Hybrid working is here to stay as the world learns to live alongside COVID.
The workforce has gotten used to staying at home and the benefits it comes with, but it’s new ground for a lot of businesses. How do you manage big groups of employees remotely? Where do you begin with remote IT support when everyone works at home? What do you do if you’re not tech-savvy?
Hybrid working can be a minefield for business owners. But if we’ve learnt anything from the last year it’s that technology is the key to keeping up home productivity and minimising any down times. That’s why we’ve put together the 5 things you can do to make hybrid working actually work for your business.
1: The Right Hardware
Everyone had teething problems when the first wave of remote working hit. One of the biggest issues stemmed from not having the right hardware.
If you’re running a fast-paced business the last thing you want is for your remote employee’s ancient laptop to crash and lose important information. We’ve all been there - you don’t save and your computer dies at just the wrong time, losing everything.
Having the proper hardware can avoid problems like this. Ensuring your remote team have the right devices and suitable, reliable internet connectivity is going to give you the edge in hybrid working.
2: The Right Software
Just like hardware, having the right software can make or break your move into hybrid home working. Not sure which software could make a difference to remote working?
You have a lot of options for useful and essential software nowadays.
You’re probably already set up with online meeting software like Zoom, Google Meets or Skype, but have you evaluated whether the one you’re using is the right one for your needs? It could be worth shopping around and checking out the competition.
When it comes to productivity and workflow, you’re spoilt for choice. Project and team management software can literally make or break your hybrid working success. The right software, implemented correctly will allow your team to collaborate and communicate seamlessly, regardless of whether they’re in the office or at home. Popular choices include Trello, Slack and ClickUp but they each have their own style and user experience, so be sure to do some research before you commit to one. Once you’re in and set up, migrating to a new system is a pain you won’t want to go through.
3: Proper Cloud Solutions
Even if you’re only working remotely sometimes, secure cloud solutions will be your best friend.
When it comes to accessing your files from work on your home computer, document storage through a cloud service will work best. You’re probably already set up with Microsoft Teams, Google Drive or Dropbox but is it really working for you?
For a seamless hybrid working experience don’t be afraid to reassess and look at the other options - getting the right solutions in place might be painful initially, but can save you time, money and stress in the long run.
4: Good Training
This is probably the one thing that most businesses get wrong. Chuck your employees in at the deep end with remote working and you could get disastrous or hilarious results - like the lawyer who accidentally turned on a cat filter while on an official court video call!
Good training takes time and patience. But if you’re planning to stick to hybrid working for the foreseeable future, it’s well worth the investment. Train your home workforce on the systems you’re using and the software so that they can use everything confidently. No cat filters necessary.
5: Excellent Remote IT Support
Your aim with all of the steps above is to make hybrid working run smoothly, but that’s not always the reality no matter how prepared you are.
Things go wrong, someone can’t log in or someone thinks their laptop has a virus. Good training makes sure that everyone knows the basic solutions, but sometimes you need an expert to call.
Remote IT support is ideal in these situations because it doesn’t matter whether you’re in the office or at home, you can have a professional figure it out for you over a call.
For any technophobes in your business, just knowing an IT expert is just a call away can give them the confidence to work from home.
But rest assured, with the right hardware, software, cloud solutions, training and of course remote IT support, you’ll be ready to take on anything hybrid working can throw at you.
If you like the sound of having an IT expert just a call away for your team, contact Data Innovations to find out more about remote IT support.