Think outside the box to manage your remote workforce
Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations had already begun the shift toward telework. By offering this as an option to their employees, even as an occasional benefit, some companies were able to lay the groundwork for managing a remote workforce and ensuring business continuity outside of the traditional office environment.
Challenges of Working Remotely
According to Fortinet’s 2020 Remote Workforce Cybersecurity Report, approximately two-thirds of organizations surveyed needed to transition more than 50% of their workforces to telework due to the pandemic. While some adapted to this “new normal” fairly quickly, not everybody had the advantage of a smooth transition. Amid this shift, many faced new challenges in regards to secure connectivity, access to business-critical applications, and assurance of business continuity. Compound this with a lack of in-person communication, both structured and unstructured, and it is clear why many organizations have also struggled with maintaining motivation among employees during this time.
Considerations for Managing a Remote Workforce
As remote work continues to be the norm, organizations must implement certain strategies to keep their employees productive, secure, and engaged, especially for those who are not planning to re-enter the office environment any time soon, if at all. When it comes to effectively managing a remote workforce, organizations should consider the following.
Technological Requirements
For many employees, the shift to telework meant that they no longer had access to the tools they used daily, such as a desktop computer. While the use of personal devices has sufficed temporarily, the potential permanency of telework for some means that this is no longer good enough. Companies must equip employees with the technology they need to do their jobs effectively, specifically a laptop that houses essential applications and includes a pre-configured client to enable secure connectivity to their headquarters.
Additionally, because most employees now work in isolation, they also need technology that can act as a substitute for face-to-face communication with co-workers. This includes access to email, teleconferencing, internet, file sharing, function-specific capabilities (i.e. human resources), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications in the cloud (i.e. Microsoft Office 365).
Secure Remote Access
On top of providing employees with certain technologies, both hardware and software, it is critical that organizations protect their remote users with robust secure remote access strategies. This starts with understanding the different types of teleworkers General Users,Power Users,Super User and their roles within the organization.
Employee Motivation Strategies
When working remotely, employees may miss out on the social interaction that they’ve become accustomed to within their traditional office environments. While this may not seem important, water cooler conversations, such as employees discussing their weekend plans, can have a significant impact on employee productivity. Employee motivation can also have a significant impact on cybersecurity, as insider threats are often associated with careless or negligent users who make mistakes either because they are trying to save time or because they are not paying attention.