Businesses could benefit from allowing their employees to work remotely. Employees could be more productive and creative at home, work in an environment free of distractions, and maintain a positive work-life balance, making them a more engaged employee. To make sure businesses run smoothly, they can prepare for remote work.
Here are some need to know tips for managing a remote workforce.
Create a Series of How to Guides
Once everyone starts to work remotely, they may have the same questions and not realize it. The person in charge could receive emails from different co-workers with the same question, and their inbox would fill up. So that they don’t have to answer each email individually, it’s recommended to create how-to guides for the most used applications.
To prepare everyone for working remotely, have a group meeting either in person, over the phone, or through video chat to set guidelines. By going over this information once in the beginning, everyone will be on the right track and not waste time. Make sure users know how to login to their network on their PC or Mac computer and are familiar with the remote access solutions they’ll use at home, such as VPN or RDP networks.
Mobile Device Management, or MDM, software can be set up to give devices a standard configuration. The aim is to improve productivity for employees. Check out our IT solutions for secure remote access.
Mobile Device Management
Ensure proper management of mobile devices. Mobile devices are more likely to be lost or stolen when they are away from the home or office. Make sure that your team understands the risk of leaving devices unattended, especially in public places, and the importance of keeping their software and devices up-to-date. Encourage staff members to keep their devices in a safe location when they are not in use. One prevalent scam that is on the rise is sim card swapping.
In case this were to happen, use encryption to protect data. While most modern devices have encryption built-in, it may need to be turned on and configured. Fortunately, most devices have tools to remotely lock the device, erase the data stored on it, or retrieve a backup of its data. At the same time, if your organization allows for Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, make sure your team backs up their photos and music. These items would be wiped from the device in the event that it was reported stolen.
Create a policy outlining what will happen if a device is lost or stolen, as well as the expectations. For instance, make note of who employees should report to, and encourage them in a positive, blame-free manner to report losses as soon as possible. Early reporting may help to minimize risk to the data, and staff members who aren’t fearful of reprisals are more likely to report promptly.
Avoid USB Drives and Removable Media
USB drives and removable media contain sensitive information and are easily misplaced. As they are openly shared, it becomes hard to track what they contain, where they’ve been, and who has used them. Hackers could also use USB drives to infect IT systems with malware. Reduce the likelihood of viruses by only allowing products supplied by the organization to be used. Another method is by using alternative means, such as corporate storage or collaborative tools such as OneDrive, FTP sites, or email.
Provide an Internal Who to Call List
Our last tip for working remotely is to make sure staff members know how to report any problems. This is especially important for security issues. If you work with a company like ThrottleNet, give them a call. If not, direct users to the appropriate support channels.
A Reliable Employee Who Can Work From Home
As a bonus tip, you need employees who can work remotely without supervision. Here are some interview questions that you can ask candidates looking to work for a remote position.
- “How do you schedule your day?” looks for how a person schedules their time, perhaps by first checking emails, then having any meetings, and then working on daily tasks.
- “How would you manage a project with a lot of people?” looks for how they work together on a project. This could be done through a document sharing service like Google Drive, where everyone can view and edit the same document.
- “Why do you want to work remotely?” is a question that everyone answers differently. For example, some may want to stay at home with pets. Animal lovers will like to work with their furry friends by their side.
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