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3 Questions to Ask BEFORE Buying Office Equipment for Remote Employees
Wed Sep 09, 2020
As businesses work toward figuring out their new “normal,” many are now offering a more flex-based schedule. This can take many different shapes; a combination of in-office vs. remote employees, a more lenient work schedule (think: a life outside of the 9-5), or even reduced workweeks.
If you’re considering this kind of transition or anticipating it in the fall, it’s important to figure out how you are going to support your employees—no matter where they are working.
Here are 3 questions to ask when buying office equipment for your remote employees.
1. What kind of work will they be doing?
Each department will require different supplies and equipment, depending on what their tasks typically include. For example, the marketing department may require a colour printer for their posters and marketing materials, whereas the IT department may require a secure, and portable notebook (laptop). Does anyone on your team need a phone system with a dedicated number rather than their personal mobile device? Your sales team and account managers would definitely benefit from having one in their home office—but you’ll need to think about which system is best for the purposes they will be using them for, both individually and together as a team.
Additionally, if you are thinking about purchasing printers for your remote team, you will want to know if they require the ability to fax, scan, or make digital copies of documents. Is high-quality important, or is a simple mono-printer just fine? This may vary from employee to employee.
2. How much space do they have?
Your remote workforce will not have the same kind of space that they had at the office; they may not even plan to work from the same location all of the time. This is especially important to think about when deciding if you want to purchase notebooks (much more portable) or desktops (more difficult to transport). Our suggestion? Communicate with your team often. The last thing you want to do is invest in a home office set up that simply doesn’t work for them.
In order to foster creativity and encourage productivity while working remotely, your employees need to enjoy the space they are working in.
3. Will the home office be secure? It needs to be.
IT security will also need to be top of mind during this difficult and exciting transition: what new technology is needed in order to keep your company data safe? We’ve seen it in the news and we are all very aware of the increase in cyber attacks since the virus began.
Employees are simply less protected off of the office network, and hackers know that. Large organizations and companies such as the CRA and Canon have been hit—who’s to say your company won’t be next?
More questions to ask:
- Are the networks your employees are working on secure? Who else may have access to them?
- Is it possible that your employees will be sharing their equipment with other family members after hours?
- Is any additional equipment needed to protect company info? Do any processes need to be modified?
Each of your employees is different and they will all have unique needs when it comes to a productive remote office setup. We recommend speaking with them to figure out what those needs are, and how you can best prepare them for success. Our specialists can help turn your discussions into practical solutions.
If you need help setting up your remote workforce with office equipment, please reach out to us today. We can help.
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