Ideal remote working conditions

[MerlinsButler]

Hi all

Thought I would pick the hive mind.

I'm working on a proposal / model for a new team we are setting up. Contracts will be WFH 85%+ with occasional team (quarterly) and external meetings (usually London based).

The work itself requires specific experience / knowledge so recruits would be expected to have 5-10 + years experience so would be ideally suited to people who are returning to the workforce etc but want to WFH/ remotely.

What would attract you to a WFH role re hours / set up? Anything I should particularly bear in mind etc.

Looking for ideas of what has worked well / not so well etc.

Contract would be wfh, so every time I come into the office or go to a customer site I'd be paid mileage. A good pence per mile

A budget to kit out an office. Desks, screens, chairs etc

3.30pm finish on a Friday

Flexible working hours, if it's a senior role, they do what they need to, to get the job done. Core hours between 10 and 3.

Choice of laptop, windows or a MacBook

I wfh and haven’t been into the office.
it’s a log in/off system (which blows my brains after 20 years in a work-until-the-job-is-done setting, but I’ll take it for now) but as long as I do my hours over a week (and actually, as long as I do my hours averaged out over four weeks) and attend key meetings it doesn’t matter when I do them. So I can - and do - log in v early, work an hour before the kids get up, then log in later etc.

however, they have no idea how to induct people remotely. My boss had nothing for me to do in the first week, no one knew who I was or how to invite me to things. I got my equipment through (though only what they said I needed; I need a special keyboard to be able to type and I’ve given up trying to work out how to get that through work but as I said to my boss on day 1… I couldn’t use a laptop without it causing me pain, so the system doesn’t work). So I’d spend a lot of time thinking about induction and in particular the things missed because someone isn’t sitting in the office and observing things/invited along to meetings as everyone else is going etc.

how wonderfully excellent will the equipment be that you provide, will you pay for the most reliable / fast Broadband? is your IT support line excellent? Can they send emails out of hours (should not be required to answer them out of hours). Will you pay for things like nice chair or footstool or printer cartridges?

Will you pay for eyetests or occupational health assessments?

Nice office jobs may have perks like gym passes, can you offer something similar, like contribution to a gym membership, or nice Christmas goodie baskets, or whatever the current corporate benefits are?

Payment for IT and desk/chair set up. Broadband costs covered. Home working contract. Proper induction and regular team meetings/events so that the team gels even when wfh most of the time. In this day and age, private health cover. I wouldn't accept a senior role without it now.

New starters to have proper induction, maybe time in the office for a few weeks altogether (doesn't have to be every day) as otherwise it can be a real disconnect from the job and the team.

Where do I apply?!

Thanks all. Helpful points. Previously we've used contractors as we work on individual projects (in the current team) for external clients so have hard deadlines.

It's very much a case of you can work when you like (within reason) as long as you hit the deadlines etc. obviously that works for contractors as they are only onboard for each specific projects. And they get paid when they complete it.

As this will be employed team(s) with contracted hours it makes it slightly more complicated. There will still be set deadlines that HAVE to be met and each is run as a separate project but we / I want to be as flexible as possible.

We will have to have core hours and sadly can't guarantee early Friday finishes (I miss that!).

It is in financial services so will have the standard PMI / benefits package etc. Travel to / from London would be paid by Company.

IT equipment / consumables would be provided. All via remote server / VPN etc. IT support etc.

Need to do some more research into workplace set up. But obviously we would have DSE assessments etc.

Lots to think about but appreciate the insight from everyone.

Hi @MerlinsButler i would like:

• Flexi time hours

• Not too many briefing meetings in the day, one is enough

• Admin day, maybe one day every couple of weeks, just time out so i can tidy up my inbox or do some e-learning

All the best in setting up your new team 😊

Ha. @Summer2424
I object to more than 2 briefing meetings a week as a general rule. I'm more interested in getting the job done than taking about it. 😀

Being project based it is kind of expected that you get the job done and flag up if any issues etc otherwise you can just get in with it as and when you like.

Would like to keep some of that flexibility in the new team structure. I don't want micro managing to be a thing.