With social distancing and other regulations leading to an unprecedented and necessary shift towards remote work, many companies and employees are forced to adapt with no real preparation. Rather than wallow in worry over medical and economic uncertainties, businesses and workers should approach this challenge as an opportunity to experiment, develop new strategies, and remain productive. Here are some ways everyone can make the best use of this time.
Look Beyond the Office
Social distancing may be the current reality, but even when it’s not, companies that rely exclusively on local talent limit themselves immensely. If your office is closed, the proximity of your employees—whether they are based nearby or in another part of the world—should not make a difference. Katalyst’s offshore services, in industries such as engineering, supply chain, ePublishing, and more, can be an asset during these disconcerting times, bringing in new vision and experiences and allowing your organization to maintain critical operations that may otherwise not be possible.
For example, if your company still relies on physical legacy systems to store data and manage operations, this is a great time to look towards cloud-based systems. CeleroERP offers great flexibility and convenient, customizable access to employees from anywhere. Katalyst also offers easy integration and assistance with cloud-based servers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Netsuite. Learn more by contacting our experts who can guide you towards these and other solutions that can minimize disruptions to your business.
Tips for Workers
- Set aside a designated workspace. Most offices offer enough distractions as it is, but when you’re working from home, it can be even harder to focus. (Just ask Professor Robert Kelly.) Netflix will be waiting for you when you finish working. Stay committed and accomplish your daily tasks and see if you can find methods, incentives, and ways of thinking that boost your own efficiency and you can bring back to the workplace!
- Keep in touch with coworkers. If that mandatory six-foot distance is getting you down, remember that you can still communicate with others! If you’re used to collaborating with your coworkers, take advantage of technology like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to stay connected and complete projects.
- Take care of yourself. It’s easy when working from home to neglect your physical and mental health. Make sure you get exercise and fresh air (you can still go outdoors during a shelter-in-place) and eat nutritious meals.
- Use the time to take up a new hobby. Being confined makes it tough to find ways to stay motivated. Have you been eager to organize your closet or improve your cooking skills? Learning something new will keep you fresh and inspire you in all aspects of your life, including in your work.
Tips for Businesses
- Be sympathetic. This is an adjustment period for everyone, and people have multiple responsibilities to juggle, including taking care of family, exercising, and other assorted duties. While employees should do their best to be available during designated work times, businesses must be understanding that responses might not be immediate, but the team will accomplish its tasks.
- Don’t overreact. This crisis has forced a standstill on some projects and business goals, but hasty short-term strategies will only lead to long-term struggles. Companies that stay prepared and ready themselves for the future will ultimately reemerge stronger, even if it means things will be more stringent at the moment.
- Prepare for next time. Experts predict that governments will need to implement social distancing and shelter-in-place policies on a recurring basis for the foreseeable future. Encourage employees who exhibit symptoms to work from home to avoid further outbreaks and resist the urge to come in when feeling unwell so as not to burn off valuable PTO.
- Consider future remote work possibilities. The phrase “the new normal” has become a frustrating cliché as of late, but there will undoubtedly be some positive developments for companies and workers alike. This is the time to establish a global workforce and build trust with your team to work at home in the future. It’s worth noting that flexible remote work policies, in general, lead to higher productivity and employee morale.
There are no clear answers or timelines for how and when the pandemic will be over. But by taking responsibility and establishing clear policies, we can all do our part to keep our coworkers healthy and happy. With every challenge, there are opportunities, and Katalyst is here to help you discover them.
