Even if it was still a small trend, remote work was already a trend around the world before the crisis. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, home office accelerated and many companies had to quickly adapt to the new reality.
For many, the home has become an office overnight. And, among the many challenges of remote work, keeping employees engaged and committed has been one of the biggest.
In today's post, we'll show you some tips for engaging purchasing teams in this new model and maintaining successful operations, even without daily physical contact.
Check it out!
Home Office: a possibility to increase productivity
Home office has been perceived by most as a possibility to increase productivity and quality of work. This is shown by a research carried out by the University of São Paulo (USP) on the perception of managers during the pandemic: 64% of those interviewed were satisfied with teleworking and 94% said they were committed to their companies.
This helps to show that the path we are taking is positive. When there is synergy, physical distance is a mere detail. Today, tools offer an interactive environment and help keep employees closer to each other, such as corporate social networks, Workplace and Slack, or group chats, in Teams and Skype.
Online platforms help manage purchasing processes remotely
In the purchasing world, technology has been a strong ally for some time. However, with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, it has become even more essential. In addition to issues related to collaboration, compliance, savings and productivity, it helps to connect buyers with suppliers and keep operations running on both sides of the chain.
Through a solution of Marketplace, for example, buyers can find a supply of various products, using only an internet connection.
Already e-Procurement, automates purchasing processes and allows buyers to manage from anywhere, anytime and on any device.
O CLM helps manage the entire contract lifecycle and promote digital signature, which allows users to sign documents in a web environment and monitor the status of signatures in real time.
And in Supplier management to manage and inspect business partners even remotely, which is essential in a world full of threats and unpredictability.
But in addition to technology, which is essential in these new times, we have selected 3 tips that are possible ways to maintain the engagement of purchasing professionals working remotely:
1. Communicate to engage
Clarifying where the organization wants to go and what the business priorities are are the first steps in directing employee performance. This is where communication plays an extremely important role in the company's strategy.
Aligning information not only guides teams in carrying out tasks, but also reinforces the organizational culture. But how can effective communication be adopted in the home office? Objective weekly meetings to align tasks, both individual and collective, can contribute to employee engagement.
2. Routine focused on results
In the home office, the working day has gained a little more flexibility, allowing people to start their tasks and take their breaks at the times they prefer, within what is permitted, of course.
Therefore, companies that adopt a work model focused on results and allow the routine to be adapted to the reality of each employee have a greater chance of maintaining or improving productivity and quality.
3. Continuous feedback
The culture and practice of feedback are already considered essential for employees to develop and grow within companies. Assertive and empathetic feedback encourages and drives results.
With the absence of hallway meetings or office coffee breaks, daily conversations between managers, employees and team members have decreased. Therefore, ongoing chat, even online, is essential to bring employees closer to the goals to be achieved.
Above, we have seen some alternatives for maintaining — or even increasing — the engagement of purchasing teams in remote work. The lessons learned from working from home will last a lifetime, and all tips are welcome to improve the success of operations.
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