REMOTE WORK

 

This month of February, we are discussing the World of Work. We will be looking at this theme concerning what today’s job looks like and the accompanying issues. First, we talk about remote work, the Gig Economy, Upskilling and Reskilling, and a close-up on Work-life Balance.

 

The art of rendering service for monetary value has come a long way from the very first hired job in history. As dynamic as our world is in its function and way of life, employment relationships have seen many major and minor changes, all targeted at enhancing mutual value for both the employer and the employee.

By defining remote work or work from home (WFH), any assigned activity that is carried out or implemented away from centralized office space for compensation is remote work. Although the popular term associated with this kind of work is work from home, the job can still be done at any other venue as long as it’s a conducive space to support the demands of the work. It could be a private office, shared space, or even in transit.

This novel work system has benefits both for the employer and the employee in varied ways. Business owners happen to spend less or no money on rent, furnishing, and bills but do effective coordination and supervision of the members of the team to get the work done. Employees have the advantage of scheduling work to suit their program for the day even as they take on other jobs for extra income or have some more time to attend to family needs.

For any of these parties to fully enjoy this work plan, there must be a strong system in place. Employers must consider the following:

1.       Establish the need for remote work. In as much as remote work is a great idea, the business model of some firms will not allow for such a system, a typical example is the manufacturing space where heavy machines are used for production. Aside from the manufacturing space, management will have to conduct a need analysis to know which aspect of the business can be done away from the office space and by which staff. They will have to consider things like the confidentiality of the data used in the task, efficiency of the staff, competence, and ability to work under little or no supervision, and the resources for the work done away from the office.

2.       Design a work plan. Here the manager ensures the task is well broken down in scope, time, and supervision to the work done. A supervisor will have to be assigned to drive the implementation of the job. The timeline will serve as a guide for both the supervisor and the staff. 

3.       Assign competent staff. Not every worker can take work away from the office and get it done as expected. This is meant for employees who can work with little or no supervision yet produce top-class work.

4.       Provision of all resources and equipment to get the job done. Some tasks must be engaged with specific tools that the employee may not have away from the office, access to such tools must be provided.

From the steps mentioned above, employers will greatly benefit from remote work by engaging the services of highly skilled staff they cannot afford on a full-time basis. There are some highly competent hands managers can hire on a remote basis to push them towards their goals. Most of these experts will take such offers because the deal will make economic meaning to them knowing that they can either get this done in addition to their full-time engagement or in addition to other similar jobs. Why don’t you consider calling this gentleman or lady again on that special task you need to be done?

 

The employee and remote work

It’s a great thing to land a remote job or deal, the joy and benefits of the job can only be sustained if the delivery qualifies you for another one and another one. Let us consider some things to look out for when engaged with remote work.

1.       Assess the scope and demands of the job at hand. Don’t be quick or overconfident in just jumping at the task like you have done in the past, even similar tasks do have peculiarities so it is crucial you approach each task differently.

 

2.       Design a timetable for its implementation. Develop a detailed action plan on when exactly you will do what, all through the stages of work.

 

3.       Acquire all resources and materials needed to carry it out. You may need to step out to acquire a few things that will be needed to nail the job before you start attempting it.

 

4.       Choose the right location or environment for work. Some things can be done with you lying in bed with your puppy by your side and others will require you to move to a library space or a tech space and be around people you can easily fall on to fix your challenges.

 

5.       Maintain continuous communication with the project’s supervisor with regular updates. Feedback is always key in any serious venture, if the project’s specifics will require extra time, it must be communicated as soon as realized so the distant client can be engaged in good time. Keep your leads informed all the way through.

 

6.       Get help from other experts when you hit a roadblock. Get a team of great people in your space who you can fall on with various aspects of the job you may have difficulties with so you don’t ultimately disappoint.

 

7.       Deliver ahead of the deadline. A one-time client will come back if satisfaction of work done is high and value for money makes sense.

The Pitfalls in Remote Work

1.    Shabby work

2.    Missing timelines

3.    Overload of work

4.    Unforeseen interruptions at your chosen place of work

5.    Breach of confidentiality

6.    Poaching of top clients by remote workers

7.    Burnout

As we navigate our way around remote work, let us ensure the value it yields makes the effort worth engaging, otherwise we keep with the usual way of work. Look out for our piece on the Gig Economy. Thanks for passing by. Please do leave us your thoughts in the comments.

 

THE COLLEGE BUSINESS CONSULT

thecollegebc@gmail.com