The office, or workspace, plays a vital role for employees as it provides a physical space where people come together to actively coordinate, maintain performance and increase creativity.  Moreover, it displays the company’s brand and culture, playing a crucial part in recruiting and maintaining talent. As in most businesses, the role of the office will continue to change while still focusing on its most important objective: to provide collaboration and productivity. 

Of course, demand for office space is directly tied to the economy. As most companies move into a cash preservation mode, the demand goes down and for some companies who already own office space, remote work has become a reality that some already were familiarized with. However, although a great deal of workers in the IT industry are now performing remotely, this does not mean less demands for the office and the benefits that come with it. 

Indisputably, the office as we know it cannot substitute behaviors that technology can’t replicate, such as face-to-face interactions and mentoring, among others. There’s no denying the success that remote work has delivered, as well as its advantages. Yet, employees still prefer to work in the office part of the week. You would be mistaken to think that the office as we know is no more. 

Currently, the modern office can only exist with safety and hygiene measures. Knowing this, Nearshore Portugal is committed to a safe environment where each employee can choose to work remotely from home or to work at the office with all hygienic and safety measures in place. 

Nevertheless, knowing that his is not enough, our eyes as set on the times ahead and what new and better stances can we adopt.

The future 

We’ve undergone an unprecedented global experiment where people have relocated from the office to home and shown they can be just as efficient. Yet, it’s been harder to draw a line between work and private time. Adding to this is the lack of social interaction that only a collaborative workspace can deliver as the reduced presence in an office over a long period of time can reduce productivity. The future is now tied with flexibility, a key aspect for employee satisfaction between onsite and remote work. 

Redifining the workspace

With so many changes in such a short period of time, it’s clear that the Covid-19 pandemic will boost changes in office design. In a more immediate transformation is the occupational density. For safety reasons, most companies have seen their onsite workforce cut to max 20% occupancy. A trend that can be reversed once a vaccine or other means of effective treatment is available. Another approach may focus on building an outdoor space for employees such as a terrace or simply renting current spaces with these perks to avoid any sense related to confinement. 

Even so, there’s no denying the residual effect on daily work life. For that reason, many companies are centered on providing an office with fewer seats but more desk space, putting the employees comfort and security at ease, as well as only a half-day occupancy.

Location

When it comes to working remotely, the absence of commuting in the biggest advantage, while at the same time, becoming the biggest concern for employers. In cities which dependent heavily on public transportation, re-entry to the office is something to take seriously due to the chances of exposure. To fight this, some cities and companies are pushing for benefits related to cycling and walking. A measure that can make a significant long term difference.

Should we continue to work from home?

This is the million-dollar question. More workers are setting up their own offices at home and organizations are considering if returning to the office is the right choice for their employees’ health.

Yet, returning to the office is a complex question that runs deep. For some, going to the office is as much of a health necessity as it is form some staying home. What must exist is a balance between employer flexibility and transparency while ensuring proper hand-washing rules, social distancing, breathing etiquette, mask usage and surface-disinfecting routines, all mandatory. Ultimately, returning to the office must be an open choice considering each cities health authorities recommendations and commands. 

It also comes down to the seasoned talent and their ability to deliver quality work, regardless of location.

Today, what was once thought as a trend, has become for many companies a logical step, if not the next stage in their business as a way to continue competitive while reducing costs and adjusting to possible unforeseen shifts in the market. Partnering with an experienced partner allows businesses to continue on this beneficial path, gaining access to support and skilled labor. However, when deciding to outsource talent, there’s more than just making sure it’s the right fit for your business. It’s important to have the right tools and mindset to efficiently manage a remote team. Knowing what to do and how to do it is crucial as it’s tied with productivity and delivery.

At Nearshore Portugal, over the years, we’ve learned many things about building and managing remote teams. Whether you have a big business or small, with an abundance of resources or limited access to a talent pool, when it comes to being remote, it’s more than possible to scale your business with the right people and with the right nearshore partner.

How can you manage a remote team? Consider this your go-to guide!

When hiring a remote team, take your time

Time is money, but taking the time to hire the right talent will ensure you don’t waste both. When selecting an individual to join your current team or when choosing specific people to build one, there are plenty of things to take into consideration that you won’t find on a resume.

At Nearshore Portugal, we focus on more than presenting talent. We specialize in building teams that harbor the proper skills, and knowledge to fit your company’s culture and goals. However, as in any business partnership, both parties need to be involved. In this case, that means the hiring process. It’s crucial you take an active part in the interviewing process as a means of getting to know who you’ll be committing to. This is the perfect opportunity to asses each candidate in terms of their personality, work methodology and abilities.

Break down your company and project

Explaining who you are and what’s your vision is important. In this stage, it’s essential to describe in detail who are you as a company, goals, and target audience. Besides explaining why you’re different from the competition or why your business will revolutionize the market, it’s critical to make clear in detail what is your project. This will serve as a great approach in providing understanding, and what will be expected from each member of the team in terms of tasks while also pass an important message: that you are engaged with your team, making sure no doubts are left to clarify, providing from the start a stage where everyone has a voice.

Being part of the company

Although part of your team may be a resource from your outsourcing provider, it’s important to make them feel like they are part of your company. This is even more important for those that are remote workers. Let them know you value their efforts, make sure communication is open and daily. Remember, the teams with the best performance are the ones that are passionate about what they do and feel appreciated for their dedication and hard work.

Provide direction

Even with remote workers, if you have the best talent there is, sometimes giving direction is needed and that’s ok. Providing support will show you’re available to guide and offer a helping hand. It also allows you to strengthen what needs to be done to ensure the workflow follows as expected and is delivered in the agreed deadline. In addition, give your team feedback whenever possible. This will allow them to receive valuable insights regarding their performance and progress, opening a window for further improvement.

Face-to-face communication

With a remote team, face-to-face communication is key. Besides being a great tool for collaboration which enhances communication, it becomes the basis of social and work relationships at a distance. In other words, regular live meetings are a necessity if you’re serious about working with a remote team. Keep in mind that this way communication is also a strategic tool as it turns into a time-savor and an efficiency-booster, allowing you to quickly connect to multiple people at the time, follow-up on each task and ensure each goal is being met.

With a remote team, trust goes a long way

Working with a nearshore team is all about trusting its experience in connecting organizations with the right talent. This means trusting the talent itself. By doing this, you’ll bring several benefits to both your project and your organization. Trust will be the guide for dedication, high levels of performance and motivation

As businesses continue to expand, remote teams will grow as well, becoming a strategy for organizations worldwide. With a virtual team at your side, you will gain a valuable alley focused on your businesses and its growth through experienced professionals from a trusted partner. Their success will be your success and it’s all about setting a foundation of engagement, collaboration, communication, transparency, and clear leadership.

Situations that mandate people, businesses or countries to adapt to a new working model are unpredictable. Yet, there are different ways that workers and companies can adjust to these sudden changes. Many modern tech companies have already in place the means and policies needed to allow the majority of employees to work comfortably from home in the same manner as they were at the office. This is the case of Nearshore Portugal. In fact, the software development industry is no stranger to remote working. This is especially true to us since we are a nearshore software outsourcing provider.

More than ever, people and businesses need to adapt to unforeseen changes. This means turning the situation into a strength, rather than a crippling blow. As expected, converting a successful working from home attitude and mindset to action has its challenges. Yet, it’s also easier than you might think. It’s all about organization. Following these simple home office optimization methods will make all the difference!

Cleaning Your Workspace

First things first, organization means nothing unless you arrange your workspace in the best possible way. Having a dedicated space to work is the ideal way to optimize your schedule and tasks. This will help you to focus on the targets ahead, providing that mindset needed to get things done in the same way as you were at the office. Organize your day and clear all unnecessary objects from your desk so everything you need is nearby.

Remote working with the right technology

Having equipment and tools such as computers, email access, online conferencing, and access to internal networks are needed not just to keep in touch, but to make sure that work procedures follow the normal flow.  Of course, it’s also important to take into consideration, not just communication tools but also shared documentation tools. All of this will ensure the same standards and expectations regardless of the worksite, home, or office.

Setting Communication Processes

Ensuring daily and frequent communication between coworkers and the client is essential. When working from home, the combination of distance and lack of socializing can become a source of stress and anxiety. One way to counter this is by making sure that a normal work routine is met. Thus, it’s important that both employees and clients use written communication tools besides Slack. They can be video calls, that ensure employees feel part of the meeting, can actively participate, and give feedback. This allows the reviewing of work to be done together as a way to keep up to speed. While at the same time, maintaining high performance, engagement, and the accomplishment of tasks.

Creating a To-Do list

That’s right, focus timers are a thing. When it comes to remote working, dedicating time and efforts to a project is a must but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to sit in front of your desk for hours while focusing on that specific project non-stop. Occasionally, we all have to push a bit harder due to unforeseen issues or the demanding nature of a project. However, being in front of a laptop for hours can become counterproductive.

Optimization comes in many formers, and small breaks are a great way to reach greater efficiency. Taking a breather is important and so is refreshing the brain periodically, so remember to take a quick break every 45 minutes to recharge your batteries and rest. One famous method used by many is the Pomodoro Technique, which is based on a 25-minute working session, then a break for 5 minutes. After you do four 25-minute sessions, you take a 15 to 20-minute break

Using Focus Timers

That’s right, focus timers are a thing. Dedicating time and efforts to a project is a must but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to sit in front of your desk for hours while focusing on that specific project non-stop. From time to time we all have to push a bit harder due to unforeseen issues or because of the demanding nature of the project. However, being in front of a laptop for hours can become counterproductive and small breaks are a great way to reach greater efficiency.

Taking a breather is important and so is refreshing the brain periodically, so remember to take a quick break every 45 minutes to recharge your batteries and rest. One famous method used by many is the Pomodoro Technique, which is based on a 25-minute working session, then a break for 5 minutes. After you do four 25-minute sessions, you take a 15 to 20-minute break.

As a society that plays on a global level, we can unexpectedly be faced with a situation that can change not just the way we work but the work itself. We live in an ever-changing time set in an ever-changing market defined by its sudden metamorphism. However, amidst these changes, adaptability and hard work are our biggest advantages. There is no shortage of methods that ensure an efficient approach when it comes to remote working. More than ever, transforming your home to a temporary office to your own private HQ is much easier. At the end of the day, the more optimized your home is, the more efficient you’ll become, translating into greater productivity.

The tech sector is undoubtedly one of the largest and most valuable industries today and remote teams are becoming a fundamental part of small and big businesses. Yet, for many years, the shortage of tech talent has been decreasing and this is no secret. Consequently, companies are in an all-out hiring assault for skilled labor, looking to employ through different approaches. From nearshore outsourcing and staff augmentation to nearly putting signs on windows.

Although there is plenty of o tech talent worldwide, many cities experience a lack of local IT experts. A brilliant solution was developed from the industry that became a business-altering move for all companies: remote software developers. Being able to employ highly skilled professionals across the globe has become extremely beneficial. This is especially true for small companies who, for years, we’re repeatedly cast aside from the competition for not being able to attract seasoned developers due to the high pay required, benefits or bonuses. This relatively new approach allows businesses to save more without having an in-house team. Thus, allowing them to step in the same ring with their competitors and, more importantly, makes it feasible to hire workers from outsourcers.

Due to this shift in the employment scenery, remote teams have started to become a normal part of the culture and work structure of many companies. This is turn has led to several benefits for workers, specifically employers.

Increased productivity

Remote teams can produce at higher levels than on-premises teams and the reason may vary from individual to individual. Working in a familiar and controlled environment with no distractions and comfortable space plays a major role in this. Some employees use the remote possibility to focus on tough assignments during the peak of their creative hours

Consider this: most employees commute. Not only does this translate to more money spent on their side but it also decreases after-work hours. At the end of the day, it interferes with work-life balance, as well as with their productivity spikes. Note that, several people experience a jolt of energy and focus during the first hours of the morning but the process of getting up early and commuting can rob employees of that precious out-put. Remote teams can solve this and contribute massively to the project at hand.

Remote teams Lower costs

The benefits of having remote teams also shows when it comes to cost reduction. In the case of outsourcing, hiring from a provider means businesses don’t need to spend more money in an office space, expensive equipment, overall materials, healthcare, or benefits. This means fewer costs and less responsibility on the employer’s side.

More effective and less time-consuming meetings

Nothing puts productivity to a holt as an unexpected meeting or an unannounced visit from a colleague with a “this will only take 5 minutes” intro that has now led to an hour-long conversation. Interruptions of this nature can be extremely frustrating, adding to the already spontaneous meeting, stress, and loss of concentration.

However, this kind of situation rarely happens with remote teams. Meetings are scheduled beforehand and are held in a specific hour with a time limit so all team members can carry on with work with little interference as possible. For remote workers, operating remotely is all about efficiency. This means an increased ability to structure their work during those precious eight hours, spending less time on everyday communications, distractions or avoidable meetings that can simply be dealt with a message or email.

The best talent, anywhere

Each hiring process is intended to find the talent that fits a specific job role and the company culture itself. Although there is a large pool of talent to choose from, it can also be limited. Typically, companies hire professionals that live within a certain distance from their location. This means plenty of competition and, on occasion, a not so favorable result: companies that can outbid your businesses and out-perk your offer. Adding to this is an even more critical aspect. What if you can’t find the skilled professional you so desire? Not hiring the right person can be costly. Yet, there is a solution. Remote professionals provide your businesses with the needed talent with plenty of flexibility and at the same commitment. Now, you can hire that much-required frontend developer from Portugal to help your project based in Frankfurt.

Remote teams are undoubtedly beneficial for employers. With the possibility of remote work, employees can become everything a company desires. This translates into a more productive, agile, and concise team, fitted with self-guidance, awareness, and motivation. This one-slack away individuals can become a major source of efficiency and thrive within a team, streamlining operations and turning your business into a whole new machine with lowers costs, consistency and overall growth.