How to Implement an Effective Home Office Strategy

Remote work has been around for a long time, for many independent workers, it isn’t news. But the recent expansion in every industry is. According to Gallup, earlier this year 56% of US employees were working from home, that’s more than half of the workforce! We are starting to see some companies implement full-time, part-time, and hybrid office working hours. 

Many employees, around 23%, would continue remote work if given the chance. And many companies chose to downsize their office space, as a way to lower overhead costs. With a flexibilization in corporate settings towards hybrid office setups being the new normal, we may begin to experience a global change in office environments and a rise of remote work. This puts companies and their leaders in a new landscape, they need to learn and think about how to manage this new world. Let’s analyze how to implement an effective Home Office strategy. 

What is remote work

Remote work could be defined as work done away from a physical office location. It can give employees the flexibility of doing their work, of producing value for their employers while being connected to their virtual team and managers from their own home, or even on the road.

At the height of the recent pandemic, most of the workflow had to make a sudden and abrupt change: from the office to their homes. 

But others, before and since, have embraced a digital nomad mindset. Working from anywhere they want, traveling through many destinations, and enjoying the freedom remote work can give. 

And this mindset has been gaining popularity. With the improvement of cloud technology, communication channels, and collaboration tools, and effective project management solutions, teams are no longer limited by geography.

This also benefits local workers, by reducing daily commuting and allowing them to save time.

Benefits of working remotely

We have been accustomed to a certain style of working culture, and given the unforeseen circumstances, the sudden implementation of remote work started without the necessary technological and managerial support.

This logically elevated concerns from employees and hesitation from leaders. Some of the apprehension was well-founded. Would the change affect productivity? Do employees have the necessary technological means to work at home? Providing the missing materials, and rearranging collaboration methods was an inversion, and we could say that it did show positive results and multiple advantages: 

• Increased employee engagement
• Higher retention rates
• Greater productivity
• Positive employer brand
• Lower overhead costs
• Wider talent pool to recruit from

Generalizing the needs of employees may result in some reduction concepts, of course. Not everyone was glad about the sudden change. Many of them suffered greatly in the midst of the pandemic: isolation, loneliness, lack of a tranquil environment, and even boredom were some of the most common disadvantages of remote work. Some longed to return to the office, where they could concentrate without a full-house, or having some air while being away from a small apartment. Others were extremely happy about having more time to spend in their homes, with their families, and avoiding lost hours due to daily commutes.

And that divide is the best possible example of why a flexible office is such a good idea. On one of our other pieces we commented on some pandemic Ads, and Apple’s “The whole working from home thing” is an X-ray of those first months. Giving the talent the autonomy of working from home or from the office some of the time can greatly increase their well-being and could improve their home life. It is also a good opportunity for companies to modernize their culture and become a desirable place to work in.

Benefits at a business level

54% of employees said that they would change jobs if a new proposal offered a flexible remote work opportunity, and adjourned businesses have seen a 12% decrease in their turnover rates. We all know attrition can be a burden on the bottom line, and that healthy, happy workers are more productive, efficient, and improve the overall morale and company’s reputation. In order to turn the sudden change into a long term engagement, businesses need to support the physical and technological requirements: Updating collaboration tools and apps,  providing hardware as well as software, transparent policies, and communication, checking in, and making sure there’s a good work-life balance and that their talent is not oversaturated.

These investments can be expensive, but remote work also lowers overhead costs, allowing companies to save up to 40% in some cases. The business side of the equation is also greatly beneficial:

Real estate expenses can be greatly reduced. Some companies are keeping only essential workers in their offices, others implement a hybrid work schedule and maintain small office space.

This is translated into lower overhead costs like electricity, heating, AC.

Employees are usually better rested, without having to spend going to and forth until the end of the day, and thus less prone to small mistakes.

The size of the talent pool has grown astronomically. People that can communicate in the same tongue can find job opportunities all around the world, and employees looking for highly talented and prepared individuals can interview more applicants. 

One step closer to an inclusive company culture

Another wonderful benefit: the rise of remote work has increased accommodations for people with disabilities. It is hard to grasp the full scope of how exclusive some common practices can be. Open offices can be unfriendly for people with hearing or sight disabilities, commuting can be extremely time-consuming for wheelchair users, and movable impaired employees.

UK research has found that remote work was one of the most requested and refused accommodations until very recently. This issue is not solved in such a short time, since it springs forth due to varying ableist causes. But the possibility of working from home can greatly improve the working conditions for disabled employees, increase their hiring opportunities, and radically lower the difficulties some encounter in their day-to-day lives.

This topic can’t be successfully analyzed in such a swift manner. But the rising care for subjective preferences and needs is a great sign- One can hope this is a step towards a working culture that’s not hostile to small modifications in order to hire the best talent.

Tips for working remotely

Changing a lifetime of practices and traditional office environments is no easy feat. Luckily we can share some tips from experienced remote workers, like independent employees who have been doing this for decades:

1. Maintain a “normal” routine. Many recommend doing things exactly the same as you would should you go to the office. This rings more effective when having a hybrid style. If you always work remotely this can be a chance of knowing what works best for you. What everyone can agree on, is that workdays should have a similar structure.  
2. Track the hours you are working. It is easy to fall off the rail with remote work, to both sides of the divide, you can waste a lot of time, or you can work too much. Try to start working at a regular time, keep a schedule, and maintain a calendar
3. Keep an organized and clear workspace. Declutter, air the room, try not to take your meals where you work. Acquire a suitable ergonomic chair and desk set up, it doesn’t have to be fancy; the desk needs to be the right height in order to avoid straining your neck and arms, the chair needs to provide comfortable support. 
4. If you don’t work a customer service job you most likely won’t be glued to your desk from 8 to 5. If this is the case you may not take breaks at the same intervals you once did. You can find you work better in the morning, or in the afternoons, and need to take fewer breaks in that time. If you work at a task level you may finish before filling 9 hours, and that’s fine! 
5. Remember to walk around, get up once in a while, and stretch. Without distractions, it’s easy to stay sitting in your chair for long periods of time. Use your longer break times to take a walk around the block, it helps your body, it also rests your eyes, and can help clear your mind.  
6. Try to present a professional background in video conferencing and calls. Position your camera so it faces against a clear wall, it’s best to avoid showing too much of your personal and household life on business calls.
7. Isolation can be a real threat. Try to use video calls instead of just regular ones with your colleagues. If you work independently doing webinars and courses can be a good way of networking while connecting with other people in your field.
8. Listen to some music! Having a nice background sound can improve your concentration. It can be other types of noises, but you should avoid having the news all day since it can be very distracting.
9. Some people choose to go to coffee shops or co-work spaces. Be wary of always resorting to this, it can defeat the purpose. At the same time, there are many people that work better in communal spaces. Try out what you think works best for you, and be honest with yourself.
10. Hire a good, fast, and reliable internet provider. If the internet is your main channel of communication, it needs to be up to the challenge. It is an investment, but it saves you many headaches. Analyze the placement of your router, don’t have a myriad of gadgets connected to the wifi.

Building a remote work culture

Building a remote work culture can be a struggle for many traditional businesses that are only now adopting a different style. They may fear a productivity reduction, and lack of an effective collaboration method. These problems can be avoided with some adequate and analyzed workplace strategies regarding the preparation and organization of management.

The issues encountered by remote employees can be rooted in management and soft skills, for example, a lack of collaboration and communication, having trouble signing off work at an appropriate time, losing engagement and motivation. Other problems can also include needing a better internet connection and updated technology or feeling isolated from their colleagues.

For managers working with remote teams, the hurdles can include a reduction of team cohesiveness, decreased talent motivation and productivity, or struggling to maintain the company’s culture.

There are some key aspects of the business to focus on, and some strategies to improve them:

Effective communication

Communication is vital in a remote work strategy. Leaders and managers must communicate in a transparent way what are their expectations from each team member each day. Their need to maintain a clear schedule, with appropriate due dates and their respective dependencies. This can be greatly improved by the use of project management software.

Productivity

Metrics and KPIs are monumental in having visibility of the health and productivity of a business. It is a chance for leaders and employees to know how they’re doing, what is expected of them, and understand what areas need more training or better resources. 

Collaboration

 With working remotely, spontaneous and impromptu meetings are impossible. There’s no communal coffee pot, or water cooler, so the dynamic of collaboration needs to change in order to allow for chats that can lead to an enjoyable working environment.  Losing that amicable moment can be very dangerous, it carries an emotional element, but it has also been the place where ideas are born.   

Company culture

It can be extremely hard to uphold the company’s values and sense of belonging in a digital landscape. There are some actions a business could take, like offering feedback spaces for managers and leaders and promoting channels for social communications like events or private channels. Give recognition!  COngratulate employees for their hard work, give public shoutouts and personal messages. It can help to promote a better cohesive sense of belonging, which will, in turn, improve onboarding talent who have never worked in the office.

Performance management

Employee satisfaction lowers turnover rates, improves morale, and can make your business a more attractive place to work for. A big part of a company’s well-being can be measured by the success of their talent, but their health and motivation can be affected by not sharing a space. There are many ways of taking care of your employees, but one of the main ones is to guarantee they are not oversaturated or on the way to burnout.

At COR we have been making the case that people need to work smart, not longer. Our time tracking features can keep employees up to date on how much work they have assigned, as well as letting managers know when their plate is full. Our project estimation can improve profitability, and forecast how many hours a task will require, this way people can avoid over allocations, judging by hours and not by tasks.

We believe that profitability, efficiency, and talent health go hand in hand. It is our mission to help business continuity increase their bottom line as well as their talent’s satisfaction. If you want to take a step in the right direction, request a demo today.