8% of Spaniards have been able to telework more than half of the days in the third quarter of 2021, compared to 9.4% in the second quarter and 11.2% in the first. This is what emerges from the report on teleworking by the National Observatory of Technology and Society (ONTSI) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. Today teleworking is still almost the double that recorded before the pandemicwhich was 4.8% in December 2019.
At this time, the forecast is that this work model will be extended further. In fact, there are already several technology companies in Spain that have announced that they will implement 100% in their companies. In this context, comprehensive and effective management of staff working remotely is necessary. From Woffu, a startup specialized in optimizing employee time management, the keys are given to know if the management that is being carried out is really effective.
Telecommuting challenges
Teleworking has brought with it a series of challenges for companies. On the one hand, there is the challenge of team cohesion. Being relocated makes it more difficult to find a way for these teams to feel like just that: a team. In addition, it is also difficult to consolidate the company’s mission and vision.
On the other hand, there is the issue of how to measure employee productivity. Many companies come from a “presentist” culture, which has led them to believe that the longer an employee is in the office, the more productive they will be. However, 85% of the working population in Spain say that its performance has remained the same or that it has even improved in this time in which remote work has been established, according to the Adecco Group Institute.
Communication channels
Taking into account all of the above, as highlighted by Woffu, it is very important to maintain and plan communication channels well. These must be clear and concrete, known by employees and used effectively. They should not be numerous but focused by departments. In this sense, it is essential to be able to count on a platform, first of all, of instant communication.
In this way, employees can share information or raise questions without having to set up a formal meeting. Similarly, in creative environments, virtual whiteboards are very useful for exposing ideas and sketches. However, the HR manager faces a double challenge in this area.
On the one hand, considering that at work we spend 65% of our time on emails, calls and meetings (McKinsey consultant), it is vital to detect that all these tasks do not become unproductive and undermine the employee’s concentration. On the other hand, the controller must ensure that the right to digital disconnection is not infringed. And it is that it is the “pending subject” of Spanish companies. This is confirmed by data from the InfoJobs Digital Disconnection report, which states that 82% of workers answer calls or emails outside of their working hours.
Effective online meetings
Similarly, another question that HR managers should ask themselves is: what is the quality of the online meetings we hold? With the widespread implementation of teleworking, many companies, in order to keep their teams together and supply what face-to-face work gave, chose to schedule numerous online meetings, often without a clear objective.
In fact, according to data from a study carried out by LinkedIn, 67% of the participants stated that they have the impression that teleworking brought about by the pandemic has increased the number of meetings. These video conferences fill up employees’ work hours and, if not planned correctly, reduce productivity.
Tools that optimize teleworking
In the era of teleworking, companies must have tools or solutions that optimize work. Without the technology and the facilities it offers, it is very difficult to achieve an optimal implementation of teleworking.
So it is essential, as Woffu experts advise, that the company has tools that facilitate time controlcommunication with employees, training, evaluations, onboarding… All of this must continue to be carried out even if the team is remote, which is why it is vital to have solutions adapted to the needs of the company.
