Day: June 3, 2020

Must do's for remote workers

2 Must-Dos to Help Your Team Work From Home

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It’s looking like remote working will be the ‘new normal’ as we ease our way out of lockdown. While this is the best decision for the safety of employees, it’s not great for business.

To make it through the current crisis in the best position possible, you need to add “helping your employees create a new working routine” to your business strategy. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Help them create a new daily routine

In such an uncertain time, we all need structure in our day-to-day lives. Having a routine not only gives us a sense of control and purpose, but it also reduces stress and increases our productivity too.

To help your employees work from home, here are 4 steps that you can introduce to them:

  • Step 1 – Write down what you NEED to do each day
  • Step 2 – Discuss your routine with your spouse or family
  • Step 3 – Keep to your routine and adjust to what works best 
  • Step 4 – Focus on being consistent but be prepared for change

2. Communicate often and check in regularly 

After you’ve given your employees the tools for creating an ideal work routine, you then need to provide them with support to help them work as productively as possible.

Everyone will need different levels of support during this time, so here are a few ways you can engage with them and check-in to see how they are coping:

  • Use instant messaging apps and video-conferencing software for quick communication.
  • Maintain a regular meeting schedule to give them an extra layer of structure to their day.
  • Find new ways to collaborate, maybe on more of a personal level (e.g. a book club or an exercise class).
  • Be responsive to your employees and pick up the phone now and then to check-in with them.

Make remote working as productive as working in the office! 

By helping your team with their daily routine, you’re investing time in them and therefore the future of your practice. This is essential to make it through this difficult time so give your employees the tools and the support to work as productively as they do in the office.

Tips for when an employee is reluctant to return to work

Are your employees reluctant to return to the workplace?

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With the recent easing of lockdown restrictions, several businesses are asking some of their employees to return to the workplace when working from home is not a realistic option.  Whilst this is a reasonable ask, there will be some employees that are either reluctant or concerned about returning to the workplace.  To help with this, we have developed some tips to guide you through how you might approach this.

Step 1– Considerations prior to speaking with the employee

These circumstances are new to us all so, before speaking with the individual you may wish to reflect on whether there are any additional measures you can put in place ease someone’s concern’s about returning to the workplace:

  • Tip 1 – Review the reasons behind wanting the employee to return to the workplace.  Is it possible that the role can be done remotely (fully or partially)?
  • Tip 2 – Review the workplace safety measures you have put in place (social distancing, staggering working hours, cleaning, PPE etc).  Is there something that could/should be done that would increase confidence for those returning to the workplace?
  • Tip 3 – Consider other employees may be feeling the same but not voicing their concerns.

Step 2  – Having a meaningful conversation

Hold a virtual meeting or call with the individual to explore their concerns.  Each individual will have experienced lockdown differently so it is important to understand where their concerns are coming from:

  • Tip 1 – Starting the conversation, don’t jump straight in – By starting the conversation with a general check in, then outline the purpose of the call as well as let them know it is ok to be feeling anxious they are more likely to feel comfortable expressing their concerns and you are more likely to come up with a workable solution.
  • Tip 2 – Explore further than the initial response.  Whilst citing child care issues may be both true and a very real concern it may not be the underlying reason they are reluctant to return, including (but not limited to):
  • Concerns relating to commuting on public transport
  • Child care commitments
  • Mental health issues that have developed during lockdown
  • Grieving for a lost family member or friend
  • Safety in the work place (such as social distancing and PPE measures)
  • A need to shield (either for themselves or for others in their household)
  • Loss of confidence in capability due to a long absence away

You should also be prepared for non COVID-19 related concerns such as a break down in a working relationship prior to lockdown

  • Tip 3 – Be prepared that more than one meeting or call is needed.  Some individuals need time to reflect on what is really concerning them, solutions proposed or to come up with alternatives.  You may also need some time to rethink solutions so having a follow up meeting or call before finalising any agreement is often beneficial.  Also be prepared to break the potential solution down into smaller pieces and once they accept one, review and agree the next step.
  • Tip 4 – Ask them for solutions that could work.  As with any performance conversation, there is more buy-in from the employee if solutions are suggested by them.  If the suggestion is workable (even if not perfect) then it may be worth trying initially.

Step 3 – Possible solutions and reasonable adjustments

Whilst there are likely to be a number of options available and you should be guided by the employee, some of the below (in isolation or in combination) are a good place to start:

  • Phased return (using annual leave and reduced working hours)
  • Amending working patterns to avoid busy commuting times
  • Combining working remotely and being in the workplace
  • Increased frequency of wellbeing check ins
  • Phased introduction to tasks (starting with a lighter workload to ease the individual in gently)
  • Ensuring they work with the same person every time they are in the workplace (achieved by agreeing team splits or defining work areas to set individuals)

Step 4 – Follow up

Follow up any conversation in writing to summarise your understanding of the conversation and anything agreed (such as solutions and how/when this might be reviewed) is good practice and also gives the individual the opportunity to confirm or correct your account.  This method also has the additional advantage that, should you need to, you can refer to this summary in later conversations.

Today is going to be a good day coffee cup

How to stay positive for your family and your team

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How to stay positive for your family and your team (even if you are scared and worried too)

Do you run a business where you’re responsible for your employees’ wellbeing? Do you manage a team at work? Do you have children or vulnerable family members who depend on you?

Whether you said to yes to just one or all of the above, having people depend on you, especially during such a difficult time as now, can quickly lead to burnout. If this happens, who will you be able to help then?

To help you stay strong so that you can be there for others during this time, here is how to stay positive even if you’re scared and worried too.

3 steps for staying positive

Step 1: Deal with your fear and anxiety first

You need to let go of the negative feelings draining your energy first before you’re able to feel positive and expend this energy for others. Here are a few ways that you can do that:

  • Seek community and support by talking to friends and family or joining a support group online.
  • Get your news and facts from reputable resources but limit your exposure to news and social media.
  • Plan your daily routine and stick to it to maintain a sense of structure and normality.
  • Prioritise your own self-care and practice mindfulness activities such as yoga and meditation.

Step 2: Train your brain to think positively 

Our brains are wired to protect us, therefore sensing ‘threats’ and thinking ‘negatively’ are often a reflex response. To overcome this, you need to train your mind to think differently. Here are a few ways that you can do that:

  • Believe a positive attitude is a choice and start to focus on positive thoughts.
  • Rid your life of negativity by limiting your exposure to the news and people who think negatively.
  • Practice positivity every day by writing down things that you are grateful for.
  • Look for positivity to reinforce it in your life. You can do this by re-framing things that happen in a positive way (e.g. finding the silver lining).

Step 3: Share this positivity with others 

Only when you let go of negative feelings that are a drain on your energy can you be there for others. Here are some of the best ways you can help others:

  • Check-in regularly and really listen to them.
  • Be empathetic and share what works for you.
  • Help them to be more positive in their lives too.
  • Spread kindness as much as possible and show your appreciation for people with words and gestures.
Lady with laptop

Are my team actually working?

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Are your team actually working?

With the phased reopening of businesses over the new few weeks to months, many businesses are having to carry on with operating remotely. This means that many employers are faced with the challenge of managing and monitoring their employees who are working from home. It can be extremely challenging to keep track of remote workers, never mind their productivity, so here are our top tips (including software and tools) that you can use to do this effectively.

7 essential tips for monitoring employee performance

  1. Use communication apps like Zoom and Slack – video conferencing software and instant messaging apps can ensure quick and effective communication for everyone.

video call

2. Assign deadlines to tasks – placing a time frame on a task increases motivation. Just make sure that these deadlines are realistic.

3. Check team activity regularly to manage projects – use project management software such as Monday.com, Mavenlink or Trello. These enable you to check progress and manage multiple projects efficiently.


wiifii

4. Track the time spent on the internet – apps such as TimeDoctor will allow you to gain valuable insight into productivity vs procrastination based on the websites that your employee visits throughout the day.

5. Monitor when employees are actually working – track how much time your employees are working and how much time they are idle or away from their keyboard. Tools like Hubstaff do this by running in the background to monitor keyboard and mouse activity.

team in circle
Hands together

6. Supervise employees remotely – remote employee monitoring software (TimeDoctor, Hubstaff etc) allow you to gain insights into productivity as they take screenshots at fixed time intervals (e.g. every 5 minutes).

7. Get everyone to send you an end-of-day summary report – an end-of-day report not only allows you to see whether your employees are spending the appropriate amount of time on tasks that you set, but they also show your employees what they’ve achieved every day too.

Find the programmes that work best for you and your team

Using these tips and software recommendations will allow you to effectively manage your employees while they work from home for the next few weeks and months. To do so doesn’t involve micro-management, but rather engagement and accountability. That’s what communication tools, project management apps, and time-tracking software are for. If you can find the best ones that work for you and your team, then remote working will soon become as productive as working in the office.