Remote workers can feel distant and may feel as if they are not part of the team, and lose motivation. How do you keep employees engaged?

The internet and technologies making use of the internet, for example the cloud, have made remote working more practical than ever before. Thanks to various tools, it is easier to communicate, monitor, and incorporate remote workers within activities.  However, maybe the key to keeping remote workers engaged is communication – regular contact, and human contact too, not just by email which can feel impersonal. An email can be quite a cold way to communicate, and create an impression that would not be created in a telephone call, when a laugh, for example can lighten the mood. Face-to-face meetings are better still.

Get to know your remote workers

Ensure you get to know remote workers, don’t restrict conversations just about work, get to know their priorities, get to know them as individuals, ask about them, and not just “how are you?”

Contact

Create communication channels. Agree regular times for telephone contact, better still, via skype or some other form of video based communication, such as appear.in.

But also, if at all possible, schedule in times for face to face meetings. Even if these meetings occur infrequently, the fact that there is a date in the diary can help support engagement.  Just saying that we will meet is not enough, there needs to be specific arrangements. If possible, visit remote workers occasionally.

Likewise, set up protocols for how remote workers can contact each other and supervisors. As part of this, make use of real-time communication tools such as Google for Work, Skype for Business and Slack.

Finally, make use of technologies such as messaging, company intranet boards and chat rooms to interact.

Part of the team

Ensure remote workers feel part of the team by involving them in meetings, via remote communication, such as Google Hangouts. Involve them in brainstorming sessions. Set team based goals. In this way remote workers can feel more integrated within the team.

Make use of technology to support team interaction including social media.

Building on this, arrange meet-ups with the rest of the team. If it is not practical to have regular meet-ups, at least arrange dates well in advance for when meetings will occur. As part of this, make sure remote workers are involved in away days, and invite remote workers to local events.

Also, include fun activities as part of cementing team cohesion when members of the team are remote workers.  These fun activities could involve meeting up, but could be done remotely such as in virtual reality.

Tracking performance and incentivising

Clearly set expectations and ways to monitor performance. Shift emphasis away from tracking time to tracking delivery.

Agree times for evaluating performance, and guarantee that successes, and indeed hard work, are acknowledged.

Professional development

Take the development of remote workers seriously, provide training, and support.

Above all

But it boils down to the three Cs. Communicate, communicate and communicate.

Dell

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Tags: Business, Workforce Transformation

There is more than one reason for employing remote workers, but to make such an approach work, you need a plan.

Remote workers need motivating:  they need to feel part of the team, they need clear direction and there needs to be monitoring.

Communication is essential

Employ workers away from the office and they may feel isolated, a lesser part of the company, less loyal, and less committed. Overcoming this requires communication. You need to talk, literally talk and not just rely on communication via email and other text communication methods.

It may be worth setting up regular telephone conversations, or better still, communication involving video. Make sure interactions are not all work and no play: robots may just want instructions, but a loyal work force wants to feel valued, and that partially means taking an interest.

Build relationships!

However, remote communication is not enough. Meet face to face occasionally and encourage remote workers to attend the office and interact with non-remote workers from time to time.

When you do connect via email or other forms of textual contact, try and avoid being too formal, too inflexible and too prescriptive. Take the time to listen to remote workers and try to build on their strengths.

Properly brief your remote workers

It is also vital that what you require is made clear: written briefs, even video based instructions can be useful. Ensure remote workers understand what you ask of them. Don’t just send instructions and expect compliance without follow-up.

Provide contact details

Also, ensure remote workers know when and how to contact you. Clearly outline your expectations on how they can communicate with you on a day to day basis.

Monitor and feedback

You need to monitor the productivity of remote workers and set out in advance how you determine if they are meeting expectations. Converse with them, so that they fully understand when, how and what they must do to meet objectives and how this will be determined.

Remote management tools

Also, make optimal use of remote management tools. It is important to use tools such as Skype and Google Hangout to support interaction.

Employ tools for sharing documents, such as Google docs where more than one person can work on a document remotely, with changes made by any one person displayed in real time.

There is plenty of technology to help you manage remoter workers, but don’t lose sight of more human skills. Technology can enhance management techniques; it cannot replace them.

Dell

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Tags: Business, Workforce Transformation

Beyond being fundamental for remote working, remote access enables workers to collaborate, share files quickly and safely, and opens networks to any number of third party devices.

Software systems can also be managed remotely, vastly bringing down costs and increasing efficiency. But these benefits can only be fully felt with the correct remote-access software in place, many of which are freely available on the web. Read on to find out some of the most popular:

LogMeIn

The LogMeIn multiplatform holds an array of features, including 1TB of storage, password manager, multiple monitor support, SSL/TLS security and event log and a password manager.

LogMeIn’s on-demand Pro version offers collaboration solutions and access tools. A more general-use package, it boasts huge storage, application access, remote access, remote printing and monitor support, and starts at $149 per year.

Also with 1TB of storage, LogMeIn’s Rescue version, is more suited to helping parties outside your company; it offers quick-connection technologies to help with remote support.

TeamViewer

Another multiplatform support service, TeamViewer works with firewalls and can suit aging operating systems. While no configuration on the client side is available, it comes in 30 languages and offers 256-bit encryption with two-way file sharing.

With ninety per cent of Fortune 500 firms relying on TeamViewer products for meetings, customer support and remote access, TeamViewer is a clear corporate favourite and can support up to 20 million devices at once.

Three products are offered through this remote PC service: remote support, remote access and meeting. It boasts decent connect times, small lag times and sound connectivity even through iPads. Two-way file-sharing is simple and the software can switch host and client, which is helpful in IT circumstances.

Among the platform’s many features is the ability to connect without a VPN (virtual private network), and it can work around firewalls. On a larger scale, TeamViewer can hold mass deployments, policies and security protocols.

Team Viewer can carry out maintenance tasks on a number of end points and supports collaboration through chat, whiteboard, remote audio, VOiP and session recording. Usefully, it suits most work environments and can work with Linux support.

Its security is bolstered by 256-bit encryption, dual strata authentication, Verisign code signing and session passwords. Personal versions come free of charge, while licences cost $809 per year.

Chrome remote desktop

Supporting Windows and OS X – and, to an extent, Linux – Chrome Remote Desktop is free for commercial and personal use. Working through a Chrome app that installs on the desktop, it allows you to connect to any other computer, so long as you are logged into Chrome.

It is straightforward and simple to set up, and runs at good speed in your browser. While not overburdened by additional features, the platform enables quick-fire inter-platform operations and allows remote access on some files.

However, Chrome Remote Desktop does not have mobile apps, nor is it supported as of yet. It can run into difficulty with multiple displays and it doesn’t really stray into the territory of features such as wake-on-LAN, streaming, file transfer and other support tools.

This remote access tool is definitely all about usability and speed as opposed to offering multiplatform muscle.

GoToMyPC

A member of the “GoTo” Citrix product family, this multiplatform support service offers round-the-clock technical assistance and is available in economy and premium versions. It hosts two-way file transfer, multiscreen support and enables rapid file transfer.

The linked version above is more geared towards remote working than customer support, but other GoTo products can help to fill any gaps in remote assistance and live collaboration.

Created for ease-of-use and suited to work for remote workers or commuters from any device, GoToMyPC supports multiple monitors and is bolstered by 128-bit AES encryption.

ScreenConnect

Not all remote access tools and products purposely seek to address IT or person-support issues, but ScreenConnect goes the extra mile, offering management solutions for your business computers.

It also provides customer support and assists remote working, with a number of features designed to support remote installs, session notes and multiple invitation options. However, these attractions lose an element of their lustre due to the potential for slower file transfer and connect times.

Offering 256-bit encryption, the platform enables unattended access, online meeting support and can remotely uninstall on the client side.

Dell

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Tags: Business, Workforce Transformation

When it comes to a technology refresh, there really is no time like the present. IT decision makers that hesitate could find their business being overtaken by a nimble competitor.

The fast pace of technological change means it can sometimes feel like a good idea to put off an investment in new IT. But old kit can cause big problems, particularly in regards to performance, productivity and support.

Smart IT decisions makers avoid the drama that older IT can cause and instead refresh their technology before the problems mount. By working with a trusted partner, IT managers can refresh their business computers at a reasonable cost and produce a quick return on investment.

Understanding the need for action

Digital transformation is affecting all businesses in all sectors. From financial services to non-profit organisations, entrepreneurs with great ideas are using technology to bring their creative visions to life.

The reality for all organisations small, medium or large is the same – embrace digital disruption or risk being disrupted. Research from recruitment specialist Harvey Nash and consultant KPMG suggests 27 per cent of disruption is down to new digital innovations in product or service delivery.

Your ability to respond quickly to changing market requirements will be restricted if your creative workers do not have access to great technology. Organisations looking to remain one step ahead must ensure worker productivity is not restricted by legacy kit.

A great starting point is an investment in modern business computers, whether your workers rely on laptops, desktops or workstations. By giving your people access to high-performance business technology, your firms can ensure its operational capabilities are kept at the highest possible level.

Going for high performance

So which areas of your business technology set-up should you prioritise? By investing your budget in high-performance computers, your workers will be able to complete more tasks quickly and more effectively.

Rather than being held up by sluggish and outmoded kit, employees around your businesses will be able to perform the tasks of the digital age with confidence. Whether those tasks involve working in the cloud, manipulating big data or completing high-end design, your business technology will be ready to run.

The best business computers provide a big boost. As a previous Tech Page One article has demonstrated, research from Principled Technologies suggests modern PCs produce 145 per cent better system performance than legacy kit.

IT decision makers should pay attention to operating systems, too. Take Intel processor-powered desktop computers with Microsoft Windows 10, which outperform legacy towers on all key performance benchmarks.

Creating great business returns

The message, then, is clear – new business technology can improve productivity and performance. Such benefits help to explain why analyst Gartner suggests worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.49 trillion in 2016.

It is a huge figure, especially when placed within the context of global economic uncertainty. Yet as Gartner vice president John-David Lovelock notes, the need to invest in IT to support digital business is more urgent than ever before.

IT decision makers that make the right spending decisions now can help their firms to not only survive but to thrive in this digital world. A refresh of your business computing resources will provide reliable, high-performance kit.

That reliability means IT staff can spend less time supporting legacy technology. And your end users can use the kit to do what they do best – innovating for big business returns to the benefit of both your shareholders and your customers.

Find out how the right desktop can boost productivity for your business

References

Harvey Nash and KPMG CIO research: http://www.hnkpmgciosurvey.com

Tech Page One: business-uk-en/right-desktop-can-lead-productivity-2/

Gartner research note: http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3277517

Mark Samuels

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Tags: Business, Productivity

The millennia-old office is changing. Mobile devices have helped create a worker style we call the on-the-go-professional. However, communal workspaces remain effective for both teamwork and management.

Adrian Bridgwater

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Tags: Future Ready Workforce

Businesses equipped to take advantage of new opportunities today will become unstoppable tomorrow. This is the fundamental assurance and central promise we hear from technology vendors today as they urge us to think about tomorrow and how we might make our business operations future-ready.

But what does this first statement really mean? What are these new opportunities and how do we equip ourselves for an uncertain tomorrow? Is unstoppable always a good thing and how do we maintain control on the unknown road ahead?

Believing the unbelievable

At its most conceptual level, being able to plan for the future comes down to opening our mind. As recently as a decade ago we had very little belief in the ubiquitous use of tablet computers, but today we have the iPad and more besides. Platform changes can happen at any time and radically reshape the way we live our lives. This is what it means to be future-ready.

Understanding that these platform changes can manifest themselves not just in terms of technology, but also in areas like medicine, transport, public services or even the legal trade (for want of four broad examples) is part of the ‘new belief’ mindset. This is what it means to be future-ready.

Accepting that what we today consider to be impossible could soon be possible is part of this process. This is why a new professional breed of so-called ‘futurologists’ (or futurist) has now developed. Futurologists challenge us to believe that one day soon we will live to 200, we will soon be printing meat for human consumption and hyper speed transport systems of the future will reach nearly 1000 miles per hour over land. This is what it means to be future-ready.

The future’s relationship’ with technology

While not every disruptive future innovation will be an information technology development in the purest sense of IT, we do know that technology will underpin all possible futures. A key facilitating change in future tech frameworks, platforms, storage and networks is the shift to ‘software-defined’ controls.

The ability to make change happen at the speed of building, managing or manipulating software rather than having to ‘rip and replace’ at the hardware level is fundamental in terms of our new relationship with IT.

The human-machine disconnect

The problem we face today, even if we accept that future-ready businesses are more ready for change than any other, is that technology moves faster than people. Specifically, we mean that datacenter technologies are speeding towards increasingly integrated systems driven by software-defined intelligence, but the skills to operate what we could call ‘infrastructure-as-code’ at this level don’t always exist.

As analyst house IDC has explained in its Future Ready Enterprise: Driving Business results Today while Preparing for the Challenges of Tomorrow white paper, “A future-ready organization is one that is always extending the abilities of its IT infrastructure and applications while also pursuing IT organizational practices that enable it to identify and address changing business and technology needs. The future-ready organizations not only react quickly to market changes but also are better able to become disruptors themselves.”

Where do we go today, for tomorrow

Traditionally siloed organisations are, perhaps unsurprisingly, finding both the wider and specific elements of the new digitisation transformation hard to bring on line quickly. Key to making future-ready happen will be open system foundations, open platforms and open source – being ‘locked in’ in the post-millennial age is almost universally accepted to be a bad thing.

Looking ahead, there are no blueprints to tell us what’s next. But we do know that the future will more definable, more componentised and more specialised. This new and ‘more tunable’ future is a place where we accept that change is the only constant and that software runs the world. This is what it means to be future-ready.

For more information on what it means to be Future Ready, click here for the Future Ready Enterprise: Driving Business results Today while Preparing for the Challenges of Tomorrow white paper info brief.

Adrian Bridgwater

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Tags: Business, Future Ready, Productivity

With all the hype surrounding digital transformation, CIOs could be forgiven for forgetting that the long-standing elements of infrastructure are still crucial and, in fact, matter more than ever before.

While media attention might centre on innovation, IT decision makers cannot afford to disregard operational concerns across both hardware and software. CIOs must create a stable, reliable platform for digital transformation through lead-edge technologies such as cloud, big data and automation.

By incorporating a sturdy IT services set-up into their organisations, CIOs can avoid costly mistakes and ensure their businesses go from strength to strength. So what can happen if you don’t keep your IT services fresh? We investigate three potential problem areas – and how to overcome challenges.

Look for service simplification to remove points of failure

Technology is the key to help smart businesses respond effectively in the modern age. However, the attention to digital transformation means IT services is sometimes overlooked as a key component within business technology. It is a potentially hugely damaging oversight. For a start, the probability of failure is much higher if your technology becomes old or slow due to lack of maintenance.

The key to success, even in an age of complex and fast-changing business demands, is simplification. Darryl Carlton, research director at Gartner, says IT systems are often not built with the same reliability, integrity and predictability as other engineering disciplines, despite the best advice being available.

CIOs must call on trusted service providers as they maintain critical technology systems. These experts will help the business to manage the entire lifecycle of critical IT assets. Only by making the most of IT services, in areas such as consulting, testing and assessment, will your business be ready for the future.

Consult with operational experts to reduce the strain on internal resources 

The demand for digital transformation means pressure on the IT department continues to rise. Even in an uncertain world, businesses direct more money to advanced systems and services. Worldwide IT spending is forecast to grow from $2.46 trillion in 2015 to more than $2.8 trillion in 2019, according to IDC.

Businesses need IT workers who understand the best of modern systems and services, and work with the rest of the firm to extract the most value from its continued investment in technology. The modern technology professional must be outward facing and ready to help the business make the most of IT.

Yet IT employees will only be able to maintain that external business focus if they are not weighed down by operational concerns. By working with an IT services specialist, technology chiefs can dedicate limited human resources to work outside the IT department.

Working with trusted specialists to build a case for service integration

In a period of rapid and constant change, the business needs to know it can rely on stable technology platforms. IT services can play a key role. From legacy technologies, to new cloud systems and on to advanced analytics, the business will only be able to stay competitive in the digital era if technology is available.

IT decision makers will need to find a way to bring these services together. Great IT services from a trusted partner can help support your business case for system integration, helping to demonstrate how technologies can be brought together in new and exciting ways.

When it comes to finding a trusted partner, IT leaders must pay careful attention to strengths and capabilities. Analyst Gartner says cloud acceleration, digital business strategies and cost optimisation determine which IT services providers are the most successful. With the right IT services partner, your organisation will be confident its integrated systems can support business change.

Read more on how IT services are the unsung hero for business productivity

References 

Darryl Carlton on IT failure: http://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/it-projects-need-less-complexity-not-more-governance/ 

IDC on IT spending: https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS41006516

Gartner on IT services market share: https://www.gartner.com/doc/3310718/market-share-analysis-it-services

Mark Samuels

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Tags: Business, Productivity

Mobile devices, tablets, smartphones, laptops and even wearable technology are now such an integral part of daily life that it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of employees are bringing their devices into the workplace. Subsequently, a number of businesses are implementing bring your own device (BYOD) initiatives to encourage members of staff to work more flexibly and, more often than not, more productively.

Using these mobile devices as work tools can enhance a business’s existing suite of IT facilities; with an increasing amount of staff working remotely, it makes sense that mobile devices are being integrated into the working environment. In addition, BYOD into the workplace can potentially reduce a business’s IT costs and will typically improve client services.

However, while implementing BYOD initiatives can be an incredibly worthwhile, cost-effective and useful resource, there are certain drawbacks which could turn BYOD into a threat for businesses. So, we ask: does BYOD bring potential stumbling blocks for businesses?

The Trouble With BYOD

Mobile and flexible working through BYOD can be a valuable asset to businesses, however it can also cause some difficulties. When in the work environment, an employee’s devices must be treated like any other IT hardware when it comes to security. It’s also worth bearing in mind that increased access to any system via multiple devices can present security risks, and typical concerns include:

• By using BYOD initiatives, both an employee’s business and personal information is stored on the same device. With this, employers must consider where the balance sits between strict corporate security protocol and the protection of an individual’s personal data, easily captured through e-commerce sites and social media channels.

• Employers must consider the safety of devices, as mobile devices are a particularly attractive target for thieves. If a device were to be stolen, or even lost or misplaced, large volumes of sensitive, business data could end up in the wrong hands.

• Mobile devices and the data stored on them can be easily be subject to interference from personal applications or programmes installed on the device. Many of these applications have the ability to spread malware, which in turn could encrypt data and cause damage or loss of use to the device.

• Many mobile devices will be automatically connect to the nearest available network, which leaves personal devices open and vulnerable to attacks from unsecure, untrusted sources. Again, this leaves both the device and its data at risk.

• On mobile devices, phishing and spamming scams are difficult to prevent, and even more difficult to clear once they have gained access to a device. As unsolicited communication through email and text messaging is on the rise, this is an increasingly concerning threat for both businesses and device owners.

Undoubtedly, BYOD can present some serious security threats and concerns. However, with the appropriate safeguards in place BYOD can enable a business to expand, operate more efficiently and increasing client satisfaction. While BYOD can help can improve flexible and mobile working, robust security measures must be in place to ensure that a business’ network is not under threat from malware or loss of data.

Phil Sawyer

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Tags: Future Ready, Mobility, Technology