(Note that this survey was conducted via the Fishbowl app between March 11-12, 2020, nearly a week ago. Given how rapidly the situation is progressing worldwide, it's likely that this percentage has increased since then.)
We have noted several articles, including this piece from our parent company Business Insider, with tips for employees who are working from home, including setting up a desk space, taking breaks for mental health and getting dressed in the morning.
But companies should consider several factors to ensure employees feel supported and enabled during this time. These corporate best practices are laid out in full detail in our report, "Digital Transformation: How Collaboration Tools and Strategies Can Align Organizations with Business Objectives," but here are some quick tips.
Give Employees the Right Tools
First, employees need access to all of the necessary tools, systems and assets while working at home. It is essential to ask employees what their setup is at home and offer to provide them with the appropriate technology when applicable.
At a broader level, collaboration tools can support remote work by virtually connecting employees. In our report, we outlined six types of collaboration tools that can help align teams across the company and foster better communication. During a period of remote work, these tools—if your company hasn’t already adopted them—can help ease the burden of transition on your workforce. These include:
- Messaging: used for instantaneous communication
- Project Management: designed to support team-based initiatives and facilitate more transparent workflow tracking
- Intranet: centralizes all pertinent company knowledge in one accessible library
- Internal Social Networks: allow employees to socialize in an online forum
- Videoconferencing: connects employees working remotely or in different regions
- Employee Databases: searchable the database to find co-workers with specific skills, interests or job responsibilities
These tools must be cloud-based, with mobile accessibility and should integrate into the existing tools used for work in order to make the most of the capabilities from these platforms.
Companies also must ensure that all employees are adopting the same tool and using it in the appropriate way. For example, if the company doesn’t mandate which messaging tool to use, employees could end up using several tools which can make collaboration and communication more difficult.
Communication
Companies must realize that their customers aren’t the only people worried about the constantly changing nature of the outbreak. Employees are also critical stakeholders who have their own concerns about the impact of COVID-19 in the long term.
To eliminate anxiety about job security and working through this pandemic, constant and honest communication is key. This means taking the time to update employees—even, and especially, when working remotely—on what actions the company is taking on a regular basis. It is better to over communicate: In fact, when looking to build and maintain employee trust, 42% of CEOs worldwide said that communicating regularly is important, according to November 2019 polling from global leadership community YPO. More than a third (35%) noted that being transparent and honest is also crucial.