The global pandemic has transformed the steadfast workplace into a dynamic community. The HR is at the center of this evolution, today. Their role is no more restricted to responding and recovering from the current pandemic, but to help businesses embrace the new reality of working remotelyOpens a new window post COVID-19.
As a result, HR leaders and CHROs have recognized that work is now networked, remote, team or project based, enhanced with technology, collaborative, delegated, real-time, and fluid. They know that the way they work, the way they manage, where they work, how they organize, how they communicate and collaborate is changing and they are making investments to thrive in this new normal, explains the global future of work leader at Deloitte, Steve Hatfield.
In this post, we explore how top companies are supporting, training, and managing a full-time remote workforceOpens a new window , and the remote access solutions businesses can invest in to continue working remotely post COVID-19.
Heres a roundup of some of the best remote work tools top HR leaders and organizations need to continue working remotely even after COVID-19:
1. Communication and Video-Support Platforms
Nellie PeshkovOpens a new window , VP of people & culture, RedditOpens a new window
To support a full-time remote workforce or when onboarding new team members, its important to introduce communication platforms that enable collaboration and balance virtual face to face interactions. At Reddit, we have continued all our learning and talent management programs using video conferencing platforms, and the engagement has been effective.
For instance, using video-support platforms such as Google Hangouts allows everyone to quickly get in touch with one another and stay connected while working remotely.
Ben ChristensenOpens a new window , co-founder, HandshakeOpens a new window
Even before the pandemic, a video conferencing solution like Zoom was an imperative solution for our teams across the continent to stay connected. Through seamless video conferencing that can easily accommodate large groups or tiny ones, we have been able to maintain a regular cadence of All-Hands meetings, team brainstorms, client webinars, and even a company-wide talent show.
A documentation solution like Confluence or Google Docs is key to providing employees with easy access to information, making collaborative work easy even when you are not in the same room together.
Learn More: Will 2020 Mark the Second Coming of Flexible Work? Q&A With Candace Nicolls of SnagajobOpens a new window
2. Digital Hiring Tools
Robin StenzelOpens a new window , chief solutions officer, OutMatchOpens a new window
The adoption of digital hiring tools, including virtual assessments and remote interviewing, are on the rise, especially given the recent transition to remote work. When used together, these tools are primed for optimal results, with assessments providing much-needed data and objectivity, and video interviewing adding a human layer that allows candidates to express their uniqueness and be seen as a person, not just a score.
OutMatchs SaaS-based analytics platform assess and evaluates candidates to help companies make smarter, faster, and more efficient employment decisions, regardless of location. OutMatchs digital hiring platform improves how companies build teams, promote talent, and maximize business performance.
Learn More: How Digital Adoption Solutions Can Improve ROI From HR TechnologyOpens a new window
3. Training Platforms
Kimberly JonesOpens a new window , US people experience leader, PwCOpens a new window
Training is most effective when it meets people where they are. Customization based on skill, format (podcasts vs. video instruction, for example), and learning time are critical if you want your people to opt-in. Games can make learning fun and accessible. For example, PwC offers a live trivia game delivered via mobile app that tests our peoples digital know-how in a fun and interactive way.
PwCs Digital Fitness app, an innovative app that assesses an individuals level of digital knowledge, then delivers bite-sized and engaging learning assets to help users think differently and help build capabilities in data analytics, visualization, automation, and much more.
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4. Online Collaboration Platforms
Akhilesh TiwariOpens a new window , vice president and global head of enterprise application services, TCSOpens a new window
Online collaboration platforms can minimize the micro-expressions and subtle nuances of body language, making communication less effective. HR teams will need to encourage a variety of forms and frequency of communication across various levels of the organization to foster trust and transparency to strengthen productivity and make people management seamless. HR will also assume responsibility in architecting more distributed decision-making models to create a work environment that is productive as employees navigate the realities of working remotely.
Lisa ReevesOpens a new window , SVP of product, ZenefitsOpens a new window
“Were in the midst of a major business transformation. Companies have always valued their workforces, and some have supported remote working, but due to the pandemic, everything is being accelerated. As a result, companies have been forced to re-tool their businesses. Companies now understand that they must digitize their businesses immediately if they hope to survive through the pandemic and beyond. Digitization makes teams highly productive in a remote working environment.
“In this environment, its important to over-communicate. Along with a traditional tool like email, collaboration tools like Slack are indispensable. Next, any flavor of video conferencing will work. Finally, tools that promote and measure employee engagement are critical.â€
Nellie PeshkovOpens a new window , VP of people & culture, RedditOpens a new window
Other beneficial solutions include collaboration documents and productivity apps such as Slack or G Suite that offer real-time comments and feedback on projects that people work on together. Many of these types of tools combined allow businesses to better adapt to the changing work landscape that well inevitably see for years to come.
Ben ChristensenOpens a new window , co-founder, HandshakeOpens a new window
A customizable chat solution like Slack is essential to our team’s communication, especially while working fully remotely. It’s how we send out company-wide updates, how our teammates have quick “drive by†1:1 conversations, how entire teams share wins and challenges, and also how we help infuse a bit of fun through social channels, Slack makes it easy to share a photo of your cat, or ask for opinions about what to cook for lunch.
Harish Pramod MadyeOpens a new window , CTO and co-founder, Artiligent GlobalOpens a new window
“While the de-facto reason is business continuity during COVID-19, as offices are shut, I feel this would become the new normal considering below:
- Companies are trying to trim cost of operations and office real-estate space is on top of the list.
- Good quality internet penetration and reduced bandwidth cost in outsourcing markets like India and Philippines is helping easy roll-out.
- Cloud infra availability at a click of a button along with team collaboration tools has helped CTOs to deliver WFH capabilities quickly and securely on Opex model.
“We are using Zoho at Artiligent for internal team collaboration and Hangouts meet for external collaboration.â€
Learn More: Time Tracking and Screen Monitoring: Are You Having Trouble Trusting Remote Employees?Opens a new window
5. Cloud-Based Learning Platforms
Akhilesh TiwariOpens a new window , vice president and global head of enterprise application services, TCSOpens a new window
Enabling remote working is a combination of enterprise level cyber security, and enterprise applications, collaboration tools and virtual meeting platforms that are backed by robust cloud infrastructure to enable access, sharing and distribution of information.
Steve HatfieldOpens a new window , global future of work leader, DeloitteOpens a new window
At Deloitte, we have invested heavily in solutions like our AdeptPro offering and work with our technology partners to embed training and learning deeply into the flow of work at our clients. The best training solutions allow employees to pull contextualized learning in the flow of work to acquire new skills, are tailored to a job role, and are personalized to the needs of the employee. The best training and learning solutions are a blend of technologies that are used to create the right human experiences that encourage work to be done in a way that supports the companys aspirations and expected outcomes.
Notes for Your Post-It
The fact is that businesses will need a wide range of technologies to support and make remote work as seamless as possible. Companies that opt for intuitive, human centric, and engaging tools will be able to provide the best technology experience to its remote workforce. While an intuitive experience counts, we believe it is important that these technologies are adopted keeping the user in mind. This human-centric approach will enable businesses to empower their remote workforce to collaborateOpens a new window productively during and after the coronavirus pandemic.
Found these range of digital tools for working remotely useful? Tell us in the comments below the tools you use to manage and support a remote workforce. For the latest news and trends update in the world of human resources, follow us on TwitterOpens a new window , Facebook, Opens a new window and LinkedInOpens a new window .