Modern Technology Solutions for the Work Environment

How to Set Employee Expectations for Remote Work

Have a Conversation: While many people have now acclimated to remote work environments in a professional setting, there are still many people with misconceptions about how it actually plays out. They may not understand the importance of maintaining proper communication lines or they may have flawed ideas about just how flexible this arrangement is. That’s why your first step should be to have a conversation, so you can set better expectations and get a feel for this employee’s past experience with remote work.
Provide IT Resources and Services: If you want your remote employees to be successful in a remote work environment, don’t put the burden of securing IT resources and services on them. You should provide them with all the assets, software, instructions, and support necessary for them to succeed. Technology is the backbone of any remote or hybrid work environment, so it’s an investment you have to make proactively.
Set Up Better Communication Channels: The better your employees can communicate with each other, the more productively they’re going to work. That’s why one of your biggest priorities is setting up better communication channels. Once employees can communicate fluidly with each other throughout the day, everything else should come naturally.
Establish Clear Protocols and Procedures: It’s on you to come up with a remote work policy that your employees can follow. Most of your employees won’t take it upon themselves to follow best practices for cyber security, nor will they be able to read your mind and determine exactly what you want from them throughout the day. Do your best to establish clear protocols and procedures so that there’s no ambiguity.
Invest in Security: You know that cybersecurity is important, but it’s even more important in a remote or hybrid work environment. Keeping your security infrastructure intact and consistent across the board is more difficult when you have hundreds, or even thousands of employees in as many different locations. You have to be proactive and focused here to minimize your vulnerabilities.
Provide Thorough Documentation: In addition to explaining all your procedures, rules, and guidelines to your employees, it’s important to provide them with thorough documentation. This way, they can look up details as needed, answer their own questions, and clarify any points of confusion that come up.
Offer Further Training and Education: Training and education goes a long way. Though it requires an upfront investment of time and money, it should equip your employees with better knowledge and skills they can use to navigate this remote work environment successfully.
Offer More Support: It’s also important to offer ongoing support to your employees. If they have a problem with connecting to your network, or if they have a problem with the device you’ve given them, they should have clear and convenient options for resolving these problems.