Most organizations are heading into 2022 with plenty of uncertainties looming over their heads. Yes, most companies have spent the past 18 months developing robust remote working policies. But, it’s clear that this model of working still lacks sufficient oversight for the managers and flexibility for the employees.

Fully-remote teams with no central offices and employees working from home need more efficient collaboration. The same applies to distributed teams which consist of professionals working remotely from different locations and time zones. Even hybrid companies where employees work from home only partially need better collaboration.

In 2022, employees can’t be facing the same remote working hassles as they were back in March 2020. Here are some clear dos/don’ts of remote working that companies and employees must follow in 2022 to avoid such hassles –

Remote Working - Dos and Don’ts for Companies

Setting Flexible Work Policies

It’s hard for companies to set up well-defined work policies when employees are scattered throughout several geographic locations. Companies must consider their employees’ convenience while setting up their annual work/employee policies.

DO – Be Considerate to Employee Needs

A “good” work policy is one that considers every individual employee’s specific needs and requirements. Companies must review their remote and in-house workers’ needs to create workplace policies that provide maximum convenience to them.

For example, setting fixed schedules for team meetings makes sense if your workforce is operating within a single country. But, if your workforce is spread across different countries and time zones, you’ll have to consider your remote employees’ working hours.

DON’T – Disrespect Existing Work Culture

Work policies and schedules should be flexible. But, they must also reflect the company’s core requirements. The aim should be to create workplace policies that curate productive work cultures.

- Recruiting

The remote recruitment process is vastly different to conventional recruitment. Remote recruitment comes with the promise of having increased access to the global talent pool. Candidates don’t face geographically limitations while applying for remote positions. But, remote recruitment also comes with various management challenges.

DO - Use Technology to Your Benefit

Whether you’re a recruitment manager or a job applicant – technology can make processes like interviewing, onboarding, etc., much easier. All companies, job applicants, and recruiters are advised to use the latest videoconferencing tools. Use Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other similar tools to boost communication with remote applicants.

DON’T – Use Conventional Recruitment Techniques

With the latest cloud-based videoconferencing tools, recruiters can assign tasks to job applicants. They can simultaneously view their social media profiles, resumes, LinkedIn accounts, etc., during the recruitment process. Avoid conventional recruitment techniques like hour-long face-to-face interviews. Use more innovative techniques like proctored tests, live assessments, etc.

- Evaluating Employee Performance

Management teams have always struggled to develop non-biased techniques for measuring employee performance. The challenge is even harder when employees are scattered through different geographic locations.

DO – Use Employee Management Software Tools

Many remote employee management software tools allow managers to monitor their workers at all times. Irrespective of their working locations, employees can always be constantly monitored via tracking tools, AI-powered performance evaluation tools, etc.

These ERP software tools also come with easy-to-use dashboards where every remote worker can learn about their progress.

DON’T – Have No Strategy to Manage Remote Positions

The leading companies are already using advanced employee management software tools to boost their day-to-day productivity levels. If your organization can’t track employee records, monitor performance levels, etc., it won’t be able to compete. Set up a clear remote management strategy for your workers.

This strategy should be designed to give the employees as much feedback as possible. The feedback can be machine-generated or provided by “human managers.” Employees may find it hard to set daily goals without constant feedback and evaluations.

The overall impact of not having a clear remote employee management strategy can be lethal for a company. Decreases in employee retention and loss of day-to-day organizational productivity are just some of the risks.

- Remote Working - Dos and Don’ts for Employees

Boosting employee engagement is difficult when they’re not collaborating and doing their part. Companies must set clear expectations for their remote workers to avoid such problems. Some vital remote working dos and don’ts for employees include -

• DO - Create a dedicated workstation.
• DON’T - Work from anywhere. Without a dedicated workstation and a routine, staying “professional” for long periods is impossible.
• DO – Have a clear morning routine. Maintain a morning routine to give yourself a mindful start to the day.
• DON’T - Allow your day to slip away. Maintain strict office hours right after completing your morning schedule. Structure your day and stick to the plan consistently.
• DO – Constantly stay in touch with colleagues using tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc.
• DON’T – Get distracted while checking your emails or work-related messages on social media platforms. Set aside separate hours for social media use.

Use these guidelines to optimize your workforce for remote work in 2022 and beyond!