The remote first workplace playbook

Even with COVID shutdowns firmly in our rear view mirrors, remote working and “back to the office” conversations haven’t died out. From Jeremy Hunt’s condemnation of the fully-remote model to widespread embracing of the hybrid and remote models, there are still conversations to be had, we’re sure. For the team at Employment Hero, remote work is here to stay. We’re one of many tech companies that have embraced the fully-remote model, and it’s proving to work well for us. So if you’re looking to embrace a hybrid or fully-remote team, we’re in a great place to provide advice. For business and HR leaders alike, we’ve put together this guide to give you the tools and advice you need to make sure the work environment you’ve long-worked to build and maintain isn’t lost as you transition to remote working.

What’s in the guide?

The rise of the hybrid workforce isn’t slowing down . London residents report the highest levels of hybrid working across Great Britain, with 4 in 10 workers both working from home and travelling to work. If you’re like many, unsure of how to effectively manage your team’s needs after the widespread adoption of working from home, we hope you find this guide helpful in determining how to manage your team in a remote-friendly first way. Here’s what the guide covers:

• What a remote first workplace looks like
• Benefits of adopting the remote-first approach to working
• Remote work guidelines to live by as a leader
• How to maintain company culture in remote-first companies
• Tools for effective remote communication

What’s a remote-first model?

If you’re new to the remote working model, here’s what it encompasses:

Remote infrastructure

For a functioning remote-first or hybrid model, you’re going to need to invest in robust remote infrastructure, such as cloud-based tools, collaboration software (like Slack, Microsoft Teams), project management systems (such as Asana, Trello) and video conferencing platforms (like Zoom or Google Meet).

Flexible work policies

You’ll want to establish policies that support remote work, including flexible work hours, allowing employees to choose their work locations and providing necessary equipment for remote setups.

Strong communication and collaboration

Encouraging open and consistent communication through various channels, including instant messaging, video calls, emails and regular check-ins. Fostering collaboration through virtual meetings, shared documents and collaborative tools.

A fresh approach to performance measurement

Shifting from measuring work based on time spent in the office to focusing on productivity and outcomes. Setting clear goals and performance metrics helps employees understand expectations. This can be one of the more challenging aspects of remote work.

A clear company culture

Cultivating a strong remote culture by continuing to organise team-building activities, social gatherings and encouraging a sense of belonging through shared values and missions.

A remote recruitment and onboarding experience

You’ll want to work on adapting recruitment processes to source and hire talent from diverse geographical locations. The experience will need to ensure that onboarding in a remote environment still feels like joining an active and social team.

Rigorous cybersecurity measures

You’ll need to protect your infrastructure with robust cybersecurity protocols to protect company data and ensure the security of remote work setups.

Remote and external training and development

Providing continuous learning opportunities and resources for employees to develop their skills remotely through online courses, webinars and virtual workshops will help alleviate the lack of learning-by-osmosis training that would occur in office spaces.

Frequent management training

Equipping managers with skills to lead remote teams effectively, including clear communication, fostering trust, providing support and understanding the unique challenges of remote work takes on a new precedence in a remote workplace, as finding the tools to do their job will be crucial.

A focus on employee wellbeing

Prioritising employee wellbeing takes on a new precedence as you won’t be with your team everyday to pick up on signs. Remote workplaces help by offering mental health support, flexible schedules, promoting work-life balance and encouraging regular breaks. Remote-first models can vary significantly between companies based on their industry, size and specific requirements. However, being a successful remote-first business often involves a blend of technology, policies and a supportive culture to ensure both productivity and employee satisfaction. Our remote-first approach involves two components: Work remotely. Socialise locally. So what does this actually mean? We complete deep work at home and use our physical teamtime as a place for socialising and collaboration. Without the daily interactions that were once had amongst co-workers in the office, it means that you should invest more time and energy into getting everyone together. Whether this is holding social events weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly, the ball is in your court when it comes to finding out what your employees want. The best part about a remote-first approach, rather than remote-only? You can still support those who are unable to work from home effectively as they have the option to work in the office every day. This gives the power to your employees to choose how and where they work most effectively.

Is a remote-first approach right for your business?

It’s important to remember that a remote-first workforce isn’t a one size fits all approach and won’t be suitable for everyone. It depends on a variety of factors such as the type of work being performed or the equipment needed to complete the work. Here are some steps you can take to make that assessment:

1. Most obviously, is it feasible? Assess whether your business operations can function remotely. Consider if your industry, workflow and tasks can be performed outside a physical office.
2. What will you spend, what will you save? Evaluate the potential cost savings and expenses associated with transitioning to a remote model. Consider savings on office rent, utilities and other overheads versus potential costs for remote infrastructure and support.
3. Gather employee preferences and think about productivity. Survey your employees to ask them about remote work. Analyse past productivity data during remote work periods, if you’ve got it, to understand how productivity may have been affected positively or negatively.
4. What technology and infrastructure will you require? Assess your current technological capabilities and determine if they can support remote work. Consider the need for additional tools or upgrades to facilitate remote collaboration and communication.
5. How will it affect your clients or customers? Evaluate the potential impact on client relationships and customer service. Determine if a fully remote setup might affect client interactions, satisfaction or the quality of service you provide.
6. What legal and compliance considerations are there? Investigate legal and compliance requirements associated with a fully remote workforce, such as tax implications, labour laws, data protection and cybersecurity regulations.
7. Will there be a positive impact on company culture and morale? Consider how a remote setup might impact company culture, employee morale and team dynamics. Evaluate strategies to maintain a strong company culture and foster team cohesion in a remote environment.
8. Could you have a test period or pilot programme? Consider running a pilot programme or a test period to gauge the feasibility and effectiveness of a fully remote setup on a smaller scale before committing entirely.
9. Can your current business model flex and adapt if it needs to? Assess your ability to adapt to unforeseen challenges and changes that might arise from a fully remote model. Determine how flexible and adaptable your business processes are to accommodate remote work scenarios.
10. Will it impact your long-term business goals? Align the decision with your long-term business goals. Does a remote-first approach align with the future vision and growth strategies of the company?

By carefully analysing these things and gathering insights from your team, you’ll be better equipped to make an informed decision about transitioning your business to a fully remote model. It might also be beneficial to seek input from key stakeholders, including employees, managers and even external advisors, to gain different perspectives before making a final decision.

What are the benefits of a remote-first workplace?

1. It instantly opens up your talent pool domestically and internationally

Gone are the days of attracting top talent within a 50km radius of your office. With a remote-first approach, there are no boundaries when it comes to location. This means that your talent pool instantly increases tenfold, meaning you have more choice when it comes to attracting and hiring top talent globally. Better yet, this can lead to a decrease in time-to-fill and can save you money in the long run. Read more: Outsourcing employee hiring with a PEO

2. Allows for greater work-life balance and integration

We know that working remotely instantly grants your team greater work/life balance. If you approach remote-first with an open mindset and great trust in your team, you’ll reap the benefits. If you want to attend your child’s athletics carnival, do it. That mid-morning ocean swim, go for it. If you want to go out for a yoga class at 4pm, we trust you. It’s things like this that can make all the difference, and if you’re worried about people not making up their hours — this is where you need to trust your team to do the right thing. The shift in mentality to output over hours can be the best thing you do for managing remote teams. Instead of micromanaging, the trust you instil in them will allow them to feel empowered to complete their best work. It’s a win/win situation, but it doesn’t stop there! In addition to it contributing to increased business profitability, there are many additional benefits of adopting a remote-first approach. For example, remote employees can now move closer to their family who live somewhere rural, whilst still earning a good wage. This means that this employee can support the local economy whilst still being able to work remotely. It’s a case of supporting your team members with greater flexibility so they can choose where and how they choose to work and live.

3. Creates an inclusive working environment

When introducing remote working to the mix, you create the opportunity to improve inclusiveness and diversity within your business. This approach can help reduce inequality by creating more equitable employment opportunities for those who may not have the opportunity otherwise. People such as working parents, carers, people with disabilities and those unable to commute to the office due to their geographical location have often been excluded from the full range of career options. When we also remove physical barriers, personal prejudice and bias can be reduced. The whole person is considered beyond what they look like as employees will be judged on their output rather than in-person assumptions. Essentially, remote work can create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and we know that this has many long-term benefits. Your business will perform better, and more importantly, you’ll be creating a fairer future for all, no matter their background.

4. Improved employee retention

Companies that allow remote work experience 25% less employee turnover. By introducing flexible work policies, businesses stand to improve their desirability, increase retention rates and create a healthier (and thus more productive) work culture. In our own research, we found that 55% of remote employees would look for a new job if the remote working option were taken away.

Learn more about remote-first working

At Employment Hero, we believe that a remote-first workplace is a way forward. It allows greater flexibility, improves employee happiness and productivity. So, with all of these benefits front of mind, it just makes sense to embrace the remote-first way. Already a remote-first workplace and want to expand globally? Using an employer of record service like Employment Hero helps navigate complex employment laws when hiring internationally. Reach out to our business specialist today to find out more!