Working Remotely During the Covid Pandemic: Everything You Need to Know

As the worldwide death toll is touching almost 15,000 with 330,000 infected cases, we see that the coronavirus is probably one of the most dreaded, unforeseen setbacks of the millennium. A lot of tech giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon, have closed down offices and their employees are now working from home, full time, which introduces new challenges.

As we navigate the above scenarios virtually, some of us may face challenges if we are doing it for the first time. At this juncture, we offer insights and solutions to help overcome some of these challenges. We also offer FREE courses on preventing COVID-19 through our LMS – Auzmor Learn.

Effective Leadership Management

Leaders need to stay poised and not get bogged down by the chaos. Most importantly employees look to how their leaders react. It is vital to stay calm. Leaders can begin by sharing essential resources from credible sources like the WHO or government news releases which could help employees mitigate risks and take precautionary measures against the spread of COVID-19. As the number of cases continue to rise, a lot of people in leadership roles are making online courses available for employees to enroll in. Something so simple, yet important, such as washing hands regularly, sanitizing door knobs, and generally keeping one’s immediate environment sanitized is essential.

Leaders are also relaxing leave policies and giving employees a plethora of other benefits like continued work from home options until some semblance of normalcy returns. Employers try to be more empathetic and understanding as employees try to balance work and family, while navigating the new normal of staying productive while working from home. The most important task senior management is now facing is to not only keep productivity high as ever, but boost the morale of their workforce. 

If working remotely is not an option in your business, make work fun and safe. Invite a doctor for a session with employees and let them have an open discussion that will give them a sense of comfort while working from the office. Be creative and think of fun ways to engage employees by organizing contests that address personal hygiene. Always keep an adequate supply of hand sanitizers, tissues, disinfectants, face masks and so on in the office for employees to use.

It is not completely possible to eliminate anxiety or worry. But it is possible to create a safety net. The leaders of any organization or the senior management are responsible for this. 

A combination of good tools with today’s advanced technology which allows us to stay connected virtually. Encouraging a positive attitude to keep our spirits high will ensure that we not only work effectively remote but also conduct our businesses profitably.

Tools to Make Your Remote Work Easy

Managing remote work is a growing need by the hour. For both managers and workers, work becomes easier to manage by using certain tools that are already available in the market. Some teams and organizations may try to get everything done through email threads but that isn’t the most efficient way as things can be missed. 

Try the following tools which we have put together:

Daily Stand-ups:

Start your days as a team by gathering virtually. Sales teams are usually a great example at organization since this is a common practice. Turning on the camera, waving hello to your counterparts at their homes, just like you would do normally if you had been meeting together at work. The goal for a daily stand up is to set the agenda of tasks that we will be focusing on accomplishing as individuals or teams and to have it finished by the end of the day. The biggest reason some teams may fail while working remote is lack of communication. Continue to communicate daily or as needed if tasks are not being completed.

Suggested Tools: Zoom, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting

Track Goals:

One of the biggest challenges with working remotely is tracking tasks and who was assigned which task. If something isn’t tracked it doesn’t exist or doesn’t always get completed. By implementing a tool to help the managers and team members track the tasks gives a sense of accountability. Use a few minutes of your daily or weekly stand-ups to track your teams progress and answer questions or collaborate as a team.

Suggested tools: Airtable.com or ClickUp.com

Communication Channels: 

There are various communication methods today with cell phones around to get an instant response. As more and more teams expand globally, email responses can take hours or days to hear back at times. Lack of in-person interaction or communication can be frustrating. Don’t always wait on hearing back via email. If something is urgent and you are working remote, try texting or another method of instant communication such as Slack or Whatsapp.

Suggested tools: Text, Slack, Whatsapp

Training & Certification:

Face to face training can be great for some aspects of training but isn’t the most cost effective solution for organizations with today’s technology. A blended learning approach is a common trend. Today time is money and by implementing an online training platform you can easily allow employees to take training 24×7 via mobile, tablet etc. It’s a great way to reduce time to get employees up to speed or  build engagement. When in a crisis situation, providing training on best practices for working remotely, being productive, or assigning training on new tasks that may be assigned to guide employees.

Suggested Tools: Learning Management Solution (LMS)

Employees Surveys & Feedback: 

One of the biggest challenges HR folks and employers may face is the fact that you will lose sight of what your employees are saying. The emotional and human aspect can get lost. Employers assume things are fine but in reality a storm may be brewing. Get to learn how your employees are feeling. Surveys and feedback can help collect the information you need to make the right call at the right time to retain good employees. 

Suggested Tools: Lattice, 15five, SurveyMonkey

Most importantly, think of unique and creative ways to keep your spirits high, and make your businesses thrive. The epidemic will pass, and when it does, we as humanity will be stronger, smarter and more creative in our approach to any curve-ball that life throws us. 

At Auzmor Learn, we offer FREE COVID-19 Preventive Measures courses. We encourage you to take full advantage of this. Everyone should try to make this world a safer place and contribute to the measures taken for containment and the prevention of COVID-19.

If you’d like access to the Free Covid-19 courses, click the button below and ask for a demo.