AdvantEdge Workspaces Blog

Over the past year, we've seen a major increase in the number of professionals working from home worldwide. This transition has presented its challenges, but also shown us new ways we can be productive in our work and collaborate effectively with others.  As we continue to redefine the future of the workspace, business owners may see benefit from continuing to have their employees work remotely or semi-remotely. There are some challenges to managing a remote team, but with communication and structure your team can be more productive than ever!

Giving employees a choice as to whether they will work remotely or semi-remotely will make them feel like empowered and valued members of the team, which can massively increase motivation, which can then, in turn, increase productivity. Allowing people to work from home sends out a strong message that their employer trusts them, and has their interests and health as a priority.

Technology has made working and connecting from home easier now than ever before. Your team members have the capacity and tools to stay in touch throughout the day with a variety of platforms. Make sure that you have clear communication structures and routines in place so your team doesn't miss a beat. Apps like Slack can help your team stay connected with quick messages, your team can collaborate through sales and marketing processes with services like HubSpot, store and share large files with DropBox, and don't forget to create a shared calendar so everyone stays in the loop. 

Having employees who work from home can give a lot of workers a better work/life balance and means they’re more likely to work harder and with more enthusiasm. Multiple studies have shown that workers who maintain a more even work/life balance, and who are allowed more time to relax and unwind, are significantly more productive during the hours that they do work. Workers will have more spare time and be less stressed from commuting, which could mean an improvement in the quality of their overall performance.

While you are not with your colleagues in person, it is important for them to have a clear expectation of goals and deadlines. Creating consistent communication and clear methods for collaboration, will allow your team to run smoothly. It is also important to ensure that each team member has the professional environment where they can be productive and comfortable, even while they're not at a traditional office space. 

If your business is adopting this less defined working model, then it may prove more efficient to base yourself in a more flexible, shared office space. Shoreditch has traditionally been the prime destination for these types of spaces, with copious coworking options as well as serviced office space like Proper Office offering a fuller, customised package. However, they are becoming an increasingly common sight elsewhere, and can be a useful way of maintaining a main premises even when you have staff working remotely.