The success of a hybrid work model depends on teams agreeing on some basic rules about when to be together, how to communicate and how to respond to emergencies. According to TechRepublic.com, there are 10 guidelines to be adhered to in this matter. Here’s a quick summary:
- Eligibility
First, determine which positions lend themselves to remote working, and which don’t. This needs to be clearly stated in your company policy to avoid potential disappointment.
- Availability and responsiveness
Availability expectations should also be outlined. Whether it’s instating a nine-to-five work requirement or letting employees set their own schedules, it needs to be committed to print.
You will also need to clearly define how long a remote employee can reasonably take to respond to different types of messages. Specify approved modes of communication, e.g., email, Slack, Instant Messenger.
- Productivity measurements
Remote work policies should also specify how productivity is measured, e.g., the number of client interactions or cases resolved over a given period of time. The number of hours spent online won’t cut it! It’s outcomes that matter.
- Tech equipment and support
Companies need to state upfront what equipment and tools they are willing to offer to remote employees and what they expect staff to provide themselves. They also need to specify if any tech support is on offer. Outline what remote employees are expected to do when having technical difficulties, so there’s always a clear plan of action.
- Rightful termination
Companies need to plainly state that no employee will be terminated for working remotely. The reason this policy needs to be stated is that many managers are uncomfortable with not being able to see their employees. Hence the importance of open and frequent communication between remote workers and managers.
- Physical environment
Some companies require an employee’s physical environment to be approved before working remotely, for health and safety reasons. If this is the case, or your company has other requirements or expectations on the matter, it needs to be clearly stated.
- Security and client confidentiality
Information security and confidentiality are big issues with remote working. If companies have specific requests – e.g, if they don’t want employees working on public Wi-Fi or to have client calls in public places – that should be stated in the policy.
In conclusion, don’t make assumptions about anything when it comes to the continually evolving world of remote working. All related matters need to be stated in clear policies to avoid potential frustration, confusion and misunderstandings. There’s a lot at stake and the time invested is well worth it.
We hope the above article was of interest. If there are any other topics that you’d like us to address in the future, please let us know. And, if you’d like some support on the recruitment side of things, as the UK’s leading multilingual recruitment partner, we would be delighted to help. We hope to hear from you soon!
