How do you stick to the schedule when the whole team is working somewhere else?
Due to the corona crisis, remote working has taken off. With some exceptions, most organizations are now convinced of the power of (partial) home working. But how do you keep to the schedule when the whole team is working somewhere else? We share our tips.
More and more you hear the word 'remote' when it comes to working from home. Strictly speaking, however, remote working is not exactly the same as working from home. Remote working means that you can work anywhere in the world and that you can determine your working hours. Many remote work companies do not even have an office and employees work all over the world. But remote working can also be done closer to home, for example from your own attic or study. Home working can be seen as a form of remote working but working completely remotely encompasses much more than just working from home.
The combination of office and home working is also about clarity.
No five minutes to read this article? Then read our four guidelines below.
Back to working from home. The majority of us will soon return to the office for part of our working lives, so the expectation is that working from home is here to stay. Research by TNO even shows that the majority of employees prefer a combination of working at the office and at home. This combination has several advantages. And although you've probably experienced them in person by now, we'll list them anyway.
First of all, working (partly) from home ensures higher productivity. You can focus fully on your work when you work at home, while at the office you can spend more time on meetings and social contact with colleagues. By dividing your work, you can be more productive when y need to be.
In addition, the combination of working at home and at the office provides a better work-life balance. After all, working from home does not involve any travel time, which means you have more time to spend on other things, such as your family, hobbies, or sports. However, it can be difficult to monitor the boundary between work and private life at home. That is exactly why a combination with office work is ideal. After all, if you work at the office a few days a week, you are really at home when you get home.
The third benefit follows on from the first two: a combination of working at the office and from home results in more satisfied employees. Being more productive and having a better ball between work and home automatically increase employee satisfaction. Add to that the freedom to organize your own time your employees will not only be more productive but also happier.
Are you looking for good home working facilities for yourself or your employees? On the Workwize platform, your company can create an account to provide you with all kinds of products for your home office. This works as follows: the organization determines a budget per employee and compiles a list of products to choose from. The range of products is enormous and varies from pens to desks, office chairs, and coffee.
So, the combination between working at the office and at home seems ideal, especially for your employees. Although a combination is not possible at every workplace, research by TNO indicates that over 59% of employers also prefer a combination. But how do you ensure that such a combination of home and office working is really successful? And how do you ensure that the schedule is adhered to? We outline four conditions.
First of all, good planning is important. Any form of working (whether at home or in the office) requires planning. Especially in organizations that work in projects, production companies, or customer contact departments. But good planning is also essential for teams where people work more independently. Good planning is not only based on past experience, but also takes into account predictions about the expected workload and staff capacity.
The secret behind good planning? The right planning software! But finding the right software for your organization can be quite a challenge. Every organization has different needs and requirements, and the choice is vast. Furthermore, selecting and implementing planning software requires specific knowledge and experience. An unsuccessful project not only costs a lot of time and money, but it also leads to a lot of frustration. Want to avoid that lost investment of time and money? Call in the help of the independent experts of Planbizz.
Another important condition is communication. What is the use of a good planning if it is not clear to everyone? Exactly, nothing. But good communication goes further than just announcing the planning. Particularly in the combination of working at the office and from home, it's also about clarity. What are the expectations? Must there be as many meetings at home as at the office? Can we be flexible with the planning? Or not at all? There must be clarity about this. And what if something changes? Then communicate this in good time.
Besides communication, it's also about trust. While we can keep an eye on our colleagues at the office, things are a little different at home. Fortunately, the past few months have shown that it is also possible to continue working at home. As a manager, confidence is therefore in order. And that, in turn, has a positive effect on your employees.
No matter how beautiful a schedule can be, some things are impossible to oversee. Not everything can be planned. The final condition for successful home and office working is flexibility. Flexibility when a workday turns out differently than expected but also the flexibility to be able to choose which workstation you want today. Not every employee will be able to deviate from the schedule made, but even then flexibility is possible.
This blog is the second in a series of collaborative blogs between Workwize and Planbizz. Workwize is the platform that allows you to effectively facilitate working from home. Planbizz offers expert assistance in the selection and implementation of Workforce Planning software.
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