Did you know that over the past year, two thirds of Australians and four in 10 New Zealanders started working from home? With lockdowns lingering, that’s likely to continue – and for some, the shift will be permanent.
However, onboarding and supporting staff to work from home isn’t exactly a breeze. Whether you run an accommodation, retail, pharmacy, hospitality or other business, there are some things you can do to make life (and work!) a little easier – for you and your staff.
1. Set up your staff properly
Dirty dishes, homeschooling, sharing the spare room with your spouse as a makeshift home office…there are endless distractions when working from home. In fact, 49 per cent of Aussie parents working from home said they struggled to juggle work and family duties. While some distractions are unavoidable (toddler tantrums, anyone?!) you can encourage your team to set up a separate work space and establish typical work hours and breaks. At the same time, try to be flexible as they adjust to the new arrangements.
2. Give them the best tools and technology
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to get work done on an old, clunky computer. It also takes a toll on productivity and general wellbeing. To support your staff or offer better onboarding for new hires, consider what they may need at home: an efficient machine, an up-to-date operating system, and online communication and collaboration tools for example.
You may also need to set them up with special equipment and tools, and have your IT person run them through troubleshooting and tackling common tasks.
3. Move from manual timesheets and rosters
If you’re still using paper-based rostering, staffing, and time and attendance, now is a great time to switch to an automated system like Wageloch. After all, onboarding and keeping track of everyone is a headache at the best of times, let alone during lockdown or when some staff are working remotely. By taking all your day-to-day tasks online, you can make sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be – whether that’s at home, in the workplace or on the road. It’s also much easier to calculate and manage pay, leave, and award rules and allowances…because the system does it all for you in just a few clicks!
And when it comes to employee onboarding, you can create a smooth and welcoming experience that helps new hires feel included and valued – and makes it easier for them to hit the ground running. For example, Wageloch integrates with popular platform Flare HR’s onboarding module to give you a compliant, paperless and simplified process. So you can safely ditch that paper onboarding checklist!
4. Keep in touch
You can’t always see your staff when they work remotely, but they still need to feel motivated and heard. Consider scheduling daily check-ins, weekly WIPs and regular video calls to keep your team connected and on track with their tasks. This also serves as an opportunity to check on their mental and physical health.
Having an agreed way to reach out and communicate is key to making sure everyone’s on the same page. So perhaps set aside some time in your initial meeting to decide how this will happen. Remember to build in some informal socialising time, too – whether that’s having remote staff dial in to social events, or simply asking how their weekend was. Build this into your revised onboarding program, too, so new hires feel welcome from day one.
Next steps
There are so many more ways to streamline onboarding and supporting staff who work from home, but these tips should help you get started.
We can also show you how Wageloch makes managing your team a breeze. You can book a demo with our friendly team today.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article is intended as a guide only, providing an overview of general information available. It’s not intended to be an exhaustive source of information and should not be seen to constitute legal or tax advice. You should, where necessary, seek a second professional opinion for any legal or tax issues raised in your business affairs.