Having employees work remotely is a choice that offers numerous valuable benefits to both employees and employers. From the flexibility it provides to employees, to the cost savings it enables for companies, this work mode has everything going for it.
However, there are challenges that stakeholders must face in its implementation. Moreover, a number of steps must be observed to have employees work remotely.
What is full remote work?
Similar to traditional on-site work within a company, full remote work is also a mode of activity. It offers the most freedom to the employee, as they perform their duties entirely from a distance. The term “remote”, translated from English, means “isolated”. Thus, a full remote worker performs their job from a location that is not officially attached to the company. They have the option to choose their workplace, whether it be from their home, co-working spaces, specialised centres, or elsewhere.
What are the benefits of full remote work?
Implementing a system for remote work offers numerous benefits to both employees and the company.
Benefits of working remotely for employees
Freedom in organising work time is one of the strengths of remote work. Remote workers have the ability to plan their day according to their preferences, whether in the morning, afternoon, or even at night, as long as the tasks assigned by the employer are carried out effectively. The choice of workplace is also a major advantage. Remote workers have the freedom to select the environment that suits them best, thus eliminating time lost in commuting. This place can be their home or a coworking space, the only prerequisite being a reliable internet connection. Moreover, productivity increases among remote workers, largely due to the absence of noise disturbances present in open spaces. By avoiding these distractions, employees can focus more on their tasks, resulting in increased efficiency.
Benefits for the company
Remote work offers considerable benefits to the company, starting with access to the best talent. Indeed, this mode of work allows the company to recruit the most qualified professionals, without being limited by geographical constraints. Thus, it can form a team composed of the best elements, without depriving itself of candidates even in times of talent shortages. Remote work also gives the company the opportunity to significantly reduce its costs related to office rental and supplies. With fewer employees physically present on-site, the company can optimise the use of workspace and reduce the size of its premises, thereby generating significant savings. Finally, implementing a system for remote work greatly improves employee satisfaction. By offering the possibility of remote work, the company can increase its employees’ satisfaction by allowing them a better balance between professional and personal life. This can lead to a better quality of work life and thus to an increase in motivation, commitment, and loyalty of employees towards the company.
What are the disadvantages of full remote work?
Just like its advantages, implementing a system for remote work presents disadvantages for both employees and the employer.
Disadvantages of working remotely for employees
Remote work entails challenges inherent to it, notably a decrease in social interactions. Indeed, convivial moments such as coffee breaks or lunches with colleagues become unfeasible, leading to the risk of social isolation. Furthermore, strict self-discipline is required with the adoption of this mode of work, as remote work requires the ability to get to work without strictly defined hours. It is therefore crucial not to succumb to the temptation to procrastinate. Additionally, the need to compartmentalise one’s professional life is felt, with a clear distinction between moments dedicated to work and those intended for other things.
Disadvantages for the company
One of the major challenges for companies adopting remote work lies in the difficulty of instilling a sense of belonging and cultivating a company culture with remote employees. While face-to-face interaction isn’t necessary during all stages of a recruitment process, it is useful for building meaningful connections and ensuring an alignment to the company’s values. It therefore becomes imperative to create new strategies that foster a positive dynamic, despite implementing a remote work system.
How to implement a system for remote work?
There are 3 major steps absolutely necessary for implementing a system for remote work. These include needs-analysis, defining the rules to be observed, and choosing the right tools.
Needs-analysis
Before implementing a system for remote work, it is essential to conduct a thorough analysis of the needs of both employees and the company. This approach ensures the feasibility of adopting full remote work, taking into account the specifics of its sector of activity.
Analysis of the company’s needs
Just as in the context of recruitment 2.0, implementing remote work requires a prior analysis of the company’s needs. This requires the employer to ask questions covering various aspects such as:
- The human resource management policy;
- The workload necessary for carrying out projects or tasks within the organisation;
- Statistics related to delays and absences;
- The number of jobs in the company that can be performed remotely;
- The costs associated with changing the work mode.
Once these needs are defined, the HR manager must ensure that full remote is indeed the mode of remote work that suits the company’s needs. Implementing a system for full-time remote work offers the employee the opportunity to work entirely outside the company’s premises, which suits jobs that do not require frequent team interactions.
Analysis of employees’ expectations
The pandemic has dispelled the hesitations of many managers towards remote work, some even observing that it improves performance management. This observation has encouraged many to consider implementing a system for remote work after the confinement experience. This enables opening a debate and diagnosing previous remote work experiences, encouraging them to share their positive feedback and suggestions for improvement. Employee surveys (that ensure anonymity) can collect data such as:
- The number of employees wishing to work remotely;
- Their ability to remain autonomous at work;
- Their needs in terms of equipment;
- Their training needs for using digital tools.
Establishing rules to frame the implementation of remote work
The second phase of introducing remote work in a company involves establishing the rights and duties of each of the parties involved, thus creating a framework governing remote work within the organisation.
Conditions for establishing remote work
According to labour law, it is recommended the employer uses a charter or collective agreement before establishing remote work in a company. In the absence of these documents, the employer can implement a system for remote work through a simple agreement with the employee, which usually requires signing an amendment to the employment contract. The formalisation of remote work must specify various aspects, including:
- The employees or positions concerned;
- The procedure for requesting to work remotely;
- The provision of equipment by the employer;
- The methods for evaluating the employee’s performance;
- The methods for evaluating the employee’s performance;
- The working hours.
Managing hours is a delicate issue of remote work since labour law does not clearly define normal hours and overtime in this context. However, the employer can guide employees by suggesting specific time slots or specifying the number of working hours to be adhered to daily, allowing the employee to organise their agenda whilst respecting their professional hourly quota.
Managing remote work by the employer
To maintain a high-performing team even at a distance, remote work requires the development of new human resource management strategies remotely. A recommended first step is to organise an information session intended to explain the rules of this mode of work to all employees. In addition to this, the employer can make known to all the charter or collective agreement concerning remote work. Subsequently, it will be appropriate to establish a new timekeeping system that can take into account all work time slots. In parallel, setting up a device that informs about the daily or weekly tasks performed by the employees will also be necessary. Furthermore, to foster communication, it is essential to define a common weekly slot for meetings via digital channels. This approach will promote discussions within all teams about the tasks that are a priority and the objectives to be achieved.
Choosing the right tools
Various collaborative work tools simplify the implementation of a system for remote work. The selection of appropriate tools will depend on the activities and mode of operation of the company. Here are some of the digital solutions to consider:
- Zoom: This is a video conferencing tool that allows for team meetings and the hosting of a large number of participants as well as file sharing;
- Trello: Adapted for organising tasks in the form of projects, Trello is a project management application that allows projects to be divided into sub-activities with assigned responsibilities. It also offers visibility on the progress of ongoing projects for each team member;
- Google Calendar: By merging several calendars, this solution allows the company to remind the entire staff of events and set reminders for task or report deadlines.
In summary, implementing a system for remote work requires as much analysis of the needs of the company and employees as the establishment of a regulatory framework and the choice of appropriate tools.
