How Companies Can Support Remote Workers Tech
Remote work was already becoming more common, but the pandemic undoubtedly accelerated the trend. While many are preparing to transition back to the office, working remotely is here to stay.
A McKinsey study on the future of remote work after COVID-19 found that “remote work and virtual meetings are likely to continue, albeit less intensely than at the pandemic’s peak.” They found that 278 executives planned to reduce office space by at least 30%.
Remote work will likely continue because of the convenience and flexibility for both employees and employers, but it comes with some risks.
The abrupt transition to most people working from home revealed cybersecurity risks and the lack of resources many work-from-home employees had available. Unfortunately, 68 percent of organizations surveyed did not have antivirus software for work-issued devices, and remote workers were responsible for security breaches in 20 percent of organizations.
To ensure a sustainable future with remote work, companies must support their remote workers. Here’s how they can do so.
Cybersecurity Training
Protect all workers and your sensitive information with robust cybersecurity training. While this is important for all employees, it rarely addresses the needs of remote employees. Cybersecurity training must include specific details for remote work, like how to protect your home’s wifi and ways to spot ransomware. The goal is to minimize cybersecurity risks for both in-office and at-home employees.
Create a Robust Company Agreement Checklist
A company agreement policy is crucial for cybersecurity and preserving company equipment. Your company equipment agreement should outline all of the equipment you lend out and the employee’s responsibility. Every current agreement policy should include a “Bring Your Own Device” section, primarily if remote employees use their own devices. Make sure to outline who is responsible for repairs or replacements if the device used for work is damaged or lost.
Creating this policy reduces the uncertainty surrounding working from home devices. It ensures remote workers know what they can do with work devices and handle any concerns that arise.
Provide the Same Equipment to All Employees
Understandably, some employees began working from home during COVID-19 with fewer resources than they had available in the office. Changes were abrupt, and people were unsure when they may return to the office.
However, now that remote work is here to stay companies must adapt. One of the best ways to ensure that employees stay connected and have adequate resources is by ensuring that they all of the same equipment—and software. Use PC imaging to ensure homogeny across devices from the start.
If you provide your in-office employees with a large desk, comfortable chair, two monitors, desktop, etc. do the same for your remote employees. You’ll notice a substantial ROI in employee engagement, retention, satisfaction, and productivity when you invest in your remote employees this way.
Install Antivirus Software
Whether or not remote employees use their own devices, you should help them get set up with antivirus software. This step is a straightforward way to protect the devices, data, and employees. Assist remote employees with setting up company-provided antivirus software and explaining how they should use it.
If your employees require more assistance, you can look into managed antivirus options. This service is included in more remote monitoring and management (RMM) offerings.
Leverage Software Solutions
Thanks to modern software, there’s no reason remote employees should be left out of the loop. Keep your team connected by leveraging the right solutions for your business. There are plenty of tools to consider for organizing and sharing documents, scheduling, messaging, collaborative workflows, and more. Make sure that all of your teams are connected no matter where they are working from.
Offer IT Support
Remote employees may have unexpected technology problems the same way in-office employees do. Make sure they have access to the IT help they need. Remote employees should get the same access to tech assistance as in-office workers.
Keep in mind that the needs of remote workers may be slightly different than employees working on the company’s network. You may need to dedicate part of the IT team to remote work issues, but many businesses may not have enough IT bandwidth for this. Outsourcing your IT support is one way to ensure that all employees get the support they need no matter where they are working from.
Hire Remote Worker Support
Supporting remote workers is not easy, but it’s imperative for all companies. We’re here to help with remote worker support. Our team of experts is here to help your remote employees. We offer comprehensive remote worker support, including fulfillment, remote or onsite repairs, hardware purchase guidance, toner/ink replacement, and remote IT support. Learn more about how we can help your team succeed no matter where you’re working from. Contact our experts today to learn more about our remote worker support!