4 min read
Many companies are changing the way they do business. As much as 26% of the American workforce continued to work remotely throughout 2021. Around 16% of companies are fully remote, and as many as 62% of workers are able to work remotely at least part of the time.
That means a lot of workers who no longer come into the office, or who spend less time in the office than they do in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. While that has been great for most workers and even companies--67% of employers note that productivity remained the same after making the shift to remote work in 2020, despite the other challenges and upheaval that many workers faced, and 27% actually noted that employee productivity seemed to have increased due to the shift--it has created some unique challenges that many companies have had to contend with.
Pronto can help solve many of the challenges of the deskless workforce--and put you in a better position to increase connection between your employees.
Challenge #1: Not Having a Connected Central Office
Many businesses, after making the shift to remote work in 2020, made the decision to close their office doors altogether. Some realized that they did not have to have their workers in the office in order to accomplish their goals, and that the benefits their employees experienced by shifting to remote work outweighed any downsides. Others found that they could cut overall costs by eliminating the physical office.
However, while there are many benefits to a remote office, many employers still discovered that there are some downsides they have to take into consideration.
Employers need a centralized document storage system.
Without a connected central office, it can be difficult for employees to know where to go when they need a specific document or to reference a specific file. They need to know where things are located and how they can find them. Fortunately, Pronto makes that easy. Our convenient document storage or sharing option also connects to existing platforms that your office is already using, including options like DropBox, which makes it easy for employees to find the documents they're looking for and attach them to vital communications, To Do lists, and Groups as needed.
Employees need a space where they can work together.
While employees certainly do need a space where they can work together, whether they're collaborating on a large-scale project or simply turning to one another for answers to common questions and challenges, that space does not necessarily have to be a physical one. Pronto offers a number of options and opportunities that can make it easier for employees to come together to work. Chat allows employees to come together and answer questions for one another, provide solutions, and work side by side on projects, while video conferences and chats can allow employees to work directly with one another on those major projects. It's a streamlined solution that eliminates the need for a physical office where employees can set up in a conference room.
Challenge #2: The Whole Company Isn't on the Same Page
It doesn't matter if employees are in the office or out: communication is the solution to keeping all of them on the same page. If employees aren't on the same page, they may have a hard time aligning with the business's big-picture goals or keeping up with what's expected of them as they take care of their assignments. One employee might tell customers one thing, while another might offer a completely different solution. Furthermore, poor communication can have employees working on the same elements of a project while another element goes undone altogether.
Effective communication, on the other hand, can solve that problem and keep all your employees on the same page.
Announcements and newsletters help keep employees aware of everything happening in the company as a whole.
Company-wide announcements, newsletters, and regular communication between management and employees can help keep employees aware of the latest changes, the latest policies, and any challenges that the company might be facing. Pronto allows you to send out one-way announcements that do not allow replies or set up chat threads that will allow employees to discuss the latest announcement or change. Those communications can help provide more information about what employees need to accomplish, your latest big projects, or the latest whole-business goals, all in one easy location. Moderators can also see who has viewed those messages, which can make it easier to determine what employees need to be looped in utilizing a different method.
Video conferences can help maintain company culture.
Video conferences can help bring the members of the team together, even when they aren't sitting in a conference room at the same time. Through your video conferences, you can share your company's values, express your appreciation for your team, and allow breakout chats and communications, all of which can help keep employees on the same page and make sure that they continue to stay in line with the company's values, even when there is less physical oversight of their daily actions.
To-Do lists can help keep employees on track.
Pronto allows for the creation of To Do lists that can make it easy for employees to see what tasks need to be completed next and who has been assigned to those tasks. Instead of having to guess or wonder about what needs to be done until the next meeting, employees can check out a clear list of tasks, complete with the attachments necessary to complete those tasks. Those task lists may also include clear deadlines that will establish when employees need to complete them. With the information at their fingertips, employees may need less specific oversight and fewer reminders--though management team members can certainly send out those reminders as needed.
Challenge #3: Simply Staying Connected is More Challenging
The top challenge many companies face when they make the shift to a deskless environment is simple: employees may feel, in general, less connected to their coworkers and to their employers. When moving to a deskless environment, employees lose the ability to simply walk down the hall to collaborate with a coworker or hang out by the water cooler, catch up over lunch, or engage in many of the social interactions that take place in the office on an average day.
With the right tools, however, you can improve that sense of connection across your company--and Pronto helps make sure those tools are at your fingertips.
Chat can help employees connect both professionally and personally.
Chat is an excellent tool for collaborating on projects, answering questions, and keeping employees up to speed. It's also an excellent tool for enhancing personal communication. Employees aren't just restricted to professional questions and answers in their chat channels--though you can certainly create groups and conversations about the latest industry trends, major events, and releases that impact your company. They can also share memes, update one another on things happening in their lives, or connect more personally with one another in general. In addition, you can create off-topic chats and groups for employees to engage in specific discussions, whether it's chatter about a hobby that seems to be shared by a large percentage of employees in the office or off-topic information about the latest movie.
Video chats aren't just for company meetings.
In addition to being an excellent venue for sharing information and building company connections, video chats are an excellent opportunity for team members to come together in a more personal way. While you don't want to force social time in a virtual setting any more than you would force it if you were in the office in person, consider the advantage of offering video chat opportunities that include employees' general interests. Hold a virtual Happy Hour. Get together for a lunch chat a few times a month. Host hangout events, both during and after work hours. With the virtual tools at your disposal, you can easily connect employees who may not have the chance to connect in person--and allow them to develop relationships even if they're spread across the country or, in some cases, around the world.
Pronto keeps connection at employees' fingertips.
With Pronto, communication isn't complicated. Employees know how to get in touch with one another, how to report problems, and how to get the answers to questions, all through one simple app that they can use throughout the day. It's designed to make communication easier for your workers so that they feel connected, rather than isolated, even as they continue to work in that deskless, office-free environment. They can support one another, get to know one another, and collaborate on projects as seamlessly as they could in an in-person environment.
Can Pronto Solve Your Deskless Office Challenges?
If you've been struggling with many of the challenges related to a deskless office, Pronto could be the ideal solution for you. Contact us today for a demonstration that will allow you to see it in action.