2020 has been a very strange year for businesses of all kinds, and the curious world of startups has been affected just as much as any other area of industry. What do you envision when you think of a startup in the tech world? Perhaps you picture something similar to a Google-style playground (an open office space laden with games, relaxation areas, and colorful art), but that kind of setup is now outdated for all but the richest companies.
Due to the restrictions implemented to combat the spread of COVID-19, remote working has become the global standard, and startups have largely given up their offices. After all, it’s hard to retain office space you’re not using when you have a limited budget — and if any companies can work effectively with scattered employees, it has to be those in the tech world.
But are tech startups making working conditions as good as they should be? Well, not exactly. In this post, we’re going to consider what makes for good remote-working conditions, and set out some ways in which startups can make things better for their employees. Let’s begin.
Home offices need major investment
Modern startups are generally used to investing in advanced tech setups for their offices, with each workstation optimized in various ways — but plenty of business owners are still reluctant to invest similarly in home workstations. Home office equipment is beyond direct oversight, sure enough, and it can’t be shared through hotdesking arrangements. Is it really worth it?
The answer is an inarguable yes. A worker’s long-term productivity will scale relative to their general comfort and the quality of their equipment. So where should equipment investment go? Well, each employee should have a high-performance business laptop that can process all key tasks with ease, and it should be paired with a suitable docking station (various companies — StarTech for example — can make the choice easier) hooked up to a monitor and peripherals.
Good online communication is essential
Professionals like to know what they’re expected to achieve and how they should be spending their time, and this is a problem for myriad companies that still struggle with communication. This too often results in employees not knowing what their workloads are or what their colleagues are doing, resulting in duplicated tasks or vital responsibilities being missed.
Due to this, good working conditions also require robust communication systems. Anything less will lead to anxiety, frustration, and lowered productivity. Thankfully, this is a problem that the SaaS industry can readily solve — it merely needs business owners to implement suitable communication suites. Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams can serve as strong foundations.
Through the use of wide-ranging scheduling systems, even the biggest businesses can have all their workers on the same page. Simply expecting people to figure things out for themselves and manage their workloads isn’t realistic: allowing autonomy is great, but managers should build strong support structures using the surfeit of sophisticated software systems.
Remote workers need more assistance
We touched upon the prospect of workers dealing with anxiety, and it’s something that needs to be taken seriously. Thankfully, the stigma around mental health has lessened somewhat in recent years, and far fewer companies will scoff at the notion of helping their employees instead of writing them off — but that doesn’t mean they know how to help.
The tech sector can help with anxiety in various ways. Video conferencing can help people feel less alone in these difficult times, but simply having some team meetings isn’t enough. There should also be time for general conversations in which people can relax and talk candidly about what’s bothering them. HR software and time-tracking tools like Clockify can make it easier to identify when people are struggling, prompting their managers to reach out to them.
Lastly, there are many online services that can provide therapy services, and startups can show their commitment to their employees by arranging and funding those services. Coupled with a similar investment in physical health through gym memberships, this can help professionals to feel like valuable team members even when they can’t physically be with their colleagues.
As noted in the introduction, it seems clear enough that many startups aren’t doing enough to support their employees, and that taking advantage of technology can drive major improvements in working conditions. If you’re running a startup and you want your best employees to stick around for the long-term, invest in their wellbeing. It’ll pay off.
Photograph by Startup Stock Photos