With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in non-essential workers in Ontario self-isolating, it’s crucial that your company gives its employees the technology they need to be successful when working from home.
By providing your team with the technologies required for a long-term work-from-home (WFH) strategy, your company will realize the wide number of benefits that come with a remote workforce.
Unsurprisingly, a survey of 2,000 working professionals and 1,000 hiring managers by LinkedIn, found that 82 percent of workers want to work from home at least one day per week, and 57 percent want to work from home at least three days per week.More surprisingly, however, is just how much your business can benefit from a work-from-home strategy. A report from OwlLabs has found that those who work remotely at least once per month are 24 percent more likely to be happy and productive in their roles than those who can’t or don’t work remotely. The same report found that remote workers say they are happy in their jobs 29 percent more than on-site workers.
So, what mobile workforce technology does your team require to ensure they are 100 percent successful when working from home? Here are some tips from the OT Group.
The tech that helps remote workers
When in the office, your team will have access to a wide range of tools, technologies and IT infrastructure that helps make performing their jobs more seamless, efficient and productive.
While these technologies can’t all be taken home by your employees, there are a number of technologies you can invest in, or send your team home with, to significantly improve how productive they are when working remotely.
Desktop and laptop computers
The most important technology for your employees to get their job done is either a desktop or a laptop. While desktop computers are more powerful and comfortable to use, laptops offer the versatility and flexibility of being easy to transport.
While it’s possible that you can ask employees to work from their own personal desktop or laptops, we strongly encourage your business to allow employees to take their work device home. This will not only ensure your business retains its security measures, it will also ensure all documents are being saved on the same devices as they would be in the office - ensuring continuity when your workers return back to work.
Printers and scanners
If you work in a document-heavy industry, it’s possible that some of your employees will need access to a local printer and scanner when working from home. If they don’t have access to a printer at home, your company will need to invest in one if it’s crucial to their job.
When choosing a printer or scanner, look for a cost-effective option. If printing is crucial for your company’s product offering, make sure the printer that you end up purchasing doesn’t lower your standard of work.
Cloud-based software for easy access
Does your company rely entirely on physical hardware and software? If so, this will make it difficult for employees to access the tools they need when working remotely. Consider transitioning to cloud-based systems.
Cloud computing, which is computing that is accessed through the internet as opposed to physical hardware or software, will allow your team to access the documents, software and tools they need from wherever they are.
If your employees need Microsoft Office software to create documents, spreadsheets and powerpoints but don’t have access to these when working from home - consider using Google Drive tools such as Google Sheets or Google Docs.
Additional tip: No matter how your employees are storing their data, make sure they are backing it up. Creating backups of your company’s data is essential when it comes to minimizing the impact of cybercrime.
Communication is key
Communication is fundamental to any successful remote business. That’s why it’s important that your company ensures its employees have access to videoconferencing and communication tools when working remotely.
This could include anything from Zoom, Google Chat, Slack, Microsoft Team or organization tools such as Trello or Teamwork. All these technologies will ensure that your team is able to stay in frequent communication, working together to achieve your company’s objectives.
There are two other important technologies that can improve your employee’s productivity at work. The first is a webcam so that your team is still able to conduct deeper and more meaningful face-to-face connections. The second is noise-cancelling headphones, which help your employees stay focused if they live in a busy house.
How can OT Group help?
If your business is looking for any of these technologies at a cost-effective price, OT Group is pleased to announce the brand-new release of our webstore.
This online store will allow you to access essential products that will help your business transition to a remote workforce, and follow the social distancing guidelines recommended by the Federal and Provincial governments.
It’s incredibly important for us here at OT Group that we introduce ways for our clients and customers to access business supplies and equipment while following these crucial health guidelines - that’s why on our webstore you can access whatever you need; from printers and scanners, ink and toner and other office technologies such as laptops, monitors, workstations and network security.
The OT Group is dedicated to supporting our clients and will continue to provide troubleshooting and support, as well as dispatching our technicians where required.
Our priority is ensuring that you are still able to be productive and successful as a business, while staying safe.
Are you interested in learning more about our services or what technologies we provide through our webstore? Please contact us today. Our team of technology experts would love to answer any questions that you may have.
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