Remote work is on its rise. Whether it is a partial, hybrid, or fully remote model, about 30% of the workforce is now working from home.
It is especially true for the IT industry because a lot of companies have chosen IT nearshoring as a more affordable and flexible model. In any case, remote employment is here to stay as 80% of companies will allow their employees to work from home even after the pandemic.
Problems Companies Face with Remote
A software development company interested in IT nearshoring or hybrid models usually faces several issues that need to be addressed:
- Communication. It is important to stay in touch with employees both for effective product release and for more engagement;
- Overworking. Working from home makes it harder to find the life/work balance. 69% of employees experienced burnout during the pandemic, which is a huge problem;
- Prioritization and project management needs to change too. Flexibility can lead to harder prioritization, so management needs to set clear goals and deadlines;
- Security. This is a huge issue IT companies face during such a transition. It is essential to establish new security measures;
- Retention. Whether the company chooses nearshoring services or transferring their in-house team to remote, it is much harder to keep employees engaged in the company’s culture and life. It is essential to make their efforts visible and appraised so that they are satisfied with their employer.
There might also be issues with technology and available tools.
Source: Mobilunity
Transformations That Happen When Companies Shift to Remote
Businesses that have chosen IT outsourcing Ukraine already know how to deal with this transfer. They have experience with remote collaboration. This is what nearshoring vs offshoring models have to offer – valuable insight on such cooperation. Others will need to go through several transformations, namely:
- Setting new work culture and engagement events;
- Usage of new software tools and solutions for security and effectiveness;
- Working on a new schedule and project management techniques;
- New hiring options – there is no need to be limited by the professionals available only in this area. A company can hire professionals from any part of the world. That’s why nearshoring to Ukraine and other countries gains more traction now;
- Setting new roadmaps for processes that used to be in-person-based.
Overall, this transition is beneficial for both employers and employees in many aspects. It just takes some time and effort to adjust.
Source: Mobilunity
How to Sustain High Engagement on Remote
Here are some ideas and options to increase engagement and employee satisfaction even while collaborating online.
1. Offer Virtual Events
Employers need to stay in touch and provide the same perks to professionals as before this transition. There are many ways to keep virtual events, for example watching movies together, participating in social media challenges, providing scavenger hunts, or playing interactive games online together.
Such events help employees to connect and communicate besides the work responsibilities. It also helps to build more trustful relations in the team.
2. Building a Community
The goal is to give developers the same sense of community as before. For example, a company can establish an intranet social platform where people can share content and celebrate personal updates.
Gitlab, for example, offered virtual coffee breaks, which is a great way to socialize. Another idea is to devote a couple of minutes to ask employees about their life and how they are doing.
3. Set Meaningful Goals
It is harder for professionals to get feedback and recognition of their work. Meaningful goal-setting can help to prevent this. There should be very clear and understandable deliverables that ensure that a person feels and stays productive. And it is better to have metrics that show one’s efficiency. Do not forget to appraise and thank professionals for their input.
4. Technical Support
Offer equipment or software tools that will make work easier for employees. If they lack some tools at home, make sure that a company can land them.
5. Consider Gamification
Gamification is a known way to boost retention, engagement, and, as a result, a company’s revenue. Invest some time into building such models that help employees to be more involved in the matters of the company. And offer some perks or care packages for specific achievements.
Source: Mobilunity
In Summary
Keeping employees’ engagement high is a bit trickier on remote, but it is still perfectly possible. It is important to consider three factors – community, work satisfaction, and giving value. Professionals need to be in touch with each other, have a clear goal and regular feedback, as well as get some perks like care packages, discounts, or virtual shows.