Helping your people understand what's expected of them and how to collaborate effectively
Realities of
Working Remote
In a post-COVID-19 world, fully remote work has become a more scarce benefit companies offer to employees. Some companies and organizations are utilizing remote work and, for many, it's still considered uncharted waters for many company leaders, especially when preparing your employees for Open Enrollment, which is already a tough task by itself. A little bit of planning ahead and organization can make communicating to your remote workforce more effective for benefit enrollment season.
What is working remote?
Working remote is the practice of employees either working at their home or a location outside of an organization's usual place of business. For businesses that require constant communication between team members, remotely working relies on online internal communication through messaging and video calls, in addition to client and customer communication for online presentations and project organization. While remote work has become a more popular option for many companies today, this work style has been an available feature in professions for years since video calls and similar web services like Slack, Trello, Microsoft Teams and many more were first created.
Why is working from home beneficial?
People feel 74% happier while working from home, therefore having a better relationship with the company. Not having to spend extra money and time on gas and commuting to an office is a game-changer.
Surveys show 95% of employees feel they are more productive and effective while working remotely. As we all know, productivity is the driving force for companies to increase profits. So why not lean into remote work knowing it can save you time and money?
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Reason 1
Savings
Working from home saves time, money and the environment. The average commute time in the country was at an all-time high of 27 minutes. All that money you put into fuel for commuting to work vanishes, increasing your carbon footprint! If totaled up, working remotely, even just half of the time, can save the average working person $2,000–$6,500 per year, according to Global Workplace Analytics.
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Reason 2
Comfort
Working from home offers much more flexibility, workspace customization and comfortability when it comes to approaching the daily grind. Most companies are less focused on how work gets done, as long as it’s done with quality. Working remotely gives people the opportunity to adjust their schedule around the other parts of their life without downgrading their work output. The work-at-home life allows you to create your ideal office space minus the typical distractions found by working in an actual office.
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Reason 3
Well-Being
Most importantly, remote work can be a remedy for your overall health and wellness. Being at home encourages you to cook more and prepare healthier meals, rather than rely on fast food options when you’re in a rush. Remote work gives you more time to step outside and maybe go for a walk around your neighborhood while on break. Being able to focus on your work while minimizing external distractions can rejuvenate your mental health and help you approach your work with a better mindset.
Effective = Efficient
How to Effectively Reach Your Employees Remotely
With your workforce all operating remotely, you can still reach them with important benefit information in several ways. Webinars, podcasts, emails and mobile texts, home mailers and survey research are all methods that can be used. You aren’t limited to these options, but the methods of communication listed are just a few effective and creative ways to reach the employees of your organization in the way that best serves their individual needs.
How PartnerComm Utilizes Remote Work
PartnerComm is more than familiar with helping companies adapt to managing a largely remote workforce. Given that almost half of our employees work remotely across the country, we know the importance of clearly communicating benefits information.
The pandemic led many companies toward exploring remote work for the first time, as they sought out ways to reach their teams through a computer screen. For one client specifically, we developed a guide of principles designed to help a team of those working remotely to establish the best ways to communicate virtually. By teaching businesses to overcommunicate and also offer encouragement and support along the way, the isolating nature of working remotely doesn’t have to feel like an individual effort.
PartnerComm has also helped almost a dozen different clients kick-start a successful benefits podcast for their employees to listen to. We believe in taking a more conversational approach to explaining something as not-so-straightforward as accessing preventive care or comparing a health savings account to a flexible spending account. By simplifying the topics and using basic conversation to answer common questions, the podcasts we help create are effective at reaching employees in a unique and creative way that fits their needs.