Some companies will continue to offer remote work to their employees. Several startups are here to help them be the most efficient, even remotely.
We already know it, working from home brings a lot of challenges : inadequate office equipment, isolation, loss of sense of being part of a work team, decentralized information, etc.
Companies that want to offer long term telework will have to deal with these issues, sooner than later.
In that regard, several startups have created services and products to facilitate the life of companies willing to decentralize their operations, as well as companies willing to offer remote work to a part or all of their workforce.
The right tools to work from home
Slow computer, poor lighting, bad chair : creating a productive and safe environment at home isn’t always easy.
That is why some companies offer their expertise on what good practices to put in place, on top of taking care of the installation and the repair of office equipment.
Firstbase HQ, a young American startup founded in 2018, for instance, offers a catalog of adapted equipment and also takes care of shipping and repair, as well as the return of the products when an employee leaves the company.
In France, Flexlab offers similar services.
By subcontracting these kinds of tasks, important organizations can save costs and avoid dealing with materials located at different places, at each employees’ home office.
Just like at the office
Communication tools’ popularity, like Microsoft Teams’ or Zoom’s, have skyrocketed during the pandemic.
Yet, other solutions are offered by startups, whose goals are to make employees feel closer to their teams and to boost their cohesion.
Sidekick, for instance, offers a tablet-like tool, with which an employee can see their colleagues at any time, when interacting with them or not, giving them the impression of being in the same room as the rest of their team.
Too intrusive? Only time will tell.
Aubot, another startup, offers employees and managers the capacity to be physically present at each of their colleagues home via a small robot. That way, they can interact with people or simply stroll around.
Working from home can also harm team cohesion.
To remedy this situation, Eloops gather teams together on an app where they can share common objectives, give rewards out, quizz each other and participate in team building challenges.
A work revolution
A lot of startups are trying and will try to take profit out of the popularity of remote work.
They will have to prove that their services are not only useful, but also cost-effective, for them as well as their clients.
They will also face big competitors, like Microsoft, which will continue to develop their own solutions, keeping teams’ needs at heart.
In any case, we look forward to seeing how working from home will evolve in the coming years, and what practices and tools will end up being adopted by teams and employees.
