There are so many reasons to love remote and hybrid work. For some, it’s rolling out of bed and starting the work day without the hassle of a long, stressful commute. For others, it’s the flexibility of picking up their kids from school or throwing in a load of laundry during lunchtime. Whatever the appeal, remote and hybrid work models are here to stay. Organization must embrace it if they want to remain competitive and recruit new team members. And the numbers back this up:
- According to job site ZipRecuiter, jobs specified as “remote” receive 300% more applications than jobs that are not.
- Organizations that don’t offer any kind of flexible-work options could be losing out on up to 70% of job seekers, according to HR consulting firm Thrive HR.
- Nearly half (45 percent) of government employees will consider looking for a new job if their agency reduces remote and hybrid work flexibility, according to Eagle Hill Consulting research. These findings come on the heels of new federal government guidance that calls for a substantial increase in in-person work, along with unprecedented challenges filling government jobs.
Offering remote/hybrid positions is one thing, but execution is quite another. Once you have new team members in the door, it’s essential that managers know how to lead remote and hybrid workers. No one wants to feel like they’re out of the loop and continuous frustration with communication, technology and overall job satisfaction can lead to turnover. That’s why strong, well-trained leaders are key to the entire process.
When it comes to managing a remote/hybrid team, let’s start with a few of the basics. We’ve outlined a few “dos and don’ts” below. Maybe you’re already using most of them or perhaps they’re a good reminder of where you need to improve:
- Do set immediate and clear expectations. And make sure they’re communicated clearly to everyone.
- Do schedule regular team meetings and make them a priority (no regular cancellations!).
- Do provide necessary resources. Leaders must ensure team members have the technology and other tools they need to succeed in a remote and/or hybrid environment.
- Do engage directly with employees as often as possible. Have an open-door policy and set aside time for one-on-one conversations
- Don’t just have a communication strategy in place, document it and share it. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
- Don’t just encourage feedback, make it a priority. Really take the time to listen to team members.
- Don’t micromanage and make employees feel like they’re not trusted.
Remote and hybrid work schedules only continue to grow in popularity and can be a major recruiting tool when trying to attract new team members. But implementation needs to be done correctly in order to retain workers. Leah M Joppy and Associates can help you figure out your primary challenges and work with you and your team to make remote/hybrid working a more efficient, productive and fun experience! Call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com to learn more.