COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. With an extremely large number of casualties and an exponential rise in those afflicted with the virus, governments and institutions all across the world are trying to find means to help the situation that has clearly gone out of control. Businesses and industries all around have implemented certain changes in order to stay afloat in these trying times and remote working has been their one-stop solution for the time being.

In today’s technologically advanced age, most companies are evolving and incorporating digital solutions to their businesses already but with the pandemic that has erupted globally, this process seems to have accelerated. As more and more companies embrace the changes in operations that coronavirus brings with it, we have a look at some of the challenges that remote working proposes and how to tackle them with appropriate measures:

Lack of work consistency due to interruptions:

Employees in the absence of office space have resorted to working from home. However, despite the continuity with work, there are a lot of interruptions at home, from your family needing you every now and then, to the comfortable appeal of the couch in the living room. Overall, there is no means for keeping tabs on the employees and the amount of work they have been doing. This leads to a lack of productivity when working from home.

In order to target this problem, employees need to be aware of maintaining a good work-from-home culture. This includes creating a time-frame for yourself and sticking to it consistently. From the employer’s side, it is essential to have a proper telecommunication channel in place so that collaborations are easy and efficient and there is a need to train all the employees just how to stay productive while working from home.

Absence of proper tools and equipment:

The lockdown that took place in many countries was done in such a hurry that no one had a proper plan to shift the operations from a work environment to that of a home, instantaneously. The absence of collaborative communication or project management tools makes it even more difficult for employees to have the same kind of setup that they worked with, in the office.

In order to solve this problem, companies need to strategize and come up with standardized platforms where team members and peers can work. Having one common communication platform like Slack and another for project management like Jira can help consolidate employees into one space, albeit virtually. Employees need to be trained not just on the use of these applications but the importance of a collaborative approach towards work.

Security Concerns:

With remote working, a majority of operations need to go online and build a virtual workflow in order to have smooth operations to prevent setbacks. When it comes to accessing sensitive information about products, business documents, and operations, the risk of a data breach rises manifold. Any company that installs a virtual relay of information is scared of the possibility of cybercrime.

One solution for this concern is the use of a business virtual private network(VPN). Employees should be encouraged to strictly use VPNs when collaborating over projects in order to prevent a breach of information. Making this a non-optional condition will strengthen security measures for a company.

High attrition rate:

Work conditions for employees around the world have changed significantly. The absence of leadership and lack of physical proximity from the office space may lead to employees not being as productive as they previously were. Another fear that employers are currently facing is that other companies might lure away their employees with the promise of better pay and a different set of responsibilities.

In order to have a low retention rate, companies need to strategize on how to boost their employees’ morale, especially at a time like this. If your employees feel valued for their work and their contributions are considered meaningful, they will be happy to stick with you even when times are tough. Organizing interactions and activities virtually is another way to boost company morale and offer a stable and positive environment.

Complete Shutdown:

The biggest concern that every business is dealing with right now is the possibility of completely shutting down. If the company itself is unable to sustain operations then there is no bigger risk than that. Unproductivity and lack of adaptability are already causing shutdowns of various small and large businesses.

In order to stay afloat and not just survive but thrive as a business. innovation and the ability to work as a team is more important than ever. Looking at how things are turning out to be, businesses must decide what kind of products and services are going to be sought after the most and how can they convert their current business into one that is still relevant in a post-coronavirus world. Businesses that can transform their operations to stay relevant in the market will be able to help themselves.

These are the five most growing concerns that employers are currently facing and the solutions that lie in front of them. It’s up to businesses to implement them and face the world with courage, determination and the will to succeed.