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4 Ways You Can Equip Your Remote Teams

Want to equip your remote teams? According to a recent survey, 71% of American remote workers use a temporary workspace. Performance could suffer as a result, as a lack of structure can lead to increased uncertainty and reduced output.

The health effects of working remotely without a face-to-face connection or a regular schedule must also be taken into account. Many remote workers have acknowledged that switching to remote work has at least 50% fewer movements. Of course, this has an adverse long-term effect on employee productivity. Businesses should actively investigate providing and installing all essential equipment for remote employees if they can afford to.

All hardware and software should follow the company’s standards and policies. By doing this, businesses will be able to maintain tighter control over network security while also meeting the productivity needs of every employee.

It would also be a smart idea – if possible – for businesses to inspect employees’ houses to make sure they adhere to safety requirements. Workstations at home ought to be created with each employee’s needs in mind. Equipping all employees with the same equipment might be simpler, but it isn’t a dealbreaker. Here are some ways to equip your remote workers.

1. Full Remote Office Package

ways to equip your remote teams

With this method, the employer gives a laptop, computer monitors, a phone, a printer, a fax machine, and possibly even office equipment like a chair, desk, and a lockable filing cabinet.

Using this strategy has various benefits. Your remote employee’s equipment is first under your control. That ought to make information security and tech support easier to ensure that it is compatible with the technology in your office.

This strategy also equalizes the remote employee with peers in the office, which may boost morale, a feeling of inclusivity, and potential productivity.

Read more on 7 Tips to Get Your Remote Teams Excited to Work here.

2. Laptop Only Policy

how to equip your remote teams

This is the preferred choice for many businesses. With a cheaper initial cost, it offers some of the same security and support advantages as the “purchase everything” method.

However, if you insist that your remote employees have all other office supplies, you risk alienating them. For instance, if you insist that they buy two monitors to go with that laptop but they can only afford one, there’s a chance that your employee might not take it kindly.

Additionally, you run the danger of making your telecommuters feel inferior to their office-bound coworkers. If you encounter comments of this nature, you can always respond that it’s the cost of working remotely, skipping the commute, etc. Although that makes logical sense, it might not be a strong motivator.

Despite these possible disadvantages, this can be the best option for smaller businesses or startups that don’t have a lot of money but need to swiftly ramp up their employees.

3. Technology Allowance

You can also give remote workers the option to purchase their own devices through a technology stipend. Flexibility is a key benefit of this arrangement for both the business and the remote employee. You establish what you think is a realistic budget for everything from a laptop and monitor(s) to a printer and a chair, and you let the employee decide if he can stick to that budget or if he’d rather add onto it from his own pocket for a different alternative.

If you decide to go down this route, you also need to be clear about tech needs because what your employee chooses needs to work with the tools you employ back at the office.

This plan has drawbacks, such as difficulties with tech support. If the lone employee in the firm using that particular type of computer has a problem, your remote worker might have to fix it on his/her own. (See 13 Most Common IT Problems and How to Solve Them here.) That could result in decreased productivity and annoyance for the employee as well as coworkers.

In addition to posing its own administrative challenges, this type of setup necessitates routinely reviewing your stipend amounts and managing reimbursement for any purchases you make.

4. Bring Your Own Device Policy

BYOD might seem to be the greatest option because it doesn’t come with a high price tag or a ton of administrative work for a business. You can inform the remote worker of the basic requirements you anticipate their office equipment to satisfy.

This short-term benefit might bring about long-term suffering. You won’t have any control over the tools your employee uses, which may lead to a team of remote workers who use various, sometimes incompatible, technologies, possibly even illegal ones.

A non-tangible loyalty advantage may also be lost. Your worker will find it much simpler to leave when a better offer comes along if they are providing all of their own equipment.

Each business will have to choose which of these possibilities best suits its financial situation, objectives, and corporate culture. Whatever decision you make, it’s essential to formalize it in a policy and uphold it for all of your remote workers. You’ll face a whole different set of issues if you buy all the office supplies for one employee but nothing for the other.

How to Make Sure Remote Workers Have the Right Tools

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Each employee’s needs should be considered when choosing chairs, desks, mice, keyboards, and computers. Employers are urged to conduct surveys to determine what employees need for their home offices. Of course, permanent employees will be covered by this. Freelancers and contractors who work intermittently or temporarily need not be subject to this.

Consider device procurement specialists like ZenAdmin who can take care of the entire onboarding and offboarding process for you. (Read this Step-By-Step Guide to Onboarding Your Remote Hires)

Seamlessly order devices via ZenAdmin’s online platform, input the details of the recipient, and that’s it! ZenAdmin will take care of the purchase, shipping, logistics, delivery, and more.

However, employers must consider and accommodate all physical demands and requirements of employees, including those related to disabilities. For instance, while some workers might prefer standing workstations, those who use wheelchairs might not be able to do so.

Employers can start outlining the remote network and software infrastructure once they have taken into account every aspect of an employee’s physical and mental well-being. Choosing the best internet service provider and setting up the required hardware, such as modems and routers, are part of this process.

It’s critical to evaluate and confirm that employees have adequate internet connections, especially for those who frequently participate in meetings using video conferencing software. Businesses must ensure that all equipment and connections are secure after deciding how employees will access company digital resources.

This entails putting in place the required network security policies and installing the appropriate software. Safety tests must be conducted on all business software used for remote work.

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