Is Working Remotely New To You?
Never has there been a time when such a high volume of people are using technology to work remotely. Although many of you have worked at home at least part of the time, for some people, this may be their first experience working remotely.
For workers that are experienced in working remotely, this will not be a hard transition. They already know what to expect, what they will need and how to stay productive. But for first-timers, this is a new reality. And even for seasoned at-home workers, this feels different. There’s no popping into the office for support or meetings with the team in person.
For managers, the first priority was to make sure the infrastructure was set up so that their workforce has what they need to function remotely. We didn’t get a lot of lead time to prepare for this. How complicated this has been depended a lot on the structure of your business and whether portions of your workforce have previously been working at remote locations. It is important for everyone to have the access they need, the security necessary to protect information, training and support. And, of course, the right equipment.
With the necessities in place, it helps to have some sort of launch
Although there are some workers who think it is great to work remotely, not everyone will feel that way. Many people get their energy from working with the team and will be lonely if there is no effort to keep the group connected. Video conferencing gives the team a way to see and communicate with each other. Having an online launch gives everyone a chance to give input on establishing a new way of engaging with the rest of team.
So, the logistics are set up, you’ve had a launch, now what? You thought the hard part was over, right? Now it’s important to make sure everyone is adjusting and transitioning to the new reality. Some people will thrive in this environment, but a lot of people will feel isolated and disconnected. They may need some coaching and resources to help them adjust to working remotely.
Working remotely is an art
Having routines that are as similar as possible to a typical workday in the office will help. Get up at the normal time (or earlier) and take a shower! Working in pajamas is a no-no. Set up your work area as separate as possible from the rest of what is going on in your house. No TV, laundry, facebook or any other distractions that get in the way of full engagement. Use caller ID to let all personal calls go to voicemail. You need to be very disciplined to make this work.
Now the good part about working at home is there is some flexibility. If you have kids that are home from school during the CoronaVirus shutdown, they are going to disrupt your workday. Here’s when it helps to get up earlier and get a jump on your work so that these disruptions won’t derail your day. Most managers are going to understand that the structure of your work day may change some, but talk it over with them. Hopefully you have a good relationship with your manager and they trust that you are working and being productive even if the schedule is not quite as regimented as it was in the office.
When you get back to business as usual
When working remotely is over and you are back to normal hiring, use a professional CRA (Consumer Reporting Agency) for screening your job candidates. An experienced CRA will save you time and money while staying in compliance. They will go through all the gathered information and verify that it is accurate. For a free consultation or more information, contact Genesis Background Screening Services at 866 944-0041 ext 101. Online, you can email or visit www.genesisbackgroundscreening.com. You can sign up to be emailed whenever we post a new blog at https://genesisbackgroundscreening.com/blog/
Genesis Background Screening is not a law firm and provides our blogs for informational purposes only. Blog is not a substitute for experienced legal advice. Research laws or regulations mentioned in our blogs and ask your legal counsel any questions you have to be sure your organization is within the law and compliant with regulations.
Jacqueline McClure
Genesis Background Screening Services
