office does make sense (and workers will reject these demands and look for new employers). On-demand coworking spaces, day offices, and rented meeting rooms through services like Davinci Meeting Rooms offer a cost-effective option that will play an important role in the post-pandemic workplace. These offer teleworkers the ability to meet and collaborate with other team members.

Leverage Virtual Offices

Some small businesses may opt for a 100% remote workforce with no permanent office space. Indeed, more and more businesses are finding that tying themselves to a permanent workspace is unnecessary and a remote workforce has numerous advantages. In these instances, having a professional business address—or addresses for multiple locations—that demands respect through a virtual office (or virtual address) service such as Davinci Virtual Offices is needed. 

Finding a virtual office provider that offers the right services with a virtual address is important. Some of the features businesses need to consider include mail receipt and forwarding, a lobby directory listing, and entity formation services. Just as critical, as teleworkers sometimes need time in a coworking space with other professionals, day offices when traveling, or conference rooms for employee, partner, and client meetings, businesses need to look for a virtual offices provider like Davinci Meeting Rooms that also provides on-demand workspace and meeting room capabilities. 

Invest in Collaboration and Communications Technology

One of the biggest challenges teleworkers cite is the inability to collaborate and interact with colleagues, partners, and customers. The right video and audio conferencing software and instant messaging and collaboration tools can help teleworkers bridge this gap, however. There are a number of video and audio conferencing services. Looking for the cheapest option may not be the best decision. Small businesses need to research and evaluate the different solutions based on their specific business requirements. 

When it comes to instant messaging and collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, small businesses also need to pinpoint the solution that matches their needs best. Integration of these software solutions into other technology tools in use at a company is one checklist item that should not be skipped. 

Foster a Culture of Collaboration and Connectivity

A recent survey of knowledge workers showed that over one-third indicate a “culture of connectedness” in their companies has been key to helping them to sustain a high level of productivity during the pandemic. While technology tools are certainly important here, developing the right policies and inculcating behaviors that promote collaboration and connectedness are just as critical. This also means talking about it and even measuring the outcomes. Simply codifying the proposed culture in writing is not an indicator of success.

Define Clear Purpose and Goals

Even in-person workers with an assigned workspace in a permanent office can struggle to sustain a sense of purpose. A recent research report by Microsoft found that teleworkers indicate they have lost a sense of purpose with the more to work from home during the pandemic. To offset this from occurring, business leaders and managers need to make sure their corporate vision and objectives are clearly defined and communicated regularly. OKRs (objectives and key results) that cascade from the president of the business to each individual worker can be an effective way to do so.

Realize the Value of Live Receptionists

Most businesses with permanent office space have a receptionist who welcomes visitors, answers incoming phone calls, and provides administrative support to staff. But for teleworkers, these in-person receptionists are no longer available. Recognizing the connection between receptionists and worker productivity, businesses should investigate live (or virtual) receptionists such as Davinci Live Receptionists as an alternative. 

These live receptionists actually provide businesses more cost-effective and flexible options than in-person receptionists. Their time can be purchased in blocks of minutes (no longer need to hire a full-time equivalent employee) and businesses can leverage teams of receptionist experts rather than being wed to just one professional. They can also provide a breadth of services—from answering incoming calls, email, and texts, to managing calendaring, to making outbound calls and sending outbound emails and text, to staffing live web chat. 

Break Up the Monotony 

Working from one location—whether in-person or remotely—can become a bit of a drag. Teleworkers can break up the monotony and network with other knowledge workers by working from a coworking space. They may elect to do so once every couple weeks or once a week. Businesses and teleworkers should look for a virtual workspace solution that makes it fast and easy to search for and reserve a workspace. A service like Davinci Meeting Rooms that offers omnichannel options—web, live web chat, phone, or email—is ideal.

Act Now to Capitalize on the Advantages of Telework

As a larger and larger percentage of the population receive COVID-19 vaccinations and lockdowns are eased, a new business normal will emerge. Few businesses will return to a pre-pandemic normal when it comes to workspace. Fears that worker productivity, collaboration, and innovation have been proven false. At the same time, workers got a “taste” of the benefits of telework, and they expect (perhaps demand) flexible hybrid work policies that give them the option to telework or in-person work. 

Businesses and workers that recognize these changes and implement the technologies, policies, and strategies ahead of time put themselves at a competitive advantage. The “dark winter” that many associate with early 2021 is the time to act.

About Patrick Spencer

Patrick Spencer (Ph.D.) is the President and Founder of TIRO Communications that helps companies develop, build, and manage content, customer, advocacy, and demand-gen programs. Included in its offerings is TIRO Cognition Insights, a data analytics tool that enables B2C and B2B businesses to pinpoint what their customers and competitors’ customers are saying and to identify corresponding actionable product, services, competitive, sales, and marketing intelligence. LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn Website: www.tirocommunications.com