Scaling a Remote Workforce

Remote work isn’t new to the modern world. Organizations have been experimenting with it way before the world felt the impact of the pandemic. However, the pandemic did accelerate remote-work adoption at a rate we’ve never seen before. With companies like Twitter announcing a permanent work-from-home choice for their employees, it is safe to say that remote work will be here to stay even after the pandemic dissipates.

In the future, companies will be unable to function effectively without a remote or hybrid workforce model in place of their on-site structure. This transition to remote work comes with its own technological requirements and MSPs are going to be at the forefront of facilitating this change.

In this blog, we will discuss some of the best practices and factors you need to consider when scaling your remote workforce.

Refining Your Talent

Moving to a remote work environment comes with its own set of challenges for everyone involved. While IT technicians have to work on everything from cybersecurity to communication requirements, employees have to learn new things and become more flexible in managing their work. In this scenario, all organizations, including MSPs, have to promote new skills among their staff.

Accelerated technology adoption requires the usage of new software tools that might require special onboarding and training. Have you figured out a way to train and onboard all your staff? Questions like these need to be answered before you can scale your entire workforce to a remote model.

Investing in the right tools is critical if you wish to facilitate knowledge sharing among your staff. For instance, IT Glue’s automated documentation allows the collection and sharing of critical data across the organization. This can facilitate knowledge sharing and boost skills across the organization.

Check out our webinar: On the Go! A hybrid approach to working – Get remote teams going

Diversifying New Offerings

Successfully scaling a business requires diversifying its existing service lineup with new services, and this applies to MSPs as well. With the rise in new technology requirements across the globe, there is no shortage of ideas when it comes to new offerings. Security, backup and compliance are all great options for MSPs since clients are likely to have high requirements for these offerings in a remote work environment.

While diversifying the service lineup is a great opportunity, it is also likely to create new challenges for MSPs that are not ready to invest in new offerings. A recent study has shown that 91% of organizations would consider changing their IT service providers if their cybersecurity needs are not met. MSPs that can’t keep up will witness high churn in the coming days. That’s why it is imperative to equip yourself with new offerings like antivirus solutions, cloud backup, backup and disaster recovery, and more to meet the evolving needs of your customers.

Creating a Positive Work Culture

Employees are the lifeblood of an organization, and no company has ever made it to the top without their support. Organizations need to create a work culture that is positive and sustainable. In times of remote work, this could pose a challenge since it might be difficult for team members to socialize over video calls. In the long run, this could also affect team-building efforts and hamper your growth.

Face-to-face meetings are no longer possible in a workplace. However, it is possible for organizations to get creative with their team-building efforts and make it work. For instance, a weekly coffee chat where you discuss something other than work with your team is not a bad idea. You need to instill a sense of belongingness in each team member in order to create a strong and sustainable work culture in your organization. Even during times of crisis, you can rely on your workforce if they take pride in their work and love being a part of your organization.

Boosting Efficiency

Efficiency is vital if you want to serve more clients or help expand your clients’ business. Boosting your business efficiency requires identifying your current business priorities, your resources, pain points, bottlenecks, etc. Once you have identified everything, watch out for tasks that you can automate to free up your technicians’ time. When making new investments, look for solutions that have automation capabilities.

By eliminating waste and boosting efficiency, you can free up your resources and focus on critical tasks that matter. This can also help you serve your existing clients better and add new clients without any difficulty.

Scaling for Existing Customers

It is much easier to sell to your existing customers than to add new customers. By developing strong relationships with your clients, you can pitch new services and upsell or cross-sell to them. This may not be possible if your existing clients are not satisfied with you. You need to regularly measure their customer satisfaction score to identify whether you are on the right track when it comes to managing customer relationships.

To manage expectations from your customers, your SLAs should clearly outline what can be expected from you. Also, develop a system to manage feedback from your clients. For instance, a quarterly business review (QBR) can help you identify what your customers need from you and fill in the gaps if required.

Wrapping Up

Scaling your business in a remote or hybrid work environment is by no means an easy feat. However, it is totally achievable if you are willing to put some effort into it. You can follow the best practices listed here to ensure a seamless transition. Remember, it all comes down to managing your workforce, providing new offerings, creating the right work culture and managing your client expectations. If you can manage all that, you are on your way to successfully scaling your remote workforce.

To know more about what IT Glue can do to help you scale your business, sign up for a free demo.

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