The recent global health crisis has totally transformed the way we work and interact with our jobs. Many different companies have moved to remote work. Technology has been a major player in this evolution.
But, what is the impact of technology on virtual work? Let's go through how technology has affected remote work and hybrid working.
Using Video Technology to Connect With Your Employees
Remote doesn't mean that management and employees will be disconnected. There are so many different ways for you to engage and work to get online. There are lots of different technologies you can use to ensure you are staying up to date with everything that is happening in your company.
You can create a remote all hands meeting so that you will be able to update your entire team without missing a beat. Scheduling a weekly or monthly meeting is a great way to ensure that you are regularly communicating and all know what is going on!
Keeping Your Information Safe While Working Virtually
While technology helps us stay connected and work during COVID-19, there are also cybersecurity concerns. Hackers have targeted people more frequently during the pandemic since they know there are more likely to be weaknesses since people are working from home.
In fact, the FBI reported a 300-400% rise in cybersecurity complaints as compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
But, you can also use technology to protect your company, your information, and your employees. Make sure that you have adequate anti-virus software and other cybersecurity measures available for your employees.
Brief your employees on privacy measures they should be taking, such as multifactor authentication. That way, you will all be on the same page, working to keep your data safe.
Technology Effects Different Industries Differently
Technology has had an impact on a wide range of industries during COVID-19.
For example, the healthcare industry has made significant strides. Telemedicine has become more and more popular and advanced. Different apps and technologies have been created so that people can see their doctors from the comfort of their own homes.
The education industry has also been heavily impacted by remote work. Many schools have transitioned to virtual schools, which has forced many teachers to teach their classes online. This has also caused issues for parents, who need to use technology to set their children up for virtual school.
Technology has also been helpful for remote work in other fields, such as these:
• Information technology
• Marketing and advertising
• Retail, eCommerce, and customer service
• Finance, accounting, and insurance
• Web design, mobile app development, and graphic design
• Trade, mining, transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing
• Media, journalism, news media, publishing, social media
• Film production, television, music, and other forms of artistic production
• Government, waste management, legal services
• Human resources, union management
Of course, with a little creativity, technology is sure to be a boon for basically any field. Just make sure you look into all the different types of technology that are available to you!
Technology Improves Collaboration
Different types of technology have made it even easier for people to collaborate on different projects. You can work with people all over the globe, with the click of a button! Screen sharing allows employees to see exactly what each other is doing.
You can use different types of cloud software in order to allow members to participate whenever they have time. This also helps encourage transparency, since everyone will be able to see who did what and what contributions are attributed to what people.
And, collaboration helps encourage accountability, and can prevent workers from getting distracted with other things. That way, all the tasks that need to be done will get done!
Productivity is Improved With Technology
Many employees feel that working from home has improved their productivity. Technology can help improve these gains even more.
Technology allows employees to work hours that work for them, rather than a strict schedule with specific hours. This allows them to get more done, rather than struggling and stressing to get what they need done during a specific set of hours.
This is particularly helpful for working mothers, who may have children doing virtual school. So, remote working technology can help combat the disproportionate loss of women's jobs!
Plus, employees can use technology to monitor their productivity in different ways, and make their work style more efficient. For example, there are apps that will help you implement the Pomodoro method, which makes working and time management easier!
Tech-Savvy Employees Are a Necessity When It Comes to Remote Work
There are some downsides to technology when working remotely, however. Employees, oftentimes, will have to be on top of the latest technology and able to troubleshoot their own technical difficulties.
A good IT professional can help them out remotely, and may be able to solve their problems, but some things will be dependent on the employee. This can cause frustration and dissatisfaction in your employees.
Plus, if you are implementing new technologies, you will need to be properly set up in order to train your employees remotely. So, it is best if your employees already have some skill in technology. That way, they will have some background, and won't struggle to pick up basic WFH software.
Technology and Remote Work Are a Perfect Match
Clearly, technology has provided huge benefits for remote work. As long as you do your research and weigh the costs, you're sure to avoid the possible drawbacks that can come with remote work technology.
Are you looking to read more about technology and related WFH tech topics? Make sure you look at some of our other blog posts for more information by visiting the Tech section of Bootstrap Business.