How to Switch Your Company to a 100% Remote Work Model?

A growing number of companies decides to implement a 100% remote work model and this trend is gaining particular traction among the startup community. When you have limited resources you do whatever needs to be done – and remote work is one of the best solutions out there. However, what to do in order to switch the entire company to a remote work model? Or, at the very least, what to do to start moving in that direction?

Hire remote workers

First of all, you want to hire people who are able and willing to work remotely. If you’re not limited by location why limit yourself (quite pointlessly, too) and look for local specialists only? Take a remote-first approach when building your work environment by searching for and hiring remote workers. Look for people who know how to work remotely and have experience in doing so (contrary to appearances, this isn’t easy). Those who already have experience in remote work know how they work, they know their rhythm, their way of working, they know how to focus on the task at hand and how to stay inspired. They are working much better in a remote setting as opposed to a traditional office environment.
And they can pass their knowledge on to other people in the company.

Reward for results – not for the time spent working

Once you hire the right people, you need to treat them the right way. A remote work environment should foster productivity, rather than focus on presence. With a remote team you don’t have to worry about time off, vacation days, sick days, etc. The only thing you’re interested in is a high-performing group of people who do their jobs efficiently and effectively. We can learn a ton from startups in this regard – they focus on results right from the off, ditching the ‘hours worked’ notion. You cannot hold employees accountable for the time beyond your control.

Don’t rely solely on meetings

Most meetings are unnecessary. Many could be replaced by an e-mail. If you want to work remotely, you cannot rely on in-person meetings. Meetings may be important, and it often turns out that it’s impossible to reach a decision unless you arrange a meeting. But, and that’s an important ‘but’ – there is a significant difference between an in-person meetings culture and organizing meetings when the situation really calls for them. You can use many free online tools, like Join.me or Skype, to organize a meeting if you have to do so. This way you accustom both yourself and your employees to an environment where meetings are the last resort, but you can easily organize one when it indeed is required.

Cut down on ‘paperwork’

Most companies have shifted away from huge, paper-based documentation – at least to some extent. But to ensure your business is ready for a fully remote working environment, your entire documentation must be stored online (on an online disk or in the cloud). Every company holds important, physical documentation such as its articles of association and contracts. However, that doesn’t mean you need loads of binders stacked on top of each other everywhere. Apart from some obvious exceptions, like libraries, doctors’ offices, etc., it’s better to limit the amount of physical documents and instead opt for their electronic counterparts. Even if you’re not considering switching to remote work, it’s worth implementing that line of thinking as it will help you keep your documents in order and provide additional security, too.

Before you decide to take this huge leap forward make sure your team is ready to work remotely. And then take your time to thoroughly prepare them for it. Remote work is just that – work; and may turn out to be even more demanding than ‘traditional’, office work. Reach out to us if you need help finding remote or on-site employees. Our team will find the best specialists that will fit your project.