We now live in a world in which a vast majority of us work remotely at least part of the time. After being thrust into a sudden remote work scene over a year ago, many people are still struggling to adapt. They are also encountering a number of hiccups or larger issues that disrupt their schedules or even make it difficult or impossible to do their jobs effectively.
Fortunately, tech offers numerous solutions to the issues remote work presents, for employees and employers alike. Here are some of them.
Problem #1: A Lack of Networking Opportunities
Networking within and outside your job function email list company is difficult when there are no in-person events that allow you to mingle with other professionals in your field. And with a dearth of networking opportunities, people worry about making connections that help them advance in their organizations or fields.
Networking isn’t just critical for career growth — it also facilitates stronger collaboration and work satisfaction. If you’re a leader, you must be cognizant of these issues when managing and leading your employees. If they’re feeling stuck and unsatisfied, it will affect their ability to do their work.
Whether or not your business will continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future, you should aim to provide networking opportunities for your employees. And you can do so virtually. For example, why not provide online groups and forums for like-minded employees to bond over shared interests and perspectives? Perhaps you could start digital employee resource groups (ERGs) to facilitate connections among diverse groups.
Even recreational groups, such as a virtual company book club, will help people connect and meet others, including higher-ups within the organization.
Problem #2: Social Isolation
Social isolation goes hand-in-hand why software development needs gender diversity right now with a lack of networking opportunities. Still, this is more related to a lack of general in-person contact, rather than a problem with facilitating connection to advance someone’s career.
People often see their offices not just as a place to do work but also as a space to meet and form friendships. When you take a physical work environment out of the equation, employees feel isolated as they’re spending the majority of their days at home. How can you help combat that feeling?
Business leaders can still provide forums for employee bonding — and you don’t need a physical home base to make it possible. For instance, you could have regular virtual happy hours over Zoom, where you make work-related topics off-limits. You should also set up regular videoconferencing meetings, where coworkers can touch base and feel better connected with one another. Just be careful not to overwhelm employees with too many meetings.
Problem #3: No Face-to-Face Communication
Communication is fundamental to shops 9177 keeping an organization running smoothly. But in the case of remote work, face-to-face communication is extraordinarily difficult. Facial expressions and body language help convey a person’s message and show what they really think and mean — and they’re nonexistent when you’re chatting on Slack or talking on the phone. So, how do you ensure that your employees are communicating well without being in person?
