6 tips how to stay competitive after a pandemic

All areas of business are faced with a forced transition to a remote mode of operation.

Foreign trips, business meetings with foreign partners, international conferences were canceled or switched to online mode. Many companies have cut their staff, the number of open vacancies has decreased significantly - each employee has experienced these unplanned changes.

In such conditions, the ability to modernize, digitalize work processes has become a decisive factor for many companies.

6 rules for successful remote work

In order to not lose its position in the market and remain productive working remotely, a business requires comprehensive preparation.

Based on our experience, we have formed several important rules, adherence to which will help maintain the same level of productivity without losing competitiveness:

1. The perfect workplace

Make sure that all employees have an equipped workplace and that the quality of the Internet is high enough to make video calls comfortable. Be involved if the employee needs help getting settled; if necessary, provide equipment from the office and help find a good provider;

2. Regular video calls with clients and employees

This is a must rule if you want to know clearly the status of current projects in order to avoid delays. At the same time, it is important to organize both general meetings and one-to-ones.

Try to use video chats for better understanding the general state and mood of the team. Zoom, Google Meet, Skype - all these services support the virtual background function so that employees will be comfortable communicating with you via a webcam, wherever they are;

3. Monitoring and performance analysis

Measure KPIs of developers and compare these indicators with those in the pre-quarantine period. The sooner you can figure out the problem, the less impact it will have. It is important to track the quality of the performance of employees (the number of mistakes, the speed, and efficiency of solving the tasks assigned to them) and take the necessary measures in time. For these purposes, you can use trackers, but we do not recommend this approach, since a person can formally be present at the workplace without producing the desired result. It is much more effective to control not the number of hours worked, but the quantity and quality of tasks performed - we use this method, and it has clearly proven its effectiveness;

4. The best means of communication

It can be both simple instant messengers or more complex CRM systems; it is necessary to carefully consider their selection because control over the situation is the key to a positive result! Your communications must be comfortable, fast, and reliable — any failure will disrupt your team’s working process. We, in turn, have experience working with software such as

• Trello,
• Discord,
• Microsoft Teams,
• Slack,
• G Suite;

5. Motivation

This is one of the most important factors, especially in the current conditions of social isolation. It is important to maintain the enthusiasm and performance of employees. Here, your main tools will be the road map and bonuses for good performance - the employee must continue his professional development, and his efforts must be encouraged.

At first glance, such decisions do not seem appropriate in such a difficult economic situation, but in reality, they are more than effective.

6. Avoid professional burnout

This is not so easy, but it’s possible. First, it is important to limit the working day - for example, through daily meetings. During such video calls, the start/end of the working day is announced, the status of the developers is checked, the agenda for each of them is determined, as well as the results achieved during the day.

Second, do not encourage overtime - many workers are not used to limiting their own hours. To avoid this problem, do not reply to work letters on weekends or after the end of the working day, and if necessary, conduct a preventive conversation with an employee.

As you see, the bulk of the rules relate specifically to the care of employees and the correct organization of the working process.

Nowadays, the quality and efficiency of communication largely determine the competitiveness of a company, but psychological factors such as a good microclimate, motivation, stress resistance, team coherence are becoming even more important. A little attention to detail, enthusiasm, and concern for employees - and your business will not only stay afloat but grow successfully despite the lockdown!