Since the pandemic, countless companies have discovered a renewed need to consider the unique requirements of their employees and empower them with access to the right tools. The rise of remote and hybrid work has led to an influx of video conferencing tools and cloud-based applications. However, it’s not just your remote employees that need your investment. Often representing the front line of many business operations, field employees have been working outside of the office and on the move for decades. If you want to ensure your entire business is running as effectively as possible, it’s worth thinking about how you can better support your field-based workers too.
Provide Access to the Right Tools
Many people assume the era of hybrid work is all about finding tools to improve remote work productivity, and aligning in-office and remote employees. However, for a truly hybrid workforce to thrive, it’s important for field employees to have access to the same tools as the rest of your team. Your workforce on the move should still be able to join in with regular video conferencing sessions, by dialing in through their smartphone or digital device. They should also be able to access tools and FAQ information in the cloud. When implementing new essential tools for collaboration and communication in the workplace, ask yourself whether your field-based team will be able to access and leverage these solutions just as well as teams working from home.
Use Tracking and Analytics Tools
The only way to improve the performance of any team in your business, is to start by finding out where they’re struggling first. Analytical and tracking tools can give you an insight into the areas where your field workers might be having issues with efficiency, productivity, or performance. Once you have these benchmarks, you can begin to implement strategies to improve results.
For instance, with GPS enabled vehicle tracking, you can see exactly which routes your employees have been taking to get to different destinations in their day-to-day work life. Using this information, you may be able to pinpoint opportunities to send your staff in different directions if it means you can save them time on the road and reduce their fuel expenditure.
Provide Regular Training
Just like your in-office and remote team members, your field workers are dealing with an environment that’s constantly changing and evolving. In today’s digitally transforming landscape, it’s crucial to ensure your employees have access to the right training to make them as productive as possible in their roles. Using your analytics tools, you should be able to gain insights into areas where your staff members might be able to benefit from additional guidance, or new strategies for work.
You can also discuss options for training with your team members, and ask them where they think they would be able to benefit most from extra support. Remember, when implementing training and educational strategies, pay attention to the performance metrics you’ve been tracking for your employees. You should be able to see their results going up as the training takes hold.
