Tech tools to enable remote working

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Socrates

This quote aptly summarises the uncharted territory we’ve all been exposed to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March this year, a nationwide lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, preventing people from working in their offices, and instead, sheltering at home. Employees were instantly thrust into the world’s largest work-from-home experiment to ensure their safety and well-being.

But not every company was prepared for this overnight transition. Many are still struggling with the onslaught of changes, and finding solutions to support this shift.

Building the necessary infrastructure and capabilities to support a remote workforce are crucial for businesses, since business continuity is imperative to survive the current economic climate. It will not only help them stay relevant in the current scenario, but also develop a competitive edge in a post-COVID-19 world. If we follow the changing trends, Gartner estimates that the demand for remote work will increase by almost 30 percent by 2030 with Generation Z fully entering the workforce. So companies need to gear up and adopt remote working to maintain work productivity.

However, while remote working provides geographical flexibility and work-life balance, 54 percent of HR leaders indicated that poor technology and/or infrastructure is the biggest barrier to effective remote working in their organisation as per a recent Gartner snap poll. Employees themselves are looking for tools and products to self-manage their productivity and eliminate the distractions and disruptions of home life.

Having the right productivity boosters can improve your work performance many fold. Here are a few recommendations of products that can help you work better even at home.

The one device that will serve as the driving force to help you work remotely with efficiency is the humble computer. Since you will use your computer the most—for communicating with your teams, file transfers, and more—it’s crucial to ensure you make the right choice that not only offers powerful performance, ample storage and long battery life, but also accounts for data protection and security.

We would recommend Lenovo’s ThinkBook series, powered by the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors, which has been built for superior security and productivity, and is equipped with ThinkShield Smarter Security solutions to ensure comprehensive data and network security.

One of the downsides to working from home is managing the challenges and distractions of home life. While we spend most of our time doing office work, we are also dealing with household responsibilities. Be it kids invading your home office or the constantly ringing doorbell, you need a set of good quality noise-cancelling headphones to reduce ambient noise and help you focus on the task at hand. For an immersive user experience, get Lenovo’s HD100 Over-Ear Wireless Bluetooth and 3.5mm 2-in-1 headphones with mic. Its ergonomically-designed swivel ear cups are made for comfort, while its advanced Bluetooth 5.0 technology provides a fast and stable connection.

Now that all those face-to-face interactions and meetings are taking place online, video-conferencing tools are gaining ground. Try Lenovo’s VOIP 360 camera speaker—a compact device with a privacy-enabled hi-res 360° camera, microphone and speaker. It is practical to carry, and you can simply plug and play this USB-C-enabled device. Using this multi-purpose tool can greatly enhance your video and audio experience, as it lets you see, hear and be heard and seen by everyone in the room even when you’re away from your desk.

However, as the lockdown got extended, working from home led to an increase in workload for many. To reduce fatigue and prevent a burnout, opt for a wireless mouse that is sculpted for comfort and enables you to rest your palm as you use it for hours at a stretch. The ThinkPad Bluetooth Silent Mouse is a great option as it conveniently connect to new devices and has distraction-free silent buttons eliminating those annoying click sounds.

As we are now relegated to our homes, it’s easy to feel isolated. Stay connected with people and plan virtual coffee sessions to unwind using collaboration tools to connect with your colleagues post work meetings.

The employee experience may be changing as the workplace becomes remote, but technology can help you stay connected even as geographical boundaries begin to blur.