Flexible Working & Communications

Communications

One of the biggest challenges that a business enjoying flexible working faces is getting the communications right, both internally and externally. Customers, colleagues and managers need to know how and when they can get in touch with anyone who may be remote working.

Of course this will vary between employees, very much depending on their individual roles and levels of customer contact. For example, someone in product support will need to ensure they are able to deal with queries in a timely manner. However, the company accountant may be able to get on with the job in hand and only need a weekly meeting, increasing productivity.

As part of your planning stage you should develop a communications plan for flexible working. You can specify how and when managers, colleagues and customers can be contacted under normal circumstances, as well as the communications procedure for when something urgent comes up when they are teleworking or mobile working. You may need to set expected response times, specifying, for example, that if you leave an urgent voicemail, you expect to hear back within half and hour.

Personal contact will become even more important and you should aim to get your flexible workers together regularly, for example at least once a week. As part of their new work life balance, employees will usually enjoy the opportunity for team meetings.

There are lots of communication channels, including remote web access,  fixed and mobile phones (including voicemail and text) email, tele- and video- conferencing, Instant messaging and of course face-to-face meetings.  Modern phone systems mean that a single phone number can be used to reach someone no matter where they are – at home, in the office or even on their mobile! So now working on the move becomes a reality.

In most cases, you should aim to develop a blend of communications. Don’t just rely on email for example to communicate with your employees – a phone call can be more effective and personal if you are not seeing them every day because they are telecommuting.

Teamwork

Maintaining the buzz associated with a creative and dynamic team can be a real challenge when they are teleworking and spending a lot less time together.  In addition, many employees, especially those without family commitments, find the social aspect of working in a team is an important part of their life.

Make sure you plan to get your teams together on a regular basis to overcome the disadvantages of flexible working. How often this is will depend on the team and their roles. Some businesses need to meet at least once a week, whereas others find they need to meet less often.

It is important that you make the most of the time that the team is together. You may want to encourage creativity and interaction rather than making sure they all sit down and get on with their individual jobs – they can do that when remote working! Often this can be done by meeting in  informal surroundings, such as a pleasant café or conference centre.

And the team will need to keep informal communications flowing when they are remote working. Quite a few businesses find that Instant Messaging services like Skype or MSN are very useful for this. They are free, allow you to set your ‘presenteeism’ (eg Online, Busy, Away, Be right back) and you can even attach a webcam to them!