Remote workforces have many benefits, including reduced overhead costs from not having employees inside an office. Yet, when employees are working from home, you can’t call a quick meeting in the conference room. Because collaboration is critical to a company’s productivity, employers have to get creative using the following tips.

3 Tips for Improving Remote Collaboration

1. Maintain Communication

In an office environment, you can stop by a coworker’s desk to discuss a project update. Virtually, you’ll have to use different methods to stay in touch. Facilitate strong communication by setting expectations for schedules. For instance, you might expect employees to be reachable for video chats or phone calls in the morning, and then dedicate the afternoons to independent work.

It’s also helpful to define which channels will be used for which types of updates. A flooded email inbox can take hours for employees to sift through, hampering productivity. You might then try to use chats for ongoing conversations, and emails for one-time communications, such as updates on deadlines or changing priorities.

2. Set Clear Goals

Remote work also calls for clear goals since employees aren’t always in the presence of leaders who would reinforce expectations during in-person exchanges. To help keep your teams on track, set SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. 

An example might be to finish three reports by the end of the week. This goal is quantifiable, measurable, and bound by a specific deadline. Larger goals can also be broken down into smaller milestones, making it easier to track progress.

3. Provide the Right Tools & Resources

Employees can only be expected to communicate effectively if they have the right tools. Forward-thinking organizations can use conference room solutions to drive productivity. You can use a compute engine connected to a display camera to host meetings, no laptop required. Or, connect via your own device and leverage a collaboration display that integrates seamlessly with your preferred tools.

If you’re managing remote teams, allow Laser Line to help. In a remote work environment, it can be challenging to set up your technology. This trusted service provider helps companies throughout Jessup, MD, improve productivity with tools like HP Elite Slice®, a compute engine that allows participants to join meetings without a laptop, or Sharp Windows Collaboration Display®, an interactive platform that features 4K video and works with Microsoft 365. Explore their tools for remote work online, or call (410) 636-1700 to discuss your business needs with a team member.