There are many benefits to both the employee and company when hiring a remote worker. Employees save time and money having to commute to the office every day, and the company saves on real estate space, office supplies, equipment costs, etc. Remote workers can create their own work-life balance and some would say they are more productive than the average office employee.
But, not all employees are cut out to be remote workers. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of us are forced to take on this new lifestyle. In the beginning weeks of quarantine, the productivity levels of each employee will vary until they find a solid rhythm.
To support the remote worker’s productivity, we made a list of features that they should have while working from home.
1. A Softphone📞
The last thing you want to do is drag around a clunky desk phone to each spot you set up a workstation. Or be tethered to the desk all day when you are in the comfort of your own home. A solution that is more convenient for remote workers is to use a softphone!
A softphone is a headset that connects to your laptop through your unified communications desktop application. Better yet, the softphone can be wireless! Users have the freedom to sit wherever they please, walk around the house, and even finish folding that laundry pile with their hands-free solution! All while still being on a call. Multi-tasking just got a whole lot easier!
2. A Mobile Unified Communications Application📱
A solution even better than a softphone is a mobile unified communications application. With a UC app, remote workers do not even need their computers! They can take calls from their mobile phone anywhere with a 3G or Wifi connection.
Bicom Systems mobile application, gloCOM GO, gives users the same calling functionality as gloCOM, the desktop application. Users can define availability, join conference calls, and more from their own mobile device.
3. Callback Function☎🔙
Speaking of calls and the internet, have you ever heard of a Callback function? This feature is found in most UC applications and is used to send phone calls to your cell phone.
In a multi-family home, chances are a lot of devices are being used and affecting the internet speeds in the house (especially when everyone is home and quarantined). Turning on the callback function will tell the system to call you to avoid long-distance fees, and then it will call the other party on your behalf. Using callback decreases the risk of your call dropping if your internet is compromised.
4. Call Forwarding📲
Unfortunately, remote workers do not have someone to answer their phone if they are unable to. For example, if you were in charge of answering the Sales line from 9 AM to 5 PM, who will cover you for lunch? Or if you have an appointment?
The Call Forwarding feature allows users to set up another phone number to ring in the event they can not or do not pick up. Or it can send the call to your mobile device! This feature will ensure your line is always answered and decreases the chances of the caller receiving your voicemail.
5. Contact Management📓
Keep your PBX, Outlook, Google, and Apple contacts all in one application with contact management. Remote workers no longer have to shuffle through their personal contact list and back to their UC application to place a phone call. They can put all of their contacts together neatly in one click-to-dial interface.
This feature will boost productivity because users avoid wasting time looking for a contact and dialing their phone number.
6. Real-Time Statistics & Reports📊📈
Just because a remote worker cannot physically be in the office, doesn’t mean they are unaware of day-to-day operations. Remote employees can access daily, weekly, or monthly call statistics on their employees or teams in real-time. Supervisors can see who their agents are calling, how many calls they are making, average talk time, etc.
The real-time reports will give supervisors an in-depth look at how their agents are productive (while also working from home). The supervisor can also use this data to improve service quality, adjust employee hours, and campaign projections.
7. Agent Monitoring👩💻
Not only can supervisors check in on their employees from home, but they can also help them! The agent monitoring feature found in Bicom Systems, PBXware Call Center Edition, gives supervisors three options to ensure their agents are continuing to deliver outstanding customer service while working from home.
- Monitor: Allows the supervisor to listen in on the active call
- Whisper: Allows the supervisor to speak only to the agent without the caller knowing
- Call Barge: Allows the supervisor to speak directly with the caller and agent
It is not uncommon for an agent to require the help of a supervisor. Just because they can not physically be there with him, does not mean they are unable to help.
8. Google Drive for Business☁💾
Google Drive for Business allows users in a company to create, store and share files in one secure place. Employees have access to all G-Suite products like sheets, docs, chat, calendar, etc. Team leads can create folders that only certain individuals have access to and users can control how their files are shared.
Google Drive is a great way to share information, collaborate on documents and projects. Information in GDrive is updated in real-time and colleagues can work on the same material at once.
9. Group Chat👨👩👧👦
A group chat with colleagues is a lifesaver for remote workers. Not everything needs to be a meeting or a phone call. In a group chat, you can:
- Drag and Drop Contacts
- Remove Contacts
- Send Files
- Ping Those Who are not Answering
- Name the Chat
- And More!
Save time, be productive, and collaborate with a group chat!
10. Presence🚥
Working from home means your employees cannot physically see if you are on the phone or even at your desk. And you can’t see what they are doing! Setting your presence while working from home is extremely important.
Your presence will show your coworkers if you are online, away from your desk, on a call, or busy. Users can set how long they would like to be in a current state and it will reset after the designated time frame. On gloCOM, if your presence is set to ‘Do Not Disturb,’ no phone calls will come through. You will not be interrupted and your colleagues will know not to bother you during this time.
Stay productive while working from home by using these features!