Fast-mover advantage: The importance of adapting policies to reflect the dynamic new environment By Ian McAlister, General Manager at CRS Technologies
Remote working has become
bringing with it a host of evolving
part of the standard operating
requirements. In the past the
procedure at virtually every
concept centred on just having
Trust in the workplace has never
business, irrespective of industry
an employee log in to their email
been as important as it is today.
sector or geographic location.
and perhaps a cloud-based
Thanks to the normalisation of
With even manufacturing and
document repository. But as the
remote working, companies have
mining introducing elements
events of 2020 have shown, the
employees accessing their back-
of telecommuting due to the
potential for remote working is
end systems from anywhere they
COVID-19 pandemic, not only
far-reaching, as it impacts every
have a reliable internet connection.
are IT departments required to
business process, despite the
keep up with the operational
convenience of cloud solutions.
requirements of this new normal,
Embracing trust
But beyond the technology challenges of implementing
but human resources teams need
With this changing environment
remote working practices,
to go back to the drawing board to
comes a fresh impetus to
review how existing policies should
reinvent the organisation from
managers must have confidence
be modernised to better reflect
the ground up, starting with its
while working outside the
the demands of an expanding
human resources systems. This
remote workforce.
brings numerous opportunities
traditional office environment.
in their employees’ effectiveness
However, those organisations that
for innovation and growth that
have a high degree of trust in place
From infrastructure to
many decision-makers would
are more effective at collaborating,
collaboration, security, revised
likely not have considered were it
being productive, and enjoying a
policies and even employee
not for the lockdown restrictions
higher degree of loyalty between
wellbeing, remote working is
‘forcing’ their hand.
employees and their managers.
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