Increased WFH: Enabling Businesses To Measure Productivity

It is evident that remote working is here to stay. Now that organisations have made the pivot and have implemented the needed security solutions to support it, more companies are looking to adopt a remote or hybrid working model; with 56% of companies globally allowing their employees to work remotely. The concern that most of the organisations have today is the productivity of their employees.

Businesses globally have successfully paved the way for their digital transformation and are leveraging the hybrid working models to boost productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance for all their employees. According to Statista, 57% of employees experienced increased productivity whilst working from home - proving to be a mutually beneficial outcome for businesses and employees alike.

However, a remote workforce often blurs transparency when it comes to measuring staff productivity. Where the solution has not yet become fully clear, organisations could turn towards a combination of new technologies and HR frameworks as a possibility. For example, advanced technologies can offer organisations important information about their employees’ performance in accordance with the GDPR regulations.

Embracing Cloud to Support Remote Workforce

Cloud applications and services enable organisations to support their remote employees, regardless of their geographical location. Real-time communication platforms have proven instrumental for allowing real-time communication throughout an entire enterprise; enhancing the collaboration and engagement between across teams without any barriers.

Remote employees will also require access to corporate content. One of the primary benefits of cloud computing is the increased accessibility it offers to the staff regardless of where they choose to work from and the ability to work on documents offline if the need arises. Companies need to prioritise cloud spending and the technology needed to secure it in order to support the new working model.

The Role of HR Technology

Cloud solutions and technologies that facilitate virtual working have transformed the way many HR departments function. Ironically, in this digital first era, employee interactions delivered by HR processes still need to be human-centred and personalised for each staff member. Introducing new technologies should be aimed at creating a working environment and culture that focuses on personalisation, motivation, recognition and the overall employee experience, which ultimately enhances employee well-being.

Michele Markey, HR Manager at SkillPath opines that they have implemented technology to analyse and measure employee performance. This allows them to better manage employee goals and evaluate their individual progress annually.

The adoption of AI on some video communication software executes an analysis of employee reactions whilst in a conference call. The AI technology has the ability to examine verbal and non-verbal subtleties and provide feedback on employee satisfaction and well-being.

Once implemented, organisations need to work towards integrating all of the applications they have adopted. Ensuring that all the aspects of cloud solution work together and talk to each other, will aid in providing an enhanced employee experience.

Employee Privacy is Crucial

This immediate need to monitor, track, and analyse employee productivity and engagement increases the risk of violating staff privacy and the laws that protect it. From a legal perspective, disclosing employee surveillance is the smartest tactic. As long as the monitoring takes place in the company workplace, on corporate devices, or over organisational networks, organisations have a wide range of technologies at their disposal to track employee productivity.

However, there is a need to clarify workplace guidelines and, consequently, improve employee understanding of how and when they may be monitored. Transparency about the current procedures in place to track employee activity is important more than ever before.

Future of Remote Culture

While some organisations still refuse to believe the trend that is The Great Resignation and insist that their employees head back to the office, Ladders opines that remote work is here to stay. According to their forecasts, 25% of all professional jobs will be remote by the end of 2022. With more than 50% of professionals reporting that productivity is the biggest advantage of remote working, it is unclear why so many companies are reluctant to adopt this new working model.

In this rapidly pivoting landscape there is no set answer to the questions that remote culture has raised. However, technology continues to offer businesses to find a balance between privacy and measuring productivity in this virtual environment. Organisations who are able to maintain this balance will be able to stay one step ahead and reap the benefits of a fully remote and productive workforce.