How to Create a Remote Work Plan

What are remote work best practices for businesses?

To help ensure remote work is a success across your organization, follow these best practices.

1. Maintain a company culture

Some employees choose an employer for their company culture. Whether your company is only recently remote or has always been, maintaining the culture that attracted employees to your organization in the first place can help keep employees happy and working for your company. For example, you could support a caring culture by broadening your wellness benefits, as Actualize Consulting did. Its $750 wellness benefit is available to each employee for use toward a gym membership and fitness purchases such as treadmills and classes.

“Design a comprehensive onboarding experience tailored to remote workers. This could include virtual meet and greets, digital tours and guided introductions to the company culture, values and team dynamics,” said Angela Tait, chief people officer at Tait Consulting, LLC. “Invest in creative virtual team-building activities, like virtual escape rooms, cooking classes or collaborative online games, to foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie.”

As another example, Sarah Danzl, chief marketing officer at Skillable and former communications officer and vice president of customer marketing at Degreed, said that a priority for her was to ensure the holistic care and mental health of her team with regular check-ins, specifically to ask about how they’re doing and dedicate some time to nonwork chat.

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2. Use video tools to stay connected

Working remotely can be difficult for people who strive for face-to-face interaction. Utilize the best practice of acting as if you and your team are in the office with the help of technology. Consider keeping spirits high and teams connecting by hosting a Friday video happy hour, video team meetings and virtual employee lunches. The goal here is to stimulate activities that would be done in the office, outside the office. 

Pranav Dalal, the CEO and founder of Office Beacon LLC, explained how video tools help grow communication and trust. “Regular check-ins and feedback loops will keep everyone aligned and engaged,” he said. “Ultimately, prioritizing employee well-being alongside productivity fosters a more motivated and effective remote team.”

3. Go paperless

Just about everything can be done digitally these days. Use a tool like DocuSign for contracts that need signatures and encourage employees to lean on the best customer relationship management software and other digital tools instead of paper for notes, project management and other tasks.

4. Invest in internet security

A network is only as secure as its weakest link. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have turned their workforces remote. As a result of more people working from home, weak security links are inevitable. To ensure data confidentiality and safe internet usage, Dalal said it is crucial to implement key practices. He advised that internet security is a must, especially in public spaces.

“First, encourage the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to secure connections on public Wi-Fi. Regularly update software and use strong, unique passwords for all accounts to minimize vulnerabilities,” said Dalal. “Additionally, promote awareness about phishing scams and encourage employees to avoid accessing sensitive information on unsecured networks. By fostering a culture of cybersecurity mindfulness, we can help keep our data safe while working remotely.”

By investing in a cybersecurity plan, you can provide (and even mandate) the tools that keep everyone’s devices safe. This, in turn, keeps company information safe. Most importantly, it minimizes the risk of personal data being leaked through a vulnerability in your infrastructure. At the heart of your internet security is a VPN. It allows for direct, safe communication between all remote workers and the office.

5. Consider employee monitoring

Employee monitoring is necessary for large organizations. A significant part of leadership and management is keeping people on task. However, with remote work, that becomes challenging.

Employee monitoring software allows you to see a worker’s computer activity. This informs you as to how much of a workday is spent on work projects and tasks. Employee monitoring solutions allow you to track the productivity of your workers. [Related article: The Best Employee Monitoring Software]

6. Accommodate flexible work schedules

There are many benefits that come with remote work, such as reduced overhead and lower liabilities, to name a few. If, though, remote work is hastily or poorly implemented, the downside is lost productivity. The key to preventing lost productivity (which can be difficult for a company to come back from) is to allow employees to work a flexible work schedule. 

“Embrace asynchronous work by allowing employees to set schedules that accommodate different time zones or personal obligations. This flexibility can boost productivity while also respecting individual needs,” Tait said. “Encourage thorough documentation of processes, updates and project details so everyone can access needed information without waiting for someone to be online.”

Many at-home employees are juggling child care and school. Flexible work schedules empower them to find a better work-life balance that enables them to work productively around their kids’ schedules. One suggestion to make this transition smoother for your company and team is to shift to a completion-based work model. With this, the focus is less on how many hours an individual works and more on what they accomplish.

7. Invest in collaboration tools

Collaboration tools are everywhere. Some of the biggest names to rise to the top include Skype and Microsoft Teams. Of course, the most popular by far is Zoom. These tools allow for adjustable online workgroups. They include video and audio chat and they allow for screen sharing.

You can also look into apps that create shared workspaces. File sharing systems are similarly important. You can even look at dedicated communication servers with resources like Discord and Google Chat.

“In my experience, tools like Slack and Zoom are game-changers for fostering seamless communication within remote teams,” Dalal said. “For collaboration, platforms like Asana or Trello keep everyone aligned on tasks and deadlines, ensuring clarity and accountability. Additionally, leveraging tools like Google Workspace enhances productivity by allowing real-time collaboration on documents. It’s all about finding the right mix that suits your team’s dynamics.”