How technology makes it easier to manage your remote staff

Stephen Tracy, Director of Managed Services

When I began my career in IT, and then later when I started working for Entech, I had no intention of moving into a management role. As I started to learn more about the business and how IT can be leveraged operationally to grow businesses, I realized there were opportunities to grow and expand my understanding of IT outside of the traditional “techy” stereotype and become a true leader.

Leadership means more to me than being a “manager” and being a leader in IT means more than just understanding the technology. On a day-to-day basis, I use my technical and operational skills to help others. More than anything though, my desire to teach others gave me the opportunity to help both our clients and our employees to utilize technology as a driver for business growth, instead of just an expense.

Stepping up your management style to ensure business agility

In a response to the uncertainties presented by the coronavirus pandemic, companies had to face a unique set of challenges when remote working became a reality overnight. With that, managers had to find ways to improve the engagement and productivity of their employees.

Setting up clear expectations is important, but the lack of face-to-face interactions makes it almost impossible to read social cues and body language. Make conscious efforts to check in and make sure your team knows you’re there to support them. They will appreciate your concerns and you’ll be able to identify problems early on.

Don’t underestimate the importance of IT

It’s easy to assume that everyone owns a smartphone or decent laptop these days. If your workforce had to move to a remote workspace using their own devices, it’s time for you to think about your IT infrastructure for the future. Desktops are easier to fit in the budget, but laptops give your workforce the flexibility to work from anywhere. Using reliable devices will also ensure your data is safe from cybersecurity attacks.

Having a cloud strategy in place makes your files accessible all the time, regardless of you being in the office or not. It’s that simple. This is extremely useful for companies who have more than one location. The cloud is also a safe way of storing and sharing data.

Unified communications are more important than ever

Tools like Microsoft Teams dramatically improve efficiency and productivity by making interaction easier. It combines instant messaging, voice, video, calling and file-sharing.

With offices located 100 miles apart, Teams has made our life much easier from the start. It’s one of the most important tools we use at Entech and it keeps us connected.

Since moving to a full remote workforce, we are no longer able to walk over to someone’s office to have a conversation. Using Teams helps me build collaborative environments and foster engagement with my team daily.

Remote work is here to stay

Remote work has become a worldwide phenomenon that will have lasting effects on the way we live and work. A research from Gallup shows that 54% of office workers would be willing to quit their job for one that allows them to work remotely full time.

Providing this benefit will allow your company to recruit and retain quality workers without compromising the level of service you provide to your own clients.

But you have to be prepared. Making the right strategic decision regarding your technology will make you stand out, not only to your employees, but specially for your clients.

We will take care of it

Making your business flexible through the use of the technology is what will ensure you can keep your operations running through any situation. Good news is that you don’t have to figure this out on your own. We are your IT partners and we’ll help you make the best decisions to help your business run efficiently.

Connect with me today and let’s talk about it.