We are currently facing one of the most difficult situations the world has ever experienced. Humanity as a whole is in a crisis due to a virus that knows no boundaries and does not care about social status, religion, or race.
There is no question that remote work has become one of the best ways for companies to hire a section of their workforce. There are many advantages to hiring remote workers and it has turned into a very common strategy for a large number of business ventures. Due to the recent events, this is important than ever before.

The coronavirus and remote work
We never imagined that we would ever be in a situation as drastic as the one we are experiencing now. Social distancing, self-quarantines, a virus that is spreading like wildfire. These are very stressful times and companies are being forced to look for ways to stay in business without having to keep their employees in their offices.

Being able to create a work environment that allows remote workers is going to be the best way to stay in business during this crisis. The lack of certainty in terms of how long this will last is probably the biggest concern. This is why it is a good idea to start contemplating the process of moving most of your workforce to a remote work environment.

Securing remote server access
VPNs are extremely important for remote work because they allow your employees to gain access to files that you need them to use for their job. By using a VPN, they can access certain sites, serves and content that may be region locked.

Hosted Phone Systems (VOIP)
Hosted Phone Systems are extremely useful for remote work. They allow you to create an effective line of communication between employees regardless of their location. This also helps boost productivity and it allows the employer to monitor and record every interaction.

Video conferencing and virtual meetings
Your remote workers need to have a good internet connection and a webcam in order to have video conference calls with you and other remote workers as often as needed. Virtual meetings are going to be very important in this kind of work environment.

Remote Access Policy
Your workers are going to need to be familiar with the Remote Access Policy in order to ensure that they adhere to your rules regarding how they can make use of your network. By introducing a policy, your remote employees will make sure to avoid any penalties that could occur due to any actions that don’t match with the policy regulations.

Is your workforce capable of working remotely effectively? Is extra training required?
The possibility of hiring people to work remotely is going to depend on how your workforce behaves without being in an office environment. Some people may need additional training to learn how to deal with this situation. Working remotely can be great, but it can also be extremely difficult if someone is used to working in an office with a specific schedule and structure.

Making the most out of an unavoidable situation
The coronavirus and remote work are both extremely common searches online right now. People are being forced to stay home, but most of them are unable to work at all because they don’t have the required equipment for that purpose, or their employers have been unable to organize a proper remote work environment.

Keeping productivity high with remote employees
The biggest concern with remote work is that employees have no one supervising them and making sure that they get their job done. If you hire remoter workers, you need to make sure that you implement a way to communicate with them during the day.

Some companies use applications like WhatsApp or Skype to stay in touch with their employees, but others simply require that each employee sends a report of the amount of work they have done during the day. This is not that difficult to accomplish and it can keep your workers from procrastinating and neglecting their jobs.

Remote working is the future
Covid-19 has forced us to engage in a remote work experiment, but this is simply speeding up the process that had already started. All we can do now is ensure that this process can be implemented as soon as possible. This will help us recover from an already dwindling economy and it will help encourage remote work in companies that had yet to consider this as a viable option.

Some safety measures all remote workers need to consider include:
• Keep antivirus software updated
• Turn off automatic connections on your Wi-Fi
• Use a password on your computer
• Avoid opening any unknown emails
• Educate yourself regarding internet scams and phishing
• Change your passwords every 3 to 6 months
• Back up your data on a weekly basis

Final thoughts
Remote work is going to be a massive way for companies to employ their workforce within a decade, but the coronavirus may drastically speed that process. This shift could be what we need in order to keep this virus under control. It’s important to consider hiring a business technology consultant to help you make this transition as smoothly as possible.