Considering a Remote Workforce? Benefits May be Worth the Challenge!
Many organizations are beginning to recognize the strategic and bottom-line benefits of establishing a remote workforce, for some, if not all, of their employees. The challenges of creating appropriate procedures, policies, and taking new approaches to getting work done, may be well worth the effort.
With a remote workforce you can:
- Obtain the best talent from anywhere in the country, without the cost or hassle and delay of relocation. (Not to mention the highly complicated problems if the person doesn’t work out after relocating!)
- Give flexibility to the “new” workforce, allowing the type of work-life balance so highly valued by many employees today. (Cited by employees in many job satisfaction surveys as a “loyalty” factor.)
- Eliminate many time-zone and work-time/work-hours availability issues for customers and clients.
- Reduce overhead costs, such as building and/or office space, and possible reduction of travel costs to serve customers/clients in various locations.
Expectations, Processes and COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION!
A basic, up-to-date and comprehensive job description for a remote worker is essential. Clear goals and objectives for each position, as well as how and when achievements toward these requirements will be measured, are also essential.
Once employees know what is expected of them and how and when they will be measured, it is critical to establish clear communication processes, such as:
- Reports—What information will you need? For example, number of customer calls made/taken, customer satisfaction, project status, potential problems, proposals, etc.
- What format will best serve the exchange of information? Spreadsheets, narratives, document-share, etc.
- How often—What information will you need daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually?
- What information will the employee need, in what format and how often?
- Establish how often you will meet by phone, by WebEx and/or face-to-face. At least one of these meetings should be designed around getting feedback from the employee on their “best experiences/worst experiences” over a period of time, project, task or event.
- If you will have “virtual” teams, establish communication venues and assist them in setting the expectations they should have with each other. Ensure they share best practices with you and with each other.
- Design suitable recognition and reward programs. Keep in mind that a remote working situation calls for unique handling since donut mornings, jeans days, leaving early and other casual “rewards” won’t work. It may be best to get employee input for the “right” program.
- If you have employees with hybrid schedules (partially remote employees), you will still want to establish some of the same types of considerations listed above.
Technology
While there may be cost-savings in maintaining a remote workforce, there will also be costs unique to “home office” set-ups, communication devices and some or all of the following:
- Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) or Smartphones, such as BlackBerries
- Teleconferencing
- WebEx (or similar online meeting software)
- Internet/Intranet access
- Laptops, printers, faxes, etc.
There are certainly more details to setting up and managing a remote workforce than I have covered in this Insight. However, if you are reading this, it is likely that you are contemplating the establishment of a formal program for remote workers, but have some reservations regarding all that is involved.
Hopefully, the information provided here has given you a good idea of what may be involved, as well as some very good reasons to undertake the challenge! If you’re interested in more resources, check out the following HRTools.com Insights: