How to Keep Your Data Secure and Your Staff Productive in a COVID-19 World

Well, if you’re tuning in while wearing pajama pants as your furry coworker snoozes at your feet, you’re not alone! Many companies have been forced to quickly transition their staff to remote working amid COVID-19. However, making big transition is a bit easier said than done.

Hear Michael discuss this episode's topic for two segments each with Kevin, Katie, and Justin:

On this episode of Bottom Line IT, host Mike Maddox sits down with three ASK staff members to talk about the best ways to streamline your communication, keep your data secure, and make the transition to remote working more effective for your staff and clients.

Starting off our conversation is guest Kevin Meeker who is the Director of Business Development at ASK. One of the key questions ASK received as organizations moved their staff to work remotely is, “how can I ensure my staff has everything they need to perform their jobs from home?” “In an ideal world,” Mike explains, “your staff should be able to open up an internet browser and be able to get to work from anywhere.”

“This is where the Microsoft Office 365 bundle is going to come in handy for many businesses”, Kevin points out. While some organizations may not be familiar with all its bells and whistles, Office 365 now lets you access all of its applications online. It’s also rolled out new tools like Microsoft Teams for video conferencing and SharePoint for exchanging documents.

“It’s a great way for businesses to start leveraging the tools they already have,” Kevin concludes.

Our second guest is Katie Saglimebene. Katie wears two professional hats as the president of ASK’s sister company, Elevate Marketing Co. She’s serves as ASK’s Director of Marketing. 

Katie brings up two (very) important factors your business needs to focus now more than ever—communication and consistency. 

As employees work from home, it’s easy to let uniformity fall by the wayside. But this only causes confusion and inefficiency.

Instead, you need to let your staff know which communication tools you expect them to use and outfit them with easy-to-understand tutorials on how to use them. It’s no good for your staff or clients if one employee is using Google Hangouts to video conference while another is using Microsoft Teams. You still have a consistent client experience you need to uphold!

She also points out the importance of frequently communicating with your staff and clients as your business operations adjust to a COVID-19 world. They need to have clear expectations and be well informed on how these changes may affect them, she explains.

Closing out this episode is Justin Kikendall who is the Director of Operations at ASK. Justin and Mike talk about the growing threat of cyber-attacks companies face as their employees work from home and practical measures your employees can utilize to mitigate that threat. 

A lot of change is happening right now, and it can be stressful. Listen to the episode to snag more great tips on how you can adapt your technology needs and make remote working more manageable for you, your staff, and your clients. 

Need help pivoting your technology needs? Consult with an ASK expert member right now!