What is a Remote Workforce? Key Insights and Strategies for Success
A remote workforce is defined as having employees who perform their work away from a traditional office setting. Commonly, remote employees work from home or some other location with internet access. A co-working space is another popular flexible remote work environment, offering a dedicated and professional setting outside the home or traditional office.
Unlike in-person roles, remote work typically does not involve a traditional physical environment, allowing employees to operate virtually from various locations. Many job functions are performed remotely using internet technologies and necessary technology such as computers, collaborative software, and secure communication tools.
Types of Remote Work Arrangements
Remote work has evolved to the extent that there are different models of work that can be selected depending on the needs of the company and the preferences of the employee. Some of the popular models of remote work include fully remote work models, hybrid work models, and flexible work models.
In a fully remote work environment, the work responsibilities of the employee are completed from outside the office environment. This can be done from home offices or co-working spaces and various locations that are not office sites. This work environment does not require the office setup of the organization. This form of work environment fits the type of work that can be done from a distance without requiring face-to-face interaction and usage of various office equipment and machinery.
The hybrid model of work involves a combination of remote work and work done from a traditional office environment and/or branch offices. How many days are spent working in-office vs remote varies from company to company, with 3 days in-office being typical. An employee can divide their workweek between remote work from home and physical work at the office to attend company group meetings and access specialized equipment. This mixed model of work provides the best of both worlds – the work-life balance benefits of remote work and the benefits of face-to-face interaction at the office location.
A flexible work arrangement allows the workers to decide when and where they work, which enables them to work at the time and in the location of their preference. This type of work arrangement enables work-life balance and can be used when the employee has responsibilities at home that require their care and attention. An example of this could be when the employee’s child falls sick and needs to be taken care of at home. Flexible work arrangements can be used when the company aims to improve the engagement of the workers and attract the best talent to the company.
Understanding the various types of remote work arrangements will enable the development of remote work strategies that match the objectives of the organization and the needs of the various remote workers.
Also Read: Remote Employee Management Software | Monitor & Optimize Teams
Benefits of Remote Work for Employees
Telecommuting benefits workers in the following ways:
- It allows people to move to other locations that are less expensive and not necessarily within commuting distance to commute to work.
- It provides the telecommuting employees with various advantages that help them save on transport costs, workwear, childcare expenses, and other employee costs.
- Teleworking allows the employee the freedom to choose the environment preferred and convenient to them, whether that be their home office, a coffee shop, or any other environment they can work from. Some of the teleworkers create home offices, while others prefer co-working. Teleworkers often take advantage of work-from-home opportunities as well as co-working opportunities. The key to productivity when working from home involves ample desk space and reduced distractions from the environment.
- By allowing the schedule to be chosen by them, remote workers are able to make their schedule work around their lifestyle and not vice versa. This helps them manage their lifestyle regarding tasks outside of work, such as taking care of a sick child. In this company, many of its workers are less stressed and yet satisfied with their job.
- No longer needing to commute to work. This provides an opportunity to give back the hours spent commuting to work.
Advantages of Being an Organization That Uses Remote Employees
The advantages of having a remote workforce are:
- Reduced maintenance costs, utilities, and real estate costs. For example, Sun Microsystems achieved an annual reduction of 68 million dollars in real estate costs after transitioning to a remote workforce.
- The ability to work from home allows the company access to a wider talent pool. The company has endless opportunities to advertise job vacancies in whatever location they wish in the world.
- Remote employees are generally more productive, studies have shown, with 77% reporting that their productivity has increased, as many claim to get more done in less time.
- Satisfied workers also remain in the company for longer. Stanford found that resignations fell by 33% among workers who shifted from working full-time in the office to a hybrid schedule.
- Such flexible schedules translate into fewer sick days because employees are likely to push through the illness while working from home. Research carried out by Vitality, for example, has shown that employees in flexible settings are less likely to have their working days lost to illness.
- Teleworking results in less carbon being emitted due to commuting and helps businesses achieve their objectives of being sustainable. The organization can also benefit from reduced requirements to establish satellite offices, resulting in additional cost reductions and efficiencies.
- Telecommuting provides corporations endless access to the brightest and best workers in the world, no matter the corner of the globe in which they happen to be physically situated.
Also Read: Remote Work Productivity Statistics: Data, Trends & Insights
Challenges in Managing a Remote Workforce
Decreased Managerial Control
In remote work, many of the natural observations that can be made from actually being at the workplace remain unexplored in the case of managers. This includes, for example, the ability to wander around and see things that happen there and the ability to observe things like body language and engagement.
In order to address this particular problem, managers who are tasked with the oversight of virtual teams make use of goal setting and establishing a productivity tracker system.
Communication Barriers
Communication barriers are one of the most crucial considerations when it comes to the management of a remote workforce. This is mainly because the remote workers do not get the opportunity to participate in face-to-face communication. This leads to there being possible opportunities for the development of misunderstandings.
In the context of remote work settings, there are limited opportunities for face-to-face meetings. In the absence of face-to-face communication, there will be no opportunity for non-verbal communication that may cause misunderstandings during text communications. Additionally, the difference in time zones makes it hard to work together on a project at the same time.
Feelings of Isolation
In the case of telecommuting, there are minimal opportunities for spontaneous communication. The fact that the telecommuter is not in the same physical location as the co-workers hinders the development of professional relationships due to the absence of natural interactions that develop trust and promote bonding. In addition, there can be limited interaction opportunities that might cause the teleworker to feel estranged from their co-workers at work. This can be countered through group meetings.
Distractions at Home
Although there are diversionary factors in an office setup, there also exist diversionary factors in home-based work environments. For example, the workers within the home-based work environment might be distracted by home chores, their kids, and pets, as well as home-based factors that are not experienced in office setups.
Also Read: Top 10 Benefits of Remote Work: Productivity & Work-Life Balance
How to Overcome the Challenges of Communication in the Remote Workplace
Although there are challenges of communication when it comes to managing individuals who work remotely, there are methods of handling these challenges. It’s very important to stay in touch with the remotely employed individuals at least once a week or even daily. Get in touch regarding what they are doing apart from the roadblocks they encounter.
In short, an appropriate method of communication must be employed. Instant messaging can be used when there are answers needed to small queries, e-mailing can be used when there are documentations involved in the communication, and video conferencing can be used when deep-level communication needs to be done. Certain protocols about the method, purpose, and timing of communication regarding response time, availability, and meetings must be developed.
Make use of project management software to track deliverables, project status, and other information related to the project. It’s a good practice to develop a culture of asynchronous communication that can support time differences. Using shared spaces allows you to communicate the project status and decisions related to the project to others.
Tips for Creating Team Culture Remotely
- Schedule regular gatherings, for example ‘coffee catch-ups.’ This will give the members the opportunity to chat about things that are not related to work.
- Celebrate small wins in team chat channels
- Organize face-to-face team building sessions at least once a year in an off-site location
- Provide a few minutes at the beginning or end of each meeting to allow for less formal discussions.
Provide opportunities for professional growth to encourage the development of the remote employees and improve their work skills, which will bring about higher levels of employee engagement.
Tips to Ensure Productivity and Accountability in the Remote Workplace
A 30-60-90 day plan can be used to create expectations of the first three months of the new employee’s work in the company. Create expectations and priorities for each of the members of your team. Give each member of your team an assignment that will be specific and measurable.
Job characteristics such as task significance and task identity are of prime importance when it comes to the motivation and productivity of remote employees.
The theory states that when the employees understand the significance of their tasks and recognize the contribution of their tasks toward the end product of the final project (task identity), they are likely to find their tasks meaningful.
The management can identify which coaching needs to be done for the employees using the employee productivity measurement tools available. What needs to be done should also be supplemented by why each of these things has significance to achieve success. A clear policy regarding working from home needs to be defined.
Best Practices to Manage a Remote Team
Utilize Effective Communication Tools
Effective management from a distance involves efficient process mechanisms combined with the best possible communication facilitated through the aid of technology. An email communication system, video conferencing, and team chatting are the types of mechanisms that should be in place to create the needed communication in the case of each remote work setting. The tools used by the remote workers to communicate include Zoom and Slack.
Encourage Trust and Transparency
In order to create an environment of trust, transparency, and openness within the context of corporations where the workers are remotely employed, it’s crucial to be actively transparent regarding news, projects, and important business decisions.
Promote Work-Life Balance
Telecommuting also allows many of its participants the option of being and remaining at work at all times. This can lead to burnouts. This is the point where the application of preaching about work-life balance in your personal life can be of great value in the organization you work in. Telecommuting can benefit from its work-life balance principles being applied to the organization's workers through work arrangements and the example you set.
Also Read: Top Apps to Help Your Employees Work From Home | CurrentWare
Technology Essentials for Remote Workforce Management
Some of the prominent fields of remote work technologies are linked to video conferencing, collaboration tools, and/or project management. Advances in recent technologies have made remote work possible and efficient, allowing workers to be connected and productive from anywhere.
Video Conferencing Solutions
Video conferencing tools ensure proper communication and collaboration of the members of the team. These tools provide the ability to communicate immediately. This would be vital to ensure there is productivity in the remote workplace setup. Some of the tools used in executing video conferencing sessions are Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. The applications not only provide the ability to hold a conference but also provide advanced functionality to enable collaboration through screen sharing.
Collaboration tools are important when it comes to the management of projects, especially when the organization is remote. Tools such as Slack and Trello have improved the way the workers communicate remotely as well as the management of projects. Slack is an online platform that assists groups in structured discussions. Trello assists groups in the management of tasks and projects through kanban boards.
Security Measures
The management of remote work also has its own unique form of cyber risks. Examples of this may be Bring-Your-Own-Technology risks, remote work in an unsecured environment from home, and/or Public WiFi risks.
To counter these risks, it has become essential to implement strict authentication mechanisms, ensure remote workers access the Company’s secure VPN network, implement endpoint security software, provide the workers with cybersecurity awareness sessions, and also guarantee that the remote workers who access confidential information do not access it from regions exposing them to unsafe environments where the information can be disclosed to passersby.
Developing and Growing Employees in a Remote Worker Environment
Supporting the development and growth of personnel remains a critical factor when creating a high-performing remote work environment. The fact remains that the remote employee might not necessarily be exposed to the same development opportunities through mentorship and learning as the traditional office setup.
A way to achieve this is through the utilization of online learning platforms and online workshops that provide learning opportunities to remote workers no matter their geographical location. Webinars and certification courses can be of great benefit to remote workers who may wish to develop new skills and learn the latest trends in the industry.
Mentorship initiatives can also be used as a developmental technique in remote work settings. Tele-working employees can be paired with experienced co-workers who can mentor them from a distance through coaching sessions. This can be beneficial even when the tele-working employees and their co-workers do not work from the same location.
Employee analytics software and employee monitoring software can be a crucial aid in analyzing the skills gaps, progress, and efficiency of development initiatives. The usage and engagement data of the employees can be used to create a professional development program that will satisfy the requirements of the remote workforce.
By encouraging their remote workers to achieve their own personal development objectives and arranging regular personnel development assessments through video conferencing and collaboration software, businesses can ensure their remote teams remain motivated and committed to their objectives. Companies that value the development of their personnel can also benefit their business performance through increased adaptability and creativity.
By investing in the development of remote workers, businesses can create a culture of continuous improvement and put their remote workers in the best possible position to succeed.
Identifying and Recruiting Remote Workers
As the concept of remote work becomes an increasing factor in the modern workplace, there has been a rising trend of businesses looking for ways to efficiently identify and employ remote workers who will be suitable in this non-traditional work environment. The general procedure of recruiting remote workers must be addressed from the perspective of its uniqueness when compared to regular hiring initiatives.
To entice the best candidates for remote work opportunities, businesses can utilize specialized job posting sites and websites focused on remotely based job opportunities. Sites such as We Work Remotely, Remote.co, and FlexJobs provide popular avenues for job seekers to find opportunities in the remote work environment. In addition to this, advertising job opportunities through general job posting sites that state the job as a remote opportunity can also work in favor of a business.
When writing job descriptions to attract work-from-home talent, it’s important to address the job requirements when it comes to work schedule requirements and communication methods. Additionally, when highlighting the benefits of the company as a workplace environment, the ability to work from home can be an attractive factor that entices work-from-home job seekers.
The hiring procedure of remote workers must evaluate not only the skills of the applicant but also the capability of applicant to work alone and communicate through advanced technological applications and tools. Tailored behavioral interview questions can be used to determine the applicant's level of motivation and familiarity with remote work settings.
By incorporating best practices in the recruiting process and the right software tools, it is possible to create a high-performing remote workforce that promotes productivity and creates a positive work environment.
Also Read: How to Develop the Best Remote Work Policy | CurrentWare
Tips to Remotely Onboard New Employees
Remote workers must be properly oriented. The orientation process might be slightly different for the company’s own workers who are shifting to remote work compared to workers who will be doing the job remotely in a new company. The company's existing workers will require an adaptation phase to new work flows and communications software, while new workers require a general introduction to the company's culture and work flows.
The new workers must be oriented in a way that makes them feel part of the company. They must also be introduced to the company’s work environment in a way that marks the beginning of their productive existence within the company. They might also be introduced to their own mentor who might be the only one who understands the company better. This allows them additional support concerning their tasks in addition to the support from their boss. The best method of evaluating the new workers involves formulating specific markers at the end of the first 30 days, 60th day, and the 90th day. They should be followed up and the workers will also be encouraged to hold "one-on-one" sessions.
What Does The Future Of Working Remotely Hold?
Technology, talent demands, and workforce preferences will continue to drive remote and hybrid work models around the world. By 2030, it is estimated that as many as 42% of all jobs could be fully remote and 75% hybrid, representing more than 1 billion remote workers worldwide. The future of working remotely will be all about work flexibility and balance, thus compelling employers to retain talent through remote-friendly policies. Further developments in remote-friendly job arrangements will see decreased demand for formal office space, hence driving costs towards financial efficiency for businesses focusing on remote talent.
