How To Make Remote Work… Work
Many of us in 2022 continue to find ourselves working from home. For some employers this may present challenges including a potential need to update human resources policies, having hard conversations, and getting creative when it comes to your company’s culture. Read our take on five tips to make remote work work for everyone.
Review Your Location Needs:
Are the days of finding talent only in your zip code gone? With advancements in technology and general acceptance related to remote access and work, the talent pool can extend far beyond state lines.
Given our geographically diverse network, TZR can help you identify and connect with the best of the best in your field, regardless of where they call home. We encourage our clients to look at this as a wonderful opportunity to secure talent that just two years ago would have either not been considered or involved additional expenses and benefit packages to encourage the talent to move.
Understand What Workers Want:
Understand workers’ needs and make sure the changes you make don’t do more harm than good.
It is important to know where employees stand on remote work, flexible hours, etc. However, remember it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing strategy.
Some employees may function best in a remote setting whereas others prefer to be in-office or operate under a hybrid model. What matters most when deciding how teams will function going forward is to have processes in place that allow each member to feel included and capable of working within the decided structure.
Rethink the Ways Employees Connect:
Without watercooler talk or the occasional casual lunch, team building and relationship development looks different these days. TZR recommends considering how these important functions of a successful office culture can be attained in a remote setting.
Jason Patel, founder of Transizion, suggests that companies consider “creating daily and weekly touchpoints to mimic some of the casual interactions of an in-person office.”
Remember, a large percentage of the workforce today is used to this kind of digital interaction and will be a valuable resource when deciding how to build camaraderie within a remote-work team.
Keep an Eye on Work/Life Balance Needs:
Remote work has all but eliminated long commutes and in-person interruptions; given productivity the opportunity to soar. But don’t count this as a ‘win’ before considering the consequences of 24/7 ‘laptop access’: Burnout.
You must set boundaries with your teams to ensure there is a proper balance between work and home. More often than not, the payoff for this kind of flexibility is worth it when both sides are willing to make adjustments in recognition of the evolving environment.
Be Transparent:
Above all, with where we find ourselves today amidst the pandemic and ever-changing technology, employers and employees must be flexible and ready to adjust quickly. No one is expecting perfection but it’s vital that employers are upfront during every step of the process when deciding how, when, and where their team will be operating.
Honesty and flexibility are imperative. Whether recruiting new employees or working with existing teams, “People need to truly understand what is going to be expected of them,” says Matthew Burr, an HR consultant in NY.
Also make sure your human resources policies have been updated to support all employees, no matter where they work; and that they have been communicated openly. This ensures that everyone is literally on the same page.
