Preparing for the next big phase of remote working

THE Covid-19 outbreak forced companies to embrace digital transformation seemingly overnight, unequivocally changing the way we work.

Now that companies have benefitted from enhanced productivity, and employees have benefited from increased flexibility, many think this work-from-home experiment has solidified remote working's mainstay in the post-coronavirus economy.

In Singapore, employees have echoed this sentiment. A recent survey by EngageRocket, in partnership with the Singapore HR Institute (SHRI) and the Institute for HR Professionals, revealed that 90 per cent of employees wish to continue working from home in some capacity after the circuit breaker period.

Tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Facebook have also announced their extension of work-from-home policies until the end of the year, setting standards for others to follow.

So, if remote working isn't going anywhere, how can companies prepare for the next major phase of telecommuting?

The answers to our future may lie in the past. The current remote working exercise has thrown several important issues into the spotlight.

From cybersecurity risks to increased awareness of employees' mental well-being, there is a trove of valuable lessons we can apply to make remote working sustainable and effective long after the circuit breaker ends.

Strengthening cybersecurity hygiene with a remote workforce

The Covid-19 epidemic left companies scrambling to set up work-from-home arrangements almost overnight.

This exposed new cybersecurity vulnerabilities for hackers to eagerly exploit.

Since the outbreak began, cybersecurity companies have reported an uptick in attacks.

Fortinet, a cybersecurity solutions provider, currently sees an average of 600 new phishing campaigns per day.

The number of computer viruses detected in February and March 2020 also soared by 52 per cent and 131 per cent, respectively, compared to the same months last year.

Moving forward, companies must ensure remote cybersecurity readiness. Whether it's requiring the use of a virtual private network (VPN) or implementing multi-factor authentication, organisations need to quickly identify and address their current vulnerabilities to create a safe and effective work environment.

Ultimately, employees need to be aware of how to secure their home technologies and practice security in their everyday lives.

To keep everyone informed, companies can share regular updates on the latest scams as well as tips to identify phishing emails.

Security and IT teams should also be on standby to address any questions or red flags.

Drawing the line between work and home

Work-from-home burnout is real. As the line between work and home gets blurred, many find themselves working longer hours than they did in the office.

When at home, minutes can quickly turn into hours and without realising it, the workday has flown by.

Maintaining temporal boundaries is crucial for mental well-being. As employers, we can do our part by encouraging staff to log off past 7pm and take regular breaks throughout the day. Respect your colleagues' boundaries by avoiding sending emails past office hours or scheduling meetings during mealtimes.

We must acknowledge that these are extraordinary circumstances. The uncertainty of the pandemic, coupled with the challenges of working from home, can add further stress and bring out feelings of isolation.

As we move towards the next phase of remote working, let's continue offering flexibility so employees can feel supported in delivering job expectations.

It is also important to preserve the human element, despite working in separate locations.

Small gestures like gifting food delivery vouchers or organising virtual drinks to celebrate milestones and successes can go a long way in encouraging life beyond work.

Recently, 40 of us from Lark hopped onto a video conference to toast achieving a team goal on a Friday afternoon.

After working remotely for several weeks, this was a great way to catch up with colleagues and end the work week.

Establishing clear processes for remote teams

We can't expect to continue working remotely like how we did in the office.

If the past few months have taught us anything, it is that new processes must be established in order to collaborate effectively as a team.

For starters, remote workers cannot simply walk over to check-in with a colleague on a project's status.

Without the proper tools, this may lead to delays in retrieving information from their co-workers.

Setting standard deadlines for recurring tasks and creating trackers for ongoing projects can help keep teams on the same page.

Communicate these expectations clearly, and most importantly, encourage team members to make regular status updates to the whole team.

Providing the right communication platforms also facilitates better collaboration among employees.

For example, video conferencing allows participants to receive visual cues they might not otherwise get through email.

For time-sensitive requests, instant messaging is proven to be much more efficient and casual.

If your company doesn't have digital collaboration tools already in place, there are a variety of affordable or free options available.

Work closely with your IT department to determine which solution best meets your team's needs.

Rethinking employee evaluations

During an internal catch-up, a colleague shared his experience of working from home.

"I get so much more done at home!" he exclaimed. "I can plan my work schedule around my most productive times of the day, and no one would mind, as long as I deliver things on time." Soon, others on the call began to chime in.

He raised a good point. Remote work is beginning to challenge the longstanding culture of presenteeism - the unproductive attendance at work, where staff clocks in more hours than required despite being finished with the day's workload.

As a result, employers' notions of productivity are called into question. If managers can't physically see their employees working, how will they measure productivity?

Furthermore, employee evaluation methods may soon evolve. As all communications are done online, we are slowly building a digital repository of how we collaborate and contribute at work.

Video conferences are recorded and stored in the cloud, team discussions are saved in group chats, and email correspondence can be filed away neatly in online folders.

If they want to, managers could easily revisit this digital library to see how each employee has contributed, collaborated, and performed.

Looking ahead, managers and HR departments need to rethink their employee assessment criteria, keeping in mind how work has changed.

At the end of the day, remote working is here to stay. While many may have had a rocky start, companies now have more time to prepare for the next stage of telecommuting.

It's critical we reflect on the lessons learned up until this point and apply them moving forward to ensure we don't make the same mistakes again.