Ways To Improve Communication When Working Remotely

Fifty years ago, the idea of working remotely meant taking a phone call on a sick day. Today, the idea is hugely encompassing. Many workers work part-time remotely, and even other full organizations operate remotely with no shared office space. This has allowed for a lot of freedom for the employees.

Consider this: there’s no commute in remote work. It also allows for the flexibility of work hours. If the work is being finished, it often does not matter what time of day it’s been accomplished. Hey, you can even go to work in pajamas and nobody will ever know!

However, remote work can pose a set of problems, almost always due to a lack of communication.

Let’s take a look at how to break those poor communication habits so that you and your team can continue to work efficiently as possible from the freedom of your own desk!  

Don’t just email

If you’re relying solely on email to communicate with your team members, you will likely have more hiccups than you’d prefer. Instead, opt for something like an instant messaging platform with various channels.

This allows super quick responses to easy questions and is much more productive when it comes to long discussions with intricate details.

With instant messaging platforms, you can easily reach out to individuals to clear up any discrepancies or have a group chat to discuss the latest project you’re working on.

Employee portals to keep staff on the same page

Everyone on your team might not need to know every detail of every project, so setting up an HR portal can often be a great way to share information with each employee involved in a project.

Base22, as an example, provides consulting and solutions to help shape organizations by building employee portals and web apps. If your company is looking for a bespoke app, Base22 might be right up your alley. 

Video Chat

If you feel uncomfortable with transitioning from in-office work to remote work, consider video chat options, or webinars. This is especially useful if a team is used to all working in one place together and is suddenly working separately.

There are many options on the market, with Skype being the most popular. While it can be hard to read-between-the-lines in emails, seeing someone’s body language on screen can improve communication immediately.

Things like sarcasm or jokes can fall flat when being read from text, so if you’re uncertain about how a conversation may go between clients and employees, consider making it a video chat.

Scheduled phone calls

Yes, it’s true, phones still work for things other than texting and social media. When instant messaging just won’t cut it, pick up that phone call and communicate directly.

If you feel most comfortable with this, consider scheduling weekly calls to discuss big details, or flesh out new projects. 

Just a reminder: remote work doesn’t equal slacking off.

In fact, a Stanford study showed that employees that work remotely had a 13% increase in their work performance.

Employees, on average, are able to limit their distractions that are common in a traditional workplace.

Remote work has been proven to greatly reduce attrition rate of employees. 

© New To HR