2022 will be the first time organisations will be operating with an employee base that is mostly or entirely remote.
HR solutions have been successful in the year 2020, but it’s not acceptable for a modern organisation to not have a strategy to manage employees working in a different location from the workplace.
It is time to develop an effective strategy to ensure long-term success when it comes to remote employees.
The good news is that companies are making major changes to make it possible for remote workforces.
We’ve witnessed evidence that employees who work off-site can be managed as effectively as workers on site.
HR solutions are available to tackle issues posed by employees who are decentralised – however creating a jumble of solutions to solve specific problems in the event of an issue is not an efficient approach.
HR should develop a robust plan for remote workers , as in addition to a solid central platform for connecting with employees and encouraging them to join the company.
There are a few important kinds of technology to be considered when you plan for remote workers:
Communication Tools
It can be difficult to obtain information from employees and from them when there isn’t a meeting place in-person.
HR departments need technology to ensure that communication lines are open to individual employees or teams as well as the whole organisation.
Sending a mass email to an alias address isn’t a solution to this issue and you must communicate with employees on a personal level , and offer them the possibility of responding if required.
HR teams need to set new standards for using these instruments, in addition to opening up new avenues of communication.
These include details about who is allowed to utilise them, how often they should be checking for updates, and appropriate time frames for responding.
The shift to support remote employees will likely require major organisational changes.
Human resources departments that are well-run are looking for innovative ways to allow employees to continue in contact.
Strategies to increase employee engagement
The first step is to reach out to employees, however HR professionals who are effective must encourage employees to take action.
Certain forms of communication may require employees to do more than just reading information.
They could also be required to have an electronic signature in a word document or attend a virtual meeting and provide personal data, or even select new benefits.
Traditional office layouts would offer HR staff with many opportunities in person in order to inform employees about their duties and ways to meet them.
It could be training sessions or office hours that provide one-on-one guidance for complicated actions.
HR teams need to remain in contact with employees regarding these initiatives but they must also adapt to workflows that are remote-friendly.
Tools for Documentation
Agreement tools, such as electronic signature software, sit at the intersection of communications and engagement tools. Whatever happens with your workforce, your employees will need to continue signing documents (offer letters, tax forms, compliance paperwork, exit forms, and more), and they will need a simple, secure, and enforced way to do so.
Because business documents aren’t final without a recognised signature, it’s critical to provide employees with a consistent manner to finish those agreements from anywhere at any time.
As your HR team plans to provide support for a partly or completely remote workforce, take note of the types of conversations and interactions that you’ll need to engage with your workers, and the tools you can use to facilitate these interactions.
Here are eight modern HR tools we suggest using while you look through these options, be sure to keep your employees’ needs in mind
8 Modern HR Solutions for a Remote Workforce.
Video conferencing – In the absence of face-to face meetings platforms for video conferencing like Zoom are the most effective alternative.
In the near future, developing efficient video conferencing processes can be a straightforward way to bring staff members into any location.
Distribution of bulk – Highly successful HR departments have highly efficient systems to communicate to a large number of people within the company.
This can include the entire workforce, some teams, particular offices, or even specific types of employees.
However many recipients are there it is essential that HR communicate effectively policy changes to the correct group of people while monitoring the success.
SMS delivery- Email communication isn’t always sufficient. SMS may be the best option, whether for security or personal preference.
When it is appropriate, modern HR teams must be able to interact by SMS.
This is especially helpful for contractors or new recruits who do not have access to a business laptop, email address, or internet while on the job.
Process and HR automation- HR departments exist to serve employees, not to waste time on paperwork and administrative tasks.
Modern solutions can automate processes in conventional HR operations, decreasing the amount of human effort required and the possibility of human error.
Integrating solutions like electronic signature in pdf into your existing HR system will save staff time in sending and signing employee agreements.
Digital templates that are pre-built- Document creation and distribution to employees is a crucial aspect of daily HR jobs.
These teams are wasting time if each of those forms has to be prepared from scratch.
A library of prebuilt templates is a simple method to reduce the time required to prepare standard HR papers.
Employee training- Some communications necessitate more than just sending an email, chat, or SMS to employees.
HR departments require a platform for interactive training sessions to ensure that the correct material is being absorbed and that an accurate record of which employees attended which sessions is kept.
Contract management- When employees finish paperwork, it must be housed in a centralised digital repository—a contract management tool.
This tool makes it simple to identify existing contracts and can even notify an HR team of significant contract milestones.
Wellness/support resources- Employees require access to wellness and support tools that they may find valuable, and HR serving as the gatekeeper for these resources is just not scalable.
A platform that provides employees with self-service access to these tools is a simple method to ensure that everyone in the organisation receives the assistance they require.
Lastly, Working with remote teams isn’t without challenges.
One of the challenges with remote work is creating that sense of interconnection and communication that you can easily experience in the workplace, when you’re in the same place.
Be sure to communicate frequently and with employees.
Make it a two-way communication solicit feedback from them and demonstrate that you’re paying attention to their concerns in your role as an employer.
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