As the mandates for isolation and closure are slowly lifting, many business are finding themselves presented with a new challenge. What do they do with their newly founded remote workforces? While some choose to transition them back into the office environment, others are trying to figure out if they can transition this short term plan into a long one. This, however, isn’t as simple as some would think, as many things would need to be addressed for a long term remote workforce plan to be successful.

We at ATS know what’s needed for a remote workforce to succeed. So we’ve compiled 5 things businesses need to address for long term remote working:

1. Acquire Better Managed Technology – Most businesses scrambled to quickly get what they need to adapt to remote working as fast as possible. While these might have worked in the short term, in the long term a more thought-out and streamlined technology will be needed. Businesses will need to reconsider what tools to utilize, whether or not the company should provide work PCs or Laptops, cloud services to use for file hosting, and so much more. Your business needs to look at how they can build a better technological infrastructure to support long term remote workers.
2. Proper Documentation of Work – One of the key things businesses need to have in place to make remote work successful in the long term, is a proper system to document work that is being done. Documentation will not only aid in informing team members when they are working asynchronously; it will also create an archive for organizational assessments. That’s why it’s important for companies to start looking into a system to implement that makes managing all the documenting of the data easier for them.
3. Assess Software & Hardware Security – The threat of hackers and viruses are ever-present for many businesses, and remote workforces can present a huge security risk if not assessed beforehand. Not only does the software and network need to be assessed for potential vulnerabilities, but hardware being used to work remotely also needs an assessment. Your companies cybersecurity is only as strong as the weakest link, which is why it needs to ensure that workers are using a pre-setup work computer or they are provided what is needed to secure their hardware for external threats. Things like email protection and firewalls should be looked into heavily for long term protection.
4. Solidify Your Virtual Collaboration Tools – Without proper communication setup for remote workers, they are doomed to fail. You need a way for them to communicate back and forth with each other and with management. Businesses need to have tools in place that allow for instant messaging, video conferencing, and instant collaboration. You may end up with a singular app that has functionality for everything you need, or you may have multiple applications that serve different purposes being used in tandem. That’s why it’s important to solidify what applications or systems are going to be used by your remote workforce.
5. Update Policies and Procedures – Not only does your business need to adopt new policies and procedures for working remotely, but they also need to adopt ones that work. While you can look to other businesses’ pre-established policies for inspiration, there are many things your business needs to consider when making new policies:
   • Can all roles remain functional and equally productive when performed from an offsite location?
   • Which roles, if any, will require job description or job performance updates in order to transition to telecommuting positions?
   • Will any roles require new resources, equipment, or software in order to be performed remotely?

   Not to mention other things like the chain of command, administrative functions, and reporting need to be outlined as well.

While building up a remote workforce for long term success can be challenging, it can ultimately lead to great growth and prosperity fo many businesses. That’s why we here at ATS are here to help, contact us today and get started on planning a successful plan for a long term remote workforce.