A shift in the modern workforce
Over the past decade we have seen a gradual shift in the typical workplace landscape. As business leaders tested the waters and evaluated the productivity of their limited remote employees, it appeared as though remote work seemed a viable alternative for small teams of employees. The concept of an entire workforce being thrown into remote work seemed foreign at the time.
During the start of the pandemic, the state of the modern workforce was drastically altered. Large numbers of employees were unexpectedly thrusted into remote work without access to the proper tools to succeed. Companies that were previously dipping their toes into remote work, didn’t have a solution that could accommodate such a large-scale transition to remote work, and companies that didn’t have a digital workspace for remote employees prior, had no answer.
Companies were caught off guard – and it showed. Communication was siloed, employees were isolated, and effectively collaborating on projects was impossible.
Equip employees with the tools they need to succeed
This leads us to a very valid question: Why did so many companies fail to adapt to a remote workforce?
It certainly wasn’t due to remote work as a concept. In fact, studies have shown that with the right tools, employees can increase productivity in a remote work environment.
Simply put, dispersed employees were not equipped with the tools they needed to succeed.
The people in charge of communication technology decisions didn’t see the need for deeper capabilities in communicating with distributed teams.
This lack of proper communication tools meant employees had to deal with siloed resources, outdated file versions and inconsistent resources, unclear goals, and more. This proved to be a logistical nightmare as remote employees lacked the tools to perform their job effectively.
With the pandemic accelerating the pace at which remote and distributed teams are forming, it has become more important than ever to equip them with the tools they need to succeed in the workplace.
How to align remote & distributed teams:
The most effective way to align remote & distributed teams is with a digital work hub. A digital work hub is a platform that can unify the content, communication, training, and operations for an organization. This is particularly necessary when dealing with remote & distributed teams, as there needs to be a ‘centralized’ space for remote employees to collaborate and access important information/resources.
A digital workspace delivers clear expectations from leadership and provides the communication tools to keep remote employees on track. It also allows your remote teams to have instant access to the same materials and information.
Below, we’ll discuss how a digital work hub can help align your remote & distributed teams and generate better business outcomes.
Track content consumption
Are my remote employees viewing the content we’re putting out?
How do I know if they’ve seen an important announcement/update?
These are questions that are frequently raised with remote work environments. While remote work often contributes to consistent (or even increased) levels of productivity, it remains important to be able to track the consumption of content among your remote teams. Failing to track content consumption can lead to a lack of leadership and unclear company goals moving forward.
With a digital work hub, you can receive insights on employee activity and content consumption data that will help you better align your remote & dispersed teams.
Avoid tool sprawl
With a digital workspace, remote employees no longer have to click through countless different applications to do their job.
When remote workers have to switch between applications, it contributes to a phenomenon known as tool sprawl. Tool sprawl can slow down every aspect of a remote employee’s experience and is a primary contributor to workplace failures.
When information is scattered across different tools, it can be much more difficult for remote teams to gain insights into the activities of each other. This can lead to employees feeling out of the loop, and inadvertently missing out on important information. Instead of channeling energy into a centralized workspace, employees spend their days constantly switching between apps, reorienting workflow, and reorganizing information.
With a digital work hub, employees will no longer have to deal with siloed communication processes and inconsistent information. Rather than switching through countless applications, your remote teams are provided unfettered access to the information they need.
Provide a central place for company information
One thing that hinders a lot of remote teams is the lack of a central place for company information. When there is no central place for employees to access information and resources, it can lead to duplicate work, different document versions, and inconsistent project outcomes.
In addition, important information and company announcements are often missed, and it can be impossible to locate the correct version of a specific resource. Employees are left frustrated, confused, and ultimately end up wasting a lot of time searching for the correct version of a document.
This seemingly massive problem actually has quite a simple solution. With a digital workspace, employees can immediately access what they are looking for. It provides an organized repository for files, information, and conversation, meaning that your remote teams will never waste time searching for a specific resource again.
When all of your company resources are stored in a central location, remote employees are able to easily filter and search for a document and know that they are receiving the correct version of a file.
Example of a central repository of information:
Conclusion
There’s a reason that more and more companies are switching to digital work hubs. As the shift towards remote and distributed teams continues to grow, organizations have to adapt to keep employees engaged.
Digital work hubs are evolving into a required tool to be able to effectively support your remote teams.
A digital workspace can help your remote & distributed teams break down silos and find success at every stage. Productivity will no longer be hindered, and collaboration can occur organically.
With a digital work hub, you will be able to:
- Give remote and distributed teams a space to communicate and collaborate with each other.
- Boost company-wide visibility, productivity, and engagement with a central communications platform.
- Create a central, searchable database of employee information and resources that is accessible by remote employees anytime, anywhere.
For further reading, check out our blog on how to run a successful business with remote employees, or view our case study to learn how TCG leveraged a digital work hub to help unite their remote and dispersed teams.
The key to successfully writing company communications is to make every message a person receives feel directly relevant to them. If you’re blasting company news to everyone with the same message, people will ignore you over time.
Deliver a unified employee experience for your remote teams:
Interested in learning how to provide a unified employee experience for your remote & distributed teams? Check out this guide to learn everything you need to know about how to effectively support your remote employees.
