5 Common Mistakes Companies Make With Remote SOPs

SOPs, or customary working procedures, are a should for any firm — distant or in any other case. Nonetheless, when working with a completely distant crew, some particular issues have to be put in place. Directing and dealing remotely for over 20 years, I’ve a singular perspective on this that I wish to share.

1. Out of sight, out of thoughts

It is not uncommon observe to share customary working procedures throughout onboarding with new hires, however previous that, most firms by no means point out working procedures once more — until, in fact, there’s a change that must be made. It’s a good suggestion to have workers assessment procedures often, even when no edits have been made. I like to recommend reviewing them quarterly in a gathering, or maybe you might ship a survey out a few occasions annually that requires workers to assessment customary working procedures and supply suggestions on areas they imagine will be improved.

I as soon as labored with a crew that despatched out a survey yearly to workers, and to encourage participation each worker obtained a $50 present card for finishing the survey. Not solely did all the staff fill out the survey, however that crew had one of the best customary working procedures as a result of they had been constantly up to date and reviewed. Get your crew involved, and do not simply put working procedures out of sight and out of thoughts after onboarding.

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2. Ignoring the necessity for flexibility

Distant work permits workers to have extra management over their schedules and work environments, however many firms nonetheless adhere to inflexible buildings that do not accommodate this flexibility. This lack of flexibility can hinder productiveness and creativity, as workers might really feel restricted and unable to adapt to their distinctive circumstances. Frequent working hours are an excellent begin to set up, however consider this isn’t meant to be the standard 9 to five the place an worker is at their desk all day.

For my part, it’s essential to incorporate in your working procedures if you anticipate somebody to work. You possibly can point out a time restrict such at the least of 5 hours each day, or you possibly can provide particular hours comparable to 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. One of the best ways to do that is to stipulate a set of hours that everybody must be working on the identical time, no matter time zone — and make sure you let everybody know what time zone they need to be referring to! A default zone ought to be used for everybody, like central customary time.

3. Insufficient communication procedures

With out clear and environment friendly communication channels, distant groups can wrestle to remain related and aligned. This could result in misunderstandings, delays and decreased productiveness. It is essential for firms to ascertain efficient communication protocols, comparable to common check-ins, crew conferences and using communication instruments like video conferencing or messaging platforms. Moreover, offering pointers on anticipated response occasions and communication etiquette will help distant staff really feel supported and related.

One other firm I labored with supplied incentives for individuals who responded quicker than the required time regularly. This ranged from a particular bonus to additional day off, and it utilized to each inside and exterior communications. This was outlined of their working procedures so everybody knew how lengthy they’d to answer messages for coworkers and clients alike. It created a really collaborative atmosphere the place everybody was related and stayed up to the mark. It was highlighted within the procedures that everybody would use a single platform to speak (which, for this explicit firm, was Slack).

4. Failure to handle technical challenges

From unstable web connections to outdated software program, these points can severely impression productiveness and hinder distant staff from performing their duties successfully. Failing to handle these technical challenges not solely frustrates workers but additionally prevents them from reaching their full potential. A great process to have in place is what to do when expertise doesn’t work — ought to workers name somebody? Ship a textual content? What steps ought to be taken to let the remainder of the crew know when one thing isn’t working?

One of the best ways to sort out this difficulty is to incorporate contact info in your working procedures. That approach if somebody’s pc crashes earlier than a gathering, they’ll name/textual content/e-mail the precise individual to allow them to know what is occurring and ask for what the following steps ought to be. Embody a grace interval too; for instance, let your workers know that if they don’t seem to be in a position to get their computer systems up and operating 10 minutes earlier than a gathering they need to attain out to their supervisor.

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5. Inadequate coaching and onboarding procedures

Many distant firms are inclined to throw their new workers into the metaphorical deep finish and hope they discover ways to swim on their very own. Whereas some personalities can deal with this, this can be very troublesome and aggravating for any individual to attempt to determine function inside an organization like that. It’s extremely essential to have standard operating procedures for onboard a brand new member to the crew from getting them logins to coaching them on use the software program given to them to do their job.

Your procedures shouldn’t have to be overly detailed right here, only a normal define for everybody to comply with. For instance, the first step for distant staff ought to be getting your new crew members all of the logins they want. Step two ought to be coaching on use the techniques they’ll work in each day comparable to prompt messaging software program and time monitoring software program. From there your organization can customise the steps as wanted.

Normal working procedures unite workers and provides them course inside an organization, and when working remotely, it’s additional essential to maintain them updated and in entrance of everybody in order that your workers know what is anticipated of them and deal with issues.