At IDEX, our team has always worked remotely. In the earliest days, this came with several big challenges we had to figure out fast—developing more structure, building better communication, and ensuring a high level of transparency among team members. Today, with a solid foundation in place, working as a remote team is one of the best decisions we’ve made.

For other teams, this may not be the case. In light of the growing coronavirus pandemic, more companies are making a full switch to remote work, including Twitter, JPMorgan, Facebook, and Coinbase. This abrupt change can be difficult for teams that have never gone remote before and may find the experience both jarring and inconvenient.

Our goal is to share our most important learnings from the past couple of years to help other teams transition more easily.

Best Practices for Work from Home Programs

Proactive transparency can go a long way in preparing the team for this major change. Don’t wait until it’s too late to provide helpful information for working from home, and communicate clear guidelines instead. Several key elements that should be addressed include:

Technology - From company equipment to email to internal network access, ensure that everyone has exactly what they need to stay connected off-site and that these resources are taken home daily in case of an emergency. Then—arguably the more difficult part—ensure these resources work at home.

Secure Connection - Leaving the office environment means teams are also leaving the office’s invisible cybersecurity walls. This turns every WFH team member into a more attractive target for cybercriminals. Ensure that everyone has access to a secure network and to avoid connecting to public wifi.

Communication - Remote work can feel lonely for those not used to being out of the office. Ensure everyone can be reached through the right communication tools and schedule regular check-in calls. With more companies switching to a WFH policy, several big tech companies have made their remote-work tools free during the coronavirus outbreak.

Guidelines - With our team spread across six different countries, having clear guidelines in place is a critical element. We’ve found it’s most helpful when everyone understands basics like their daily work schedule, instructions for reporting emergencies, and protecting company information.

Trust - This one may require more time than others but being out of the office requires everyone on the team to trust that their coworkers are getting the job done. Instead of micro-managing, managers should empower their teams and set clear expectations. WFH is an opportunity to build trust—not destroy it.

For us, remote work has enabled us to expand beyond the commute limits of a physical office and build a team that’s diverse and talented. However, we understand the many challenges it can bring. Teams finding themselves suddenly turning to a WFH approach do not have the advantage of time to figure it out. We hope this guide helps!