Summary of the Situation
The CDC has announced that there are 720,630 cases of COVID-19 in the US alone, and 2,407,537 globally. The World Health Organization has already classified this outbreak as a pandemic and it continues to spread across the globe. Schools, restaurants and many companies have closed and it seems like a large percentage of the workforce had to look for another way to operate in order to continue business.
This major shift has made companies think twice about their view towards the traditional workforce — should employees be expected to work in the physical office? … or should we consider other options of remote working or letting employees work from home?
Free e-Workflow & Work-from-Home Tools
Because of this kind of shift, a lot of companies like Slack and Google offer some of their tools for free. Slack for team collaboration, and Google for Education-related tools.
In an effort to help schools, universities, and companies who are facing this unprecedented crisis, GroupLink Corporation is currently donating and making each of its cloud-hosted solutions available at NO COST to new organization entities.
Changes were so sudden and we’re here to help you continue to operate the same way.
Three steps on how you can get started with GroupLink’s tools and services.
First, explore the available tools here and see which would fit your organization. GroupLink has three cloud-solutions: GroupLink everything HelpDesk, GroupLink Workflow Process & Incident Tracking, and GroupLink for SafestSchools which all have excellent workflow and Work From Home (WFH) capability.
Second, if you have further questions or want some help to make a decision, feel free to contact us at 801-742-8386 / info@grouplink.net
Third, once you’ve decided on which tool your company and/or organization would use, click here to make your request and begin use.
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It’s quite a new world we’re in today. One day you were in a conference room, the next day you’re using a web conferencing tool to discuss strategies and topics of interest to your team or company.
We here at GroupLink are strongly in favor of remote working, or WFH. This kind of set-up has long been a key part of our technology and it was just now, out of necessity, that more companies are seeing its value. Vast opportunities for this work arrangement are being tapped.
Continue the Productivity Shift
Roughly 80% of employees strongly want flexibility and are willing to take a cut in salary just so they can work from home. And this crisis has given everyone — employees, stakeholders, and organizations alike, a taste of it. Whether or not they will continue this kind of set-up after the crisis is over, it’s obvious that they will think and reconsider the several options and opportunities working from home could offer. After all, it could save them money, time, effort, and definitely keep their employees safe from this kind of pandemic in the future (Exhibit A: social distancing).
An employer can save $11,000 a year for every person who works remotely half of the time according to Kate Lister, president of the Global Workplace Analysis. It’s estimated that US employers have saved over $30B a day during the crisis and this may be an eye-opener for them.
Beyond tools and technology
Working from home or remote working goes beyond applying digital tools and technology. Sure, technology is highly involved in navigating day-to-day operations, but it’s more than that if you want to run your business successfully in this situation. Are you sure that everyone in the company is on the same page? Are employees communicating effectively with each other to convey messages properly so projects are executed effectively?
Leaders should be critical about the digital space that everyone is treading on right now. Employees might have difficulty in using tools and will need proper training for the transition. And beyond the tools, even when employees are well-rounded in their use of technology, soft skills remain crucial to facilitate a smoother transition into this unknown space. Soft skills like non-verbal communication skills, leadership, creativity, empathy, work ethics to name a few, will always remain relevant and in-demand.
Related article: Using your Tech to Work-from-Home (WFH): Part 4 — How to Setup a Remote Team in the Midst of an Outbreak
Fully embracing remote work or working from home can greatly impact how we see the future of work. The current pandemic and economic crisis are eye-openers for us to untapped possibilities from which companies and organizations can benefit. With this experience we can make the most out of it while continuing to explore strategies that can help us grow and become more effective.
Enjoy your learning experience with the other sections of this 8-part series on “Using your Tech to Work-from-Home (WFH)”. You’ll find great tips for WFH and e-workflow in each of the other articles listed below.
Keep safe and stay healthy!
Related Blog Articles
- Introduction: Using your Tech to Work-from-Home (WFH) — An 8-part Guide
- Part 2 of 8: Top 6 Key Concerns About Work-from-Home
- Part 3 of 8: Task Overload vs Smooth Workflow
- Part 4 of 8: How to Setup a Remote Team in the Midst of an Outbreak
- Part 5 of 8: Socializing and Collaborating Effectively with Teammates While Working from Home
- Part 6 of 8: 5 Easy Steps for Effective Delegation of Responsibility
- Part 7 of 8: Ways to Make Stronger Connections with Your Employees When Working From Home
- Part 8 of 8: Summary