Remote work has become increasingly popular in the UK and elsewhere, with nearly 40% of those who earn £40,000 or more still working in a remote capacity as of 2022.
Initially implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has turned from a preventive safety measure into the cornerstone of a new, modernised workplace culture. Now, companies are increasingly offering remote work opportunities for employees, as market trends indicate that job satisfaction is one of the key factors influencing employment choices in the job market.
When it comes to remote working, having a shared company intranet is absolutely essential to facilitate task-sharing, business knowledge, communication and efficient delegation. In this article, we’re going to look at 7 key reasons why you need an intranet for remote work, and how it can help your business grow while offering job satisfaction to your employees. Let’s take a look!
What is remote working?
Remote working refers to employees who can carry out their professional duties at home, without having to be present in the company office. As previously mentioned, remote working is a relatively new phenomenon: only 4.7% of employees worked at home between January and February of 2020, before the government-mandated lockdown pushed this number to 43%.
Remote working refers to those who work from home full-time, but some companies offer ‘hybrid’ working. This allows employees to work from home for a portion of the week, while spending at least one day per week in the office. Hybrid working appears to be the most popular remote work option amongst UK employees, with 85% of UK workers preferring this approach, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.
What is an intranet?
An intranet is a private online platform used by companies to carry out the day-to-day running of their business digitally. An intranet allows you to share tasks, onboard new employees, distribute company knowledge, and communicate efficiently using the same digital interface. This allows companies to coordinate easily, even when employees are working remotely.
Benefits of using an intranet for remote work
So, if you’re thinking about going remote - or if you’re already remote but want to use a more efficient digital interface to speed up workflow, here are 7 reasons why companies need an intranet for remote work:
1. Team cohesion
One major criticism of remote working is that teams become atomised, experiencing little-to-no sense of community or team cohesion within the company. With a shared intranet, teams can communicate across departments, with one “main” company channel including all employees. You can even add fun communication channels for personal updates and general chit-chat, helping to foster inclusivity and cohesion.
2. Increased productivity
A shared intranet creates a seamless working experience that takes the pressure off workers by eliminating unnecessary admin. With communication and delegation streamlined and sped up through a digital interface, employees will spend more time on their tasks and duties, increasing overall company productivity.
3. Clear objectives and tasks
When taking their businesses remote, many management teams struggle with delegation. With an intranet, you can organise employee tasks months in advance, so those working remotely know exactly what their objectives are.
4. Everything - and everyone - in one place
Intranets help companies when it comes to organisation; in particular, by having everything and everyone in the same place. This makes it a lot easier for cross-departmental communication, cutting time spent forwarding emails from department to department. You can even integrate other interfaces into your intranet, with a Microsoft 365 and SharePoint being popular choices.
5. Security
Paper copies of important, confidential information are easily get displaced, damaged, or lost in the day-to-day running of a company. With an you use a workplace intranet, you can upload all your organisation’s important documents, onboarding materials, and other essential files to the interface. Not only does this make them easier to access, the data will also be protected and secured by the interface technology, so they won’t be vulnerable to external security threats.
And you don’t need to worry about internal security, either; with custom interface options, you can secure your company’s files and documents so that they can only be seen or accessed by authorised employees.
6. Mobile access
Most digital intranets now offer mobile access to their platforms, which makes it easier for flexible remote working. After all, the point of remote working is that you can work at your own pace, without having to be in front of your computer from 9am-5pm. With mobile access to the company intranet, employees won’t miss important notifications or updates when they’re not in front of their computers.
7. Time -savings
With all company data saved in the same place, workers and management alike don’t have to waste extra time searching for important documents or key information. Instead of rummaging through shared drives or email archives, all essential documents and files can be found saved to the company intranet. This saves time and contributes to a more seamless working experience.
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