Remote Work Revolution: Navigating Business Operations in the Virtual Space

The transition from cubicles to home offices was sparked by a global health crisis and has rapidly continued. Before this, working from home was a privilege for business elites and tech geniuses. Today, everyday folk work remotely, and virtual work has become essential, rather than a perk. Entire companies are going virtual. But how does a business remain competitive when its employees are located across the globe? 

How To Navigate Business Operations Virtually

These strategies can help businesses manage their remote employees effectively: 

Invest in the IT Department 

Now that your business and its operations rely on technology, investing significantly in the IT department is paramount. The IT department traditionally helps with data management, cybersecurity, application management, IT procurement, and system maintenance. However, with a virtual workplace, everything depends on IT systems running smoothly, and the department’s role becomes even more crucial. For example, they may need to enable two-factor authentication to enhance security and train users on the new applications the company will be adopting. Investing more in IT hardware, software, and personnel should be at the top of each virtual business’s agenda. 

Communicate Your Expectations 

Communicate the company’s goals and objectives to ensure that everybody understands where they are headed so that they remain aligned and focused. For example, set quarterly targets for the sales team, a target number of pages or articles for writers, deliverables for the IT department, and tasks for the customer representatives. When all team members clearly understand what is expected of them, they can remain engaged and productive even when their work schedules differ. Each team member should present a progress report at the end of the stipulated period. 

Rethink Work Evaluation

It won’t be business as usual. You must reassess the organization’s operational processes and metrics to align with the new work environment. For example, punctuality, and physical presence are no longer a productivity metric. In the modern workplace, employee productivity is outcome-based and is measured using quantifiable performance metrics like the quality of work and consistency in results delivery, and not the time they spend in the office or the number of tasks completed, all of which are limited in their assessment of an employee’s contribution.

Employ Technology To Ensure Connection 

In the new virtual employment era, communication tech platforms have become the new workplace. Work is assigned, and meetings, interviews, and discussions are held via video calls, voice calls, or chats. Platforms like Slack, Zoom, Pumble, Discord, and Microsoft Teams are excellent for maintaining information flow, while others like Asana, ClickUp, Basecamp, and Microsoft Planner are great for managing projects. 

With communication streamlined, it’s easy to designate responsibilities, deadlines, and other updates. However, for this to work, the management must ensure that all employees can access a reliable unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot to remain responsive and carry out tasks undeterred. 

Cultivate a Sense of Community 

While the workflow may be undeterred, the culture in an organization keeps the deliverables consistent. A positive workplace culture improves employee productivity and engagement, reduces turnover, drives collaboration and innovation, enhances profitability, attracts top talent, and improves customer perception. Although you won’t be operating in a brick-and-mortar office, these benefits are crucial to any organization. It’s essential to create a culture and a sense of community across digital spaces. Some ways to implement this include regular video check-ins, team-building exercises, and virtual coffee breaks. Create new rituals that excite the team, create a sense of community, and reinforce the dynamics of their interactions. 

Borrow From the Old 

Although the concept of a virtual workplace is still relatively new, it’s been evolving and borrowing ideas from the traditional office environment. We can look forward to a hybrid model that harnesses the strengths of both in-person and virtual models by borrowing from the old and new workplaces and blending the ideas into a new work model. 

The hybrid workplace model shows promise because it upholds the virtual workplace’s greater productivity and efficiency while preserving the community’s social interactions from the physical workplace. For example, virtual companies are requiring their employees to routinely meet physically to socialize and strategize. These meetings successfully build rapport and enhance interpersonal cohesion and collaboration. So, you may need to implement strategies from a traditional office environment to improve and strengthen the virtual workplace.    

Navigating the Virtual Workplace Will Require Adaptability

The virtual workplace is widely welcomed and celebrated because it enhances employees’ flexibility, productivity, work-life balance, and job satisfaction. To thrive in this new landscape and reap these benefits, businesses must invest in and leverage technology, communicate expectations, cultivate a sense of community, and foster traditional workplace culture. It’s also crucial to keep organizational structures flexible and be ready to adapt to changes.