Remote work setup workswell with small companies

CEBU, Philippines —  Employees working in small businesses are more self-sufficient in a remote working setup compared to staff in larger businesses, according to a Kaspersky survey.

In a recent Kaspersky survey, it found out that people who work in companies with fewer than 50 employees, on average, need lesser employer support when working remotely, compared to staff in larger businesses.

Emotional or psychological support is an exception.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many companies, but small businesses have suffered more than others.

According to numerous research findings, in some countries, up to 90 percent of small companies have experienced a negative impact from the pandemic, such as drops in production, sales and revenues, and even complete closures.

In companies with a dozen or fewer people, the way employees get through these challenges can very much impact the state of the entire business.

Therefore, Kaspersky experts believe that it is important for leaders to monitor how employees feel and supervise the consequences that this can have on their business.

Kaspersky’s latest survey also revealed that the largest gap in support expectations is seen in social aid and additional benefits, such as covering internet or phone bills.

Forty-one percent of small company employees would like more support with this, in comparison to 47 percent among those working in medium-sized businesses.

The same pattern is true for required technology support, like helping to provide the right equipment and IT tools (35 percent compared to 41 percent). “This may be due to the fact that it is more common for people in small organizations to arrange their own working environment, use personal devices for work and take care of access to work services.”

Emotional or psychological support is needed to almost the same extent for all businesses: 23 percent across small organizations and 25 percent across bigger ones.

The impact of COVID-19 has not only affected people’s work and daily lives but has also caused anxiety for their own health and that of their loved ones, as well as overall optimism for the future. So, mental health support may be significant for any employee.

“People who have experience working in small businesses may feel more self-sufficient in the new working reality and this has helped their organization to concentrate all of their resources on survival. However, to maintain employee productivity and morale, it is still important to make sure that staff  have all that they need for work. When it comes to their technology set up, employees need help to use IT securely even if working on personal laptops and managing access to all web services alone,” said Ivan Salikhov, Product Manager, SMB Products at Kaspersky.

To facilitate remote working conditions for employees, Kaspersky recommends the following actions: Open and honest communication is crucial for employees, as they seek cues from their managers on how to react to crisis situations; Organize “Ask Me Anything” sessions with the company’s top management so that they can talk to employees about how your business will continue working in the new circumstances;  Run surveys to understand the emotional state of your employees, their workload, if they have everything they need for remote working, and if they have clarity on the business processes. This gives a better understanding about specific circumstances people are in today and helps to make more balanced decisions; Help your employees manage information overload and the feeling of being overwhelmed at this uncertain time. Keep your teams informed of the facts and current situation, as well as on how to stay safe and healthy; Create HR and IT online communication channels so that everyone can easily solve their issues. Provide guidance for all employees on how to enable remote working and use certain software. It can be done through webinars or group calls.