Do you know, the number of employees working remotely was on the rise before COVID-19 and the pandemic only accelerated that trend? Before the pandemic, around 10% of the total workforce worked from home at least half the time. Then came the pandemic which disrupted all the industries around the world to ensure employee safety during the pandemic, companies small and big sent their employees to work from home remotely. When Covid-19 was spreading widespread during the initial 2020, the number of remote workers increased to an astounding 70% of the workforce. 

Productivity did not suffer because of this shift and according to a report, 90% of the remote employees have said that they were more productive working from home. Perhaps it is true that employees were active, happy, and productive working from home initially but as time passed, came the productivity blog. Human beings are designed to be social animals and we feel happy, fulfilled, and safe when we are in a group. 

When you are working from home, there is no one around you to make you feel accountable and acknowledge your work, you just go deeper into your own daily struggle, and with distractions, you can’t seem to unplug long after your workday is over. So how do you make sure that you remain productive while working from home? Let’s find out.

Effective Strategies to Increase Productivity with a Remote Workforce.

Establishing Clear Communication Channels: Communication is important when working remotely, and establishing clear communication channels can help remote employees stay connected with their colleagues and managers, ensuring that everyone is on the same page. You can use a combination of chat apps, video calls, and email to facilitate communication among remote teams. 

Help establish a dedicated home workspace for the employee: 

Remote employees need to establish a dedicated workspace in their homes. Instead of working from a bed, kitchen, or closet, working from the office helps the employee be more productive. 

As a manager, you have to encourage and help your employees set up dedicated workspaces in their homes and consider providing work-issued laptops and printers so employees do not have to use their less secure personal devices. 

Set out clear goals and expectations: It is essential to set clear goals and expectations for remote employees to ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives. As a manager, you have to set clear timelines for the projects given, communicate expectations, and offer support to ensure that your remote workforce is productive and on track. 

Set boundaries and encourage work-life balance: Remote employees often struggle with work-life balance because it can be challenging to separate work and personal life when working from home. Encourage your remote-working employees to set boundaries and establish a routine that includes time for self-care, exercise, and other activities outside of work. 

Tracking Performance and Providing the Required Feedback: To ensure that your remote workforce is productive, it is important to track their performance and provide feedback regularly. Use tools that allow you to monitor their progress and offer feedback on their work to help them improve and stay motivated.

Provide an efficient document management solution:

Remote working employees need the same access to key documents and files as traditional office employees, and that is difficult if they need to pass around paper documents or try to share digital files through email. 

The solution is simple, provide a robust document management system (DMS), such as FileCenter. File management software collects all the company’s documents in a digital landscape, basically a cloud system where remote employees can easily access files. 

Different teams of a company can safely share documents in real time, which promotes collaboration and enhances productivity. 

Remote work productivity statistics indicate that remote working employees can be just as productive as their office-based counterparts, provided they have the right support and resources. By implementing these strategies, businesses can help their remote workforce stay positive, focused, and motivated. resulting in better outcomes and increased success.