The coronavirus pandemic has forced advisors to rapidly shift to a remote working environment. While some advisors are now embarking on plans to re-open their office, most are considering having an extended period for employees to work from home. Here are three key considerations for advisors to evaluate in regards to a work-from-home environment.
Invest in workplace collaboration and communication tools
Gone are the days when you can walk down the hall and grab a glass of water and in the process have an impromptu conversation with your colleague on a current project or client. In some ways though, working from home now allows advisors to operate more efficiently, but how does that impact their effectiveness? That’s where workplace collaboration and communication tools come in. Whether it’s Slack, RingCentral, Trello, or 15Five, there are several types of cloud-based tools that enable an advisor to operate both efficiently AND effectively. For instance, employees can use Slack to quickly message each other on a variety of user-created topics that are called channels. It’s a simple and efficient way to keep employees informed and is just one example of a bevy of such tools in the market.
Continue to develop your company culture
Just because your team is working from home now, doesn’t mean that your company culture has to fall by the wayside. There are ways to still feel connected despite not seeing each other in the office on a regular basis. Consider sending your staff a care package (e.g. gift basket of snacks) or some other form of surprise. Additionally, you can have light-hearted, culture-building moments on video calls with your team such as a happy hour or lunch so that the personal connection is still in place. Lastly, some advisors are holding their all-hands, company call on a slightly more frequent cadence than before, so that the team is fully-aware of any relevant company updates and progress.
Creatively communicate with your clients
It is critical now more than ever to proactively communicate with your clients. The remote work environment is not only impacting the internal operations of advisors, it is also inhibiting how often advisors can meet face-to-face with their clients, which is a challenge given the volatility in today’s market. The advisors who embrace this challenge and meaningfully communicate with their clients are the ones who will emerge out of the pandemic as stronger, more successful organizations. Leverage video calls to maintain the quality of communication and relationship-building with your clients. Ensure you have a portfolio management system that can track and report on clients who are out-of-balance in their portfolio. Your clients will appreciate your outreach and financial stewardship.
Employing these simple techniques will only serve to reinforce the value that advisors provide to their clients and their employees. Use this time wisely to propel your company to achieve even greater success.