Andrew Gombar
Information Security Analyst
AaDya Security

From supporting flexible work schedules for busy parents, to responding to the recent global pandemic, businesses of all sizes are searching for the most efficient ways to support employees who need to work remotely. Nearly 50% of the current workforce works remotely at least one day a week, and that number is steadily increasing. So how do we support these employees while also helping them to develop good habits while they are working from home? If you have a current strategy, or are considering creating one, here are the top five remote work tips we’ve developed from our own experience:

Tip 1: Ensure you provide workers with the proper collaborative tools.

There are many tools that can make working remotely easier and more productive for your employees. Whether it’s Slack for quick and easy communication (individually or in a group), Zoom for conferencing, or operational applications like Docusign for digital signatures; the more your workers are able to collaborate over their devices, the better.

Tip 2: Structure your days like you would in the office.

While working from home it can be easy to lose motivation without the in-person meetings and interactions with coworkers to keep you on track. To stay on schedule and help you push your task to completion, we suggest using applications like Trello or Jira (team project tracking). Combining this with events and/or reminders you set for yourself allow you to switch between projects and stay focused throughout the work day.

Tip 3: Choose a dedicated workspace and make it known.

While working at home is an excellent way to create a good work/life balance, it can also be detrimental to your productivity if you are constantly being interrupted. Creating a dedicated space or surface from which to work (and making that space known to others in your household) gives you the ability to focus on your work with minimal outside interference (unless the dog needs to go outside).

Tip 4: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.

With more offices going to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us will miss those daily conversations with coworkers. In order to maintain those bonds and continue working as a team we encourage you to communicate with everyone in your organization regularly. It doesn’t always have to be about work related items. For example, create a “fun” Slack channel for sharing funny memes or insights. Doing this can help maintain a sense of camaraderie within the organization, and provide some relief for feelings of disconnection that can arise from being alone all day.

Tip 5: Ensure you secure your home network.

Above all is the security of your company, customer and employee data. That means companies need to be extra vigilant when implementing remote work practices including: making sure employees’ home networks are secure, all data is treated as sensitive, computers are locked while unattended, and installing any and all patches on personal devices leveraged to work from home.

Conclusion

We are lucky to live in a world where we have the technology and resources that support remote/at-home work, contributing to a richer, healthier, more balanced life for many. And while there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to the practice, if you implement the tips above and communicate clear guidelines to your employees, we have no doubt you can do it successfully.

AaDya provides smart, simple, affordable and effective cybersecurity software solutions for small and medium businesses. Email a member of our team at inquiries@aadyasecurity.com today to learn more!