Today, many jobs can be performed remotely. In fact, most companies have gone 100% remote during this Coronavirus epidemic. As many businesses convert to remote offices, some are finding it difficult to find the best way to optimize their virtual workforce in a way that promotes productivity as well as the flexibility a remote position provides. Here are five key tips from team leaders on how to best optimize your remote workforce this year.

Hire the Right People

If you’re hiring remote workers, individuals who are going to be successful working remotely (or from home) are going to have certain traits. They will typically be goal-oriented, self-starters, independent, self-aware, and have strong communication and time management skills. Additionally, it is a good idea to search for people who are tech-savvy and have previously worked from their home.

Connect Your Team with Chat Applications

Because your team is spread out and you can’t just pop your head into someone’s office, it is a good idea to have a chat application for everyone to collaborate in. Microsoft Teams and Slack are great apps for this. It allows you to open chats linked to projects within other management systems. So, if the team is collaborating on a project together, they can go back-and-forth within the project’s group chat about questions, concerns, and any comments they may have.

Skype and Zoom are also a great chat and video many remote businesses use. You can use it for conference audio and video calls. It can also be used for its chat function, like Slack. Interesting to note that 57% of the people admit to multi-tasking during phone or regular conference calls, and only 4% when on video conferencing. Think about that on your sales calls too!

Use On-The-Go Apps for Project Management

It is a good idea to choose project management apps and software that are widely accessible in different user systems. For instance, Asana is a project management application that allows you to assign tasks and communicate about projects. The app can be used on desktop and mobile phones across all operating systems. This way, no matter where your team is, they can stay up-to-date on their tasks and how the project is progressing.

Invest in Data Protection

Because your employees are spread out, possibly all over the world, it is easier for sensitive information to get stolen. First, you should always make it a rule that your employees do not use shared WiFi. When they open up sensitive documents and information on open WiFi, like at Starbucks, it makes it easier for hackers to potentially breach and access the information. If they are traveling and must work in a public place, ask them to invest in a hot spot or use a VPN line if their virus protection offers that option.

In addition to not accessing sensitive information on public WiFi, companies should also invest in software to help ward off any potential hackers. Although these systems can be pricy, it is worth never having to deal with a breach and the aftermath that ensues. Employees using personal laptops for work-related communication and tasks should have adequate virus protection loaded on the unit.

Boost Morale by Building Relationships

Lastly, it can be difficult to feel like a member of a team you’ve never actually met. Many remote companies have annual face-to-face retreats, meet at conferences, or plan a meeting in the office from time-to-time to help employees build relationships with each other as well as leadership.

During and probably after our world epidemic, remote work will continue to rise in popularity. In many ways, it can be beneficial for both employees and employers alike.  Contact us for additional tips, or if you need help on a current opening.

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WorldBridge Partners is an Executive Search Firm that assists companies worldwide in locating and hiring top echelon industry leaders.

We have twelve US locations, an operation in Belgium and over 100 Recruiters providing our clients and candidates with global access to talent.