Posts

Image by 8nero

Pandemic Phase II: How to Keep Remote Teams Connected and Focused

/, /by

About one year ago, organizations learned they could no longer work from a single physical location due to logistical or health restrictions caused by COVID-19. So, like your company, they started using technology to keep remote teams connected.

According to a FlexJobs survey, 95% of respondents reported they feel more productive while working from home. Many have discovered that remote work provides increased job satisfaction, flexibility, and enhanced productivity. However, it also brings challenges that can jeopardize company objectives, team performance, and employee relationships.

As we approach the second phase of the pandemic, let’s discuss why we should continue to adopt remote working. Let’s also talk about the challenges of managing a remote team and the solutions to those challenges.

Reasons to Continue to Embrace Remote Working

Even as the impact of the COVID-19 crisis appears to be waning, there are three clear reasons to embrace remote working in Phase II of the pandemic:

Increased Health and Safety

Even as vaccination roll-outs continue, remote working allows your employees to maintain social distance, keeping everyone safer. According to MMC, 90% of employees still worry about how the virus can affect them and their families financially and, of course, from a health perspective.

Higher Productivity and Efficiency

According to Owllabs, 91% of remote workers reported they’d experienced a better work-life balance which increased their focus and productivity levels.

Reduced Costs on Resources and Infrastructure

Virtual work saves resources because the rental and utility costs are close to non-existent. You can attract freelancers from a global talent pool without hiring locally and paying higher rates for the same skill sets.

On average, remote workers save $11,000 annually to a company with more than 500 employees.

Keeping Remote Work Teams Connected: The Challenges

At face value, remote work sounds great. But how do you keep your remote teams engaged, connected, and focused while working from different time zones and physical locations? Here are a few challenges — and solutions — that will help you keep your remote teams connected and productive.

Challenge No. 1: Keeping the Team Connected

A team that isn’t connected faces a lack of socialization, conversation, and discussion. That long-term lack of employee interaction leads to a decline in team spirit and a disruption of productivity and effectiveness.

Promoting informal socializing and interactions addresses the challenge of keeping the team connected. Even as you consider moving employees back to the office, organize regular team meetings through platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet to keep your team updated and on the same page. Create an informal social media group or channel for general conversations. For instance, you may create a Whatsapp group where team members can share their daily activities or hobbies to get to know each other on a deeper level.

Encourage your team to discuss their hobbies and engage in informal conversations. Organize quiz nights or happy hour sessions to get relaxed and interact through engaging activities. After all, even as lockdowns are relaxed, it’s important not to lose the balance between formal and non-work-related meetings.

Challenge No. 2: Poor Communication

Remote work features communication through online platforms. As we learned during Phase I of the pandemic, poor communication leads to employee dissatisfaction, poor project delivery, and internal conflicts. The leading causes of poor communication among global remote teams are cultural and time zone differences.

Remote work lacks the aspects achievable with in-person work communication settings, so it’s essential to:

  • Set virtual communication guidelines: To enhance communication efficiency, establish virtual communication guidelines for formal meetings. Follow a specific meeting agenda, and delegate a meeting host who organizes the meeting and keeps the flow uninterrupted.
  • Create specific working hours: Specify a block of time when everyone should be online despite their geographical locations. These group working hours allow employees to collaborate, plan and execute work no matter their time zone differences.
  • Set a time limit for response: Determine the time it will take for a remote employee to respond to an email, telephone call, or text message. It ensures that no request remains unattended for long, making processes go smoothly — project management platforms such as Asana or Trello support effective communication on projects involving different departments.
  • Desist from colloquialism: If remote team members live in distant geographical locations that feature different cultural qualities, avoid slang references and sensitive topics in official channels.
  • Instant messaging: Tools like Slack or Google Hangouts will keep communication uninterrupted and in a specific flow.
  • File-sharing: Enable the storing of team files on the cloud, which helps your employees collaborate better.

Challenge #3: Reduced Focus and Productivity

Also, as learned over the past year, distractions characterize remote working, which reduces a team’s focus and productivity. After all, even after almost 12 months, employees working from home may still feel they are not really at work due to their familiar — and familial — surroundings at home.

  • Set clear targets: Always start a new work week with specific targets and milestones. Discuss the established goals for the week with team members and ensure everyone understands their role. With precise goal setting, your team will have a higher chance of avoiding distractions and achieving their goals.
  • Conduct frequent reviews: Maintain frequent communication with your team and keep checking in on their progress. Find out which obstacles hinder your team’s performance. Such regular interaction will motivate your remote workers to engage with their tasks.
  • Provide productivity tools and technology: Productivity tools will help your virtual team focus on work and avoid distractions. Such tools include noise reduction software, website blockers, timers, and white noise generators.
  • Encourage dedicated workspace: Having a dedicated office increases productivity while decreasing the number of distractions. Suggest employees remove unnecessary items from the office space that might cause them to drift away from what should be their primary focus.

Challenge #4: Lack of Accountability

For most of 2020 and early in 2021, a lack of accountability (and self-discipline) has been a significant hindrance to managing a virtual team well. After all, despite what we’ve learned, when a team member works remotely, it can be difficult to tell if they are working or engaged in other interests or meeting other pandemic-related responsibilities like distance learning.

Encourage the Pomodoro technique to help employees focus on a single task for 25 minutes and take short breaks to handle other commitments afterward. For those still prone to digital distraction, monitoring and time tracking tools can bridge the accountability gaps for remote employees. A great way to decrease the number of distractions? Install an application blocker on company-provided assets that disable accessing specific apps or websites that distract from productive work.

Bonus tip: Introduce accountability partners that work together on the same tasks, and report to each other about the progress. Healthy competition can do wonders for productivity and self-discipline.

Communication Still Makes or Breaks a Remote Working Environment

Remote work enhances employees’ satisfaction, achieves higher productivity, reduces costs, and helps employers access the best talent. But remote work also comes with challenges. Knowing how to address them will enhance your ability to keep remote teams connected and improve your organization’s performance.

As we enter Phase II of the pandemic and start to move toward recovery, a focus on improving communication channels throughout the company is a must.

 

Ekaterina Bolovtsova

5 Tips for Maintaining Remote Worker Posting Compliance

/ /by

The pivot toward remote work happened suddenly for many. A BLS survey (June 2020) found 31 percent of workers were teleworking or working from home. Stanford University research found that nearly twice as many U.S. employees (42%) were working from home full-time than were working on premises (26%) less than a month later. These work from home mandates have left organizations scrambling to understand posting compliance.

Specifically, they seek to close the gaps in terms of laws, technology, communication, and administrative resources. As it becomes apparent remote working is here to stay, these challenges haven’t gone away. Key among them: The need to comply with labor law posting  and notification requirements with a remote workforce. 

I wanted to find out what organizations really need to know as they aim for posting compliance. So, I went to Ashley Kaplan, Esq., Senior Employment Law Attorney for ComplyRight. She shared five critical tips to keep in mind:

1. Posting Compliance: Mandatory for Remote Workers

“Whether any, some, or all of your employees work remotely, you need to provide them with access to mandatory labor law postings. Employers are required to communicate employees’ rights. And it must be according to labor and employment regulations even if the employees work off-site. That includes working from home. That’s true whether it’s just for a few months or on a more permanent basis.” Ashley added: “Postings are required at the federal, state, and city/county levels. Depending on your state, that could mean up to 23 postings for federal and state compliance. It could also mean up to 10 additional local postings. Even more if you have government contracts or operate in certain industries.”

2. “Occasionally” On-site isn’t Enough

Ashley says we must pay attention to the recommendations of the Department of Labor. “Let’s say an employee reports to your onsite facility (where the workplace posters are displayed) fewer than three to four times a month. In that case, you need to provide the posters in an alternative format they can access remotely.”

For employees who have computer access, the DOL suggests electronic delivery.

3. Noncompliance Carries Consequences During COVID-19

It’s apparently a common misconception that regulatory enforcement has been relaxed in all areas due to COVID-19. That is not the case.

“During the pandemic, numerous laws have been passed with employee notification requirements. Those laws include addressing COVID-related issues such as social distancing, hygiene, paid sick leave, unemployment compensation, and discrimination,” Ashley says. She adds, “Posting violations can garner up to $35,000 per violation for federal fines. State and local fines typically range between $100 and $1,000 per violation. Additionally, overlooking mandatory posting requirements may extend the statute of limitations in litigation. That magnifies the financial impact of employee lawsuits.” 

4. Electronic Delivery is Not a Substitute for Onsite Postings

“A legally acceptable alternative for offsite workers is electronic postings,” Ashley states. “They are not, though, a substitute for displaying the physical, printed posters at your onsite facilities. Government regulations are clear on this. With very limited exceptions, all of the federal, state and local postings still must be displayed at the worksite.”

Ashley went on to say: “That’s true even if you only have a few employees reporting to work there.” 

5. Posting Compliance: Options for Electronic Delivery

Ashley says employers may provide the required postings to remote workers in a variety of ways. Via email or by posting a link to the posting images on a company web portal or intranet site are acceptable options.

“For proof of delivery, use an email-based solution with tracking and acknowledgments. This is a critical advantage in the event of a legal dispute, she added. “An intranet link providing unlimited employee access to postings is also legally compliant. As long, of course, that you adequately notify employees. You must provide the link and then keep it maintained with the latest postings. Keep in mind that these posting requirements change frequently, with more than 150 updates nationwide each year.”

Ensuring compliance with federal, state and local employment laws requires understanding several factors. Certainly the complexities of doing business during COVID-19 have further compounded them. Beyond posting compliance, common questions include how to manage time and pay issues for hourly and exempt workers remotely. Also common are questions about how to maintain security protocols. How to comply with new expanded family/medical protections and paid sick leave laws — including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act — are also common.

Whatever the exceptional circumstances, the bottom line is employers aren’t off the hook when it comes to understanding their obligations. That’s just one of many compelling reasons to seek the expertise of an outside service provider. One who can provide not just answers on matters of compliance, but offer functional solutions. 

 

This post is sponsored by PosterGuard.

 

Photo: Bill Oxford

5 Ways To Foster Belonging At Work

/ /by

What’s the worst thing an employee can say on any given day? How about, “I don’t belong here?” The schism that takes place when an employee doesn’t feel connected with the work culture can have wide-ranging impacts across engagement, performance, team dynamics and the bottom line. Companies need to ensure they cultivate a workplace where employees feel a sense of belonging, whether that workplace is in-office or remote. As much as we talk about the power of employee experience and the dynamics of employee engagement, we first have to address the primary need to belong. That sense of true connection is the foundation for how we feel about work — and indeed, how we work.

I’ve been having some really insightful conversations with Iain Moffat, Chief Global Officer of MHR International, about belonging. It feels right for the times we’re in right now. Some employees have been rapidly sprung out of the tangible community of the workplace and are now working from home. And some workforces are still in the physical workplace, but under increasing pressure as we continue to endure the pandemic and its fallout. But building a sense of belonging isn’t just a fix for now. It’s a powerful talent strategy that has long-term outcomes.

Iain and I agreed that building a sense of belonging needs to be part of any serious endeavor to build an exceptional work culture. We also both noted that while some organizations are surprised by how comfortable employees are working from home, it may be, ironically, because they’re home. So how can businesses provide employees with that same sense of being in the right place?

First, five key points on belonging and businesses:

  • Given the push-pull of working from home or working through the turbulence and challenges of COVID-19, belonging bolsters our realization that we’re in it together, no matter where we are. It’s been linked to improved retention and a far more successful employer brand. Employees who feel like they belong tend to invite others to experience that as well. 
  • We all need to feel like we belong — and when we do, there’s a marked increase in our engagement, overall happiness and health. In that sense, belonging is a benefit that should be part of the employer’s offering to employees: working with us, you will feel like you belong, and we will be intentional about that. 
  • In our consumer-driven society, belonging is more than just a feel-good. It’s a strong driver of brand alignment. When we feel comfortable with a brand, we tend to stay with it. We feel like it speaks to our values, our sensibilities. That loyalty easily translates into the workplace context: employees want to stay with their employer because they believe in the brand and are comfortable with its values and purpose. 
  • Belonging isn’t just a social component. It should be seen as a business strategy that considers and addresses the real needs of your employees in terms of safety, career growth, feeling a part of a work community, and balancing work and life.
  • A culture of belonging doesn’t aim to homogenize everyone into a shared identity, but rather fosters diversity and inclusion as a way of improving and enhancing a shared culture. There’s a big difference. You don’t need to steamroll over differences to find the common ground, particularly in the workplace.

Marshmallows, Spaghetti, and Teamwork   

That said, what does a culture of belonging look like? Iain provided a telling example of the complex dynamics of belonging in action: the marshmallow challenge, originally created by Peter Skillman — and the subject of a great TED Talk by Tom Wujec. In this collaborative training exercise, teams of four have a fixed amount of time to build a tower out of spaghetti and tape that can support a marshmallow. The team with the highest tower wins.

“What’s interesting about the challenge is the pattern of consistently high-performing and low-performing teams,” when you compare kindergarteners and business school graduates, he said. What I found interesting as well is that in general, the five-year-olds outdid the business school grads. 

The children walked into the challenge with no training or preconceived notion of how to work together. So they just did — “in short bursts of collaborative effort, prototyping to find the best solution,” as Iain described. “They have no pre-fixed view of how they should act in the group and no hierarchy. Instead, they just focused on how to solve the problem.” They worked inclusively, unconcerned with status or protocols. 

 But the business school grads got hung up on who would be in charge, wasting valuable time jockeying for position. “They acted in a way they think they should behave given their lengthy investment in an advanced education,” Iain said. “They focused on trying to come up with a single solution rather than collaborating, prototyping, trying and doing. They were held back by a set of assumptions of how they should behave.” Often they ran out of time, or built a tower that collapsed.

We’re not building spaghetti towers, to be sure. But we do tend to walk into work with a sense of hierarchy and how we’re supposed to behave. If, instead, we’re free to abandon our certain assumptions on status and protocols and just work together, we forge a new kind of teamwork that’s far more productive. A team in a culture of belonging can simply focus on the task and the output, and is comfortable enough to be open to each others’ ideas and relish the collaborative process. The overarching attitude is: “Let’s try it, if it doesn’t work, let’s try something else.” Without anyone in charge, there’s no agenda besides tackling the problem. Instead of being driven by ego, the team is driven by the energy of working together. Instead of feeling pressure to arrive at a perfect solution, the team has the freedom and confidence to prototype until they get it. 

Two factors changed the outcome for the business school grads, Iain said: “First, when someone with facilitation skills joined the business school graduates, they often performed better, as the group was organized around the task.” Second, “If the group received feedback on their performance, and had the time to reflect and then perform the task again, they outperformed by several hundred percent.” 

We have a remarkable opportunity right now to foster a sense of belonging within our workplaces. So many of us have taken the veneer off: we’re meeting from kitchens, we’re video conferencing with children in the background; we’re seeing each others’ lives. We’re seeing how important it is to protect employees working on the front lines or out in public, and how to include their perspectives in how we better safeguard our workforce. 

The climate of working during a pandemic has removed so many of the assumptions we bring into the workplace, and replaced them with a basic understanding that on a fundamental level we are people, working together. When you can build on that understanding by meeting one of our most fundamental needs — to feel that sense of belonging – it drives peace of mind, focus, productivity, collaboration and performance. In so doing, it fosters everyone’s success — that of the business, and that of its workforce. If you want to see how cohesive and collaborative your work culture really is, break out the spaghetti and the marshmallows. Then build on that until those towers are as high as they can be.

This post is sponsored by MHR International.

Photo: Chris Montgomery

#WorkTrends: Navigating the Obstacles of Remote Work

/, /by

Listen to the full conversation and see our questions for the upcoming #WorkTrends Twitter Chat. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast, so you don’t miss an episode.

Working from home has been a learning experience for many of us. Maria Orozova and Scott Thomas, co-founders of MODintelechy, joined me on #WorkTrends to share their perspective on how to navigate the many obstacles of WFH, from kids to focus to time management — and how to reap the benefits of remote work. 

Maria and Scott are veterans of working from home — their strategies have proven invaluable for their hectic days. And full disclosure: they not only work together, they share a family and a home as well. They’ve learned to stagger work hours so they can spell each other on the day-to-day. And instead of video calls all the time, they decided it depends on the client. What a relief to balance “strategic video versus no video time on Zoom calls,” said Maria. Scott swears by “simple stuff,” like taking a quick swim or walk to stay sane. I can relate.

Of course it’s not just about the leaders and managers. It’s about employees. One way this power couple keeps their employees engaged and balanced now is by “really being conscious” of how and when to show their human side. They know when to keep the camera off, and they stay present for people. Maria talked about the importance of giving people “some grace” for the mundane disruptions that can occur with WFH. After all, we agreed, this isn’t just bringing our whole selves to work. It’s bringing work to our whole lives.

Embrace it, they said. “Sharing your own vulnerability first kind of gives people the task or permission to share,” said Scott. When the Zoom fatigue is real, take the pressure off by just picking up the phone. Is there a bright side to all this? I asked them. Absolutely, they said: WFH enables us to gain new focus and clarity into how we work, and how we can work better together.

We covered so much ground in this discussion, and I encourage you to have a listen for yourself. And feel free to weigh in on Twitter or on LinkedIn with your feedback. (Just make sure to add the #WorkTrends hashtag so others in the TalentCulture community can follow along.)

 Twitter Chat Questions
Q1: How can brands create and drive a positive remote work culture? #WorkTrends
Q2: How can brands help remote workers adjust and be productive? #WorkTrends
Q3: What tactics can remote workers use to maintain their mental well-being?#WorkTrends

Find Maria Orozova on Linkedin and Twitter

Find Scott Thomas on Linkedin and Twitter

(Editor’s note: In August we’ll be announcing upcoming changes to #WorkTrends podcasts and Twitter chats. To learn about these changes as they unfold, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.)

How to Include Remote Workers in Wellness Programs

/ /by

With the gig economy hot and salaried employees craving more flexibility, much of the workforce is settling into a telecommuting lifestyle. And companies are using this perk to stay competitive when recruiting top talent. As of 2017, according to SHRM, 62 percent of companies allow employees to work remotely at least some of the time, and 23 percent allow it full time. It’s all part of a growing trend to create a more flexible workplace. Also helping the case for more remote jobs opportunities, Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report found no difference in overall employee engagement between those who work full time from home and those who work full time from an office.

That engagement is good news, but remote employees are just as susceptible to health risks like sitting too much. Even if an employee isn’t onsite to take advantage of a corporate fitness center, it’s still important to include them in wellness initiatives. “Whether they’re sitting at an actual office with colleagues surrounding them or they’re an at-home worker, their performance is vital to the organization,” says Kristine Holbrook, who oversees wellness programs for corporate clients at EXOS. So, how can organizations better reach remote employees?

Try Different Communication Methods

Email, Slack, phone calls, video conferencing — these are all great ways to communicate, but don’t assume that what works for some employees works for all of them. “It’s important for wellness committees to use different tools and figure out what works best for remote workers,” says Holbrook.

That could mean trying instant messaging, direct mailers and even calendar reminders. “We have one client who uses screensavers,” adds Casey Blakewood, EXOS’ director of account management. When an employee’s computer times out, there’s a rotation of screensavers that display wellness tips, reminding them to hydrate or providing advice to help reduce back pain.

Offer Remote Coaching

Technology is great, but it’s not a stand-alone solution. “When you add a human touch, wellness programs are always going to be more successful,” says Blakewood. Remote consultations with coaches and dietitians combine the best of both worlds. Coaches can use video conferencing to conduct one-on-one consultations as well as recurring webinars. They can host digital movement sessions, stretch breaks and meditation classes that allow remote employees to participate from home.

“If we connect employees with a coach remotely, someone they can form a relationship with and feel comfortable going back to with additional questions, it gives employees a higher level of support,” says Blakewood.

Use the First Few Minutes of Every Meeting Wisely

While employees might overlook an email with wellness advice or disregard it because they’re too busy, managers have employees’ built-in attention once a meeting or conference call starts. So, instead of getting right to down to business, encourage managers to take the first few minutes to talk about accomplishments outside of work, stress a specific wellness tip or promote a challenge that’s going on.

“The energy that comes from being with others and from having informal conversations doesn’t happen as much when you get on the phone and dive right into business,” explains Holbrook.

One study even found that employees working from home would prefer more quality time with colleagues over hearing words of affirmation. Create those social opportunities in meetings, not only to keep wellness top of mind but also to help remote employees build connections, which plays a part in their general well-being.

Make Employees Feel Comfortable Disconnecting

People often assume that working from home improves work-life balance, but that’s not the full picture. While it does allow for more flexibility to do laundry between meetings or cater to sick kids without eating away at vacation days, researchers at Northeastern University found that the blurred line between home and work can result in more family conflict and intrude on personal time.

To combat this, managers have to be clear about what they expect and what they don’t expect. Blakewood, who is a remote worker herself, says “one of the biggest things is leadership. When I shifted to a remote position, seeing and hearing my manager talk about disconnecting and not having the expectation that I’m going to respond to an email she sends late at night was huge.”

Personalize Programs

Wellness isn’t all exercise and nutrition tips. While there are plenty of employees who may consume that information, you’ll find that mental health support and stress management is just as important. According to the American Institute of Stress, 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, and half of them feel they need help coping with it.

This is another area where remote coaching can be beneficial. Coaches can get to know employees’ individual struggles and point them to resources that will help them most, whether it’s a stretch routine to reduce neck pain or a breathing technique for stress relief.

When it comes to wellness, individual workers have individual needs, and you’ll see more engagement with your wellness efforts when you consider how employees’ working conditions call for different tips and communication mediums. Just keep asking yourself: How can you help remote employees build their skills so they’re making the best decisions that support their wellness?

The Future Of Work Has No Boundaries

/ /by

Among the many facets of this new way of working: a not-always smooth shift from officemates to virtually connected nomads who communicate and work via all sorts of virtual channels: social, mobile and video. A statistic that’s been reverberating since I first read it: by 2015, which is now, 1.3 billion of us worldwide will be working remotely. That’s about 40% of the global workforce. Another: HR technology alone is a market worth more than $15 billion. That’s a whole heap of screen time for your personal brand.

In this virtual, hyper-connected and hyper-competitive culture, body language is more critical than ever. There’s plenty of coaching to be had, and data — charts tracking testosterone and cortisol changes and the like. But I’m still hearing questions on the why side from leaders, employees and brands alike. We tend to follow direction and get to a task because we’re team players in a fast-moving workforce: we take care of the who-what-where-when first. But in simple mechanical terms, why a soft skill like body language is ever-critical is an interesting question. The bottom line: essentially, we’re all onscreen. We’re on Digital TV. And the tech has its own impact on how we appear.

A Tighter Visual Frame

Not only does body language translate via digital and video hookup, it’s intensified. Twitter Chats, video interviews, conferences, virtual meetings: what they all have in common in a tighter visual frame, with talking heads (and sometimes bodies) front and center, going mobile shrinks us down even more. This is the new normal: an increased and consolidated visual presence.

This different framing also means the data we transmit — via our physical positions, breathing, voice — is distilled, so it’s going to convey even more. We’re not just watching, we’re scrutinizing each other. We need to be more mindful of the impression we make, and think a bit like directors managing our actors — without losing sight of being authentic as a brand. And the more we all spending time on digital teams and in virtual workplaces, the more sophisticated we’re becoming at recognizing tells: those quirks that reveal when someone’s not engaged in the conversation or is less than enthusiastic.

What gets lost in digital translation are the accessory factors, which rounded out our experience in the analog past — something as simple as the scent of your perfume or the atmosphere of the interview space, which in the past might enhance, distract, or even dilute our impression of one another. That means every gesture, every expression, is a focal point. Be very self-aware.

A Different Sense Of Time

Digital time is faster, shorter, and moments are more isolated; they create their own context. That means a gesture isn’t tempered by other gestures. We get a moment to speak our minds and hearts, and then it’s onto the next face, the next brand in the screen. So be intentional. Be mindful of the direction and clarity of your idea. That’s a good exercise for all of us, but especially now, it’s key.

Given the brevity, that also means that what we say, and how we say it, are even more important. Social etiquette is a necessity. Being conscious of the particular norms or behaviors of a given social channel is just part of the job description now. And in general, that means not really throwing your emotions out there: just like all caps, things get very loud and conspicuous in a millisecond.

The truth is, we all still need each other. Human to human matters most. There’s no working in endless isolation for most of us, and between teams, departments, projects and discussions, we’re spending a whole lot of virtual time with each other. Technology, fortunately, is developing less static, less formal venues that allow us to be ourselves and interact in a more spontaneous way, such as online discussion groups, social media hangouts, brainstorming chats, and the like. But it’s still, well, different. And giving good face has never been more important. There’s a new emotional intelligence to it, and we’re getting there. See you on the digital screen, talent stars.

A version of this was first posted on Forbes.

Photo Credit: Mimadeo via Compfight cc

4 Keys to Engaging Your Remote Workforce

/ /by

For me, a remote workforce fall into two categories: those who actually work remotely and those whose jobs simply keep them away from their desks.

The first group is easy to track — 37 percent of the workforce has telecommuted at one time or another. The second group, often referred to as non-desk workers, includes people who don’t even have a desk or fixed workspace, such as nurses covering a whole floor, a retail sales person on the shop floor, or production workers in a factory.

Of those who work in an office, 36 percent claim they would prefer work-from-home benefits to a pay raise, and 62 percent would choose a job that let them work from home full time over the same job that required an office presence.

The challenges of a remote workforce will accelerate as more people start working remotely. Business leaders and human resources leaders will struggle more and more with reaching, engaging, and communicating with their remote workforces. How can they prepare to get ahead of those challenges?

Losing the Remote Control

The primary issue with working remotely is, unsurprisingly, being remote. Not having colleagues in the same physical location presents major issues in two categories:

  • Willingness to work, or engagement: While working from anywhere sounds nice at first, separation from co-workers can reduce the drive to collaborate with the team. Usually, this is the consequence of remote workers not feeling included in important conversations, not interacting socially with colleagues, and being left out of joint experiences.
  • Ability to work,or empowerment: Even on the most well-equipped island, people need other people, data, and tools to work effectively. This leads to challenges, such as a lack of access to subject matter experts and systems, lost context on initiatives, and unequal participation in meetings. This also includes corporate and HR communications, leaving employees ill-informed about the company’s goals and objectives and making them less able to help meet those benchmarks.

Eliminating the Remote Barrier

The whole issue starts with the idea that the office is the center of the company. As leaders, we need to take down those barriers between the office and “the others” outside.

  1. Make interactions personal.Combat the lack of physical presence by transforming digital interactions into personal interactions. Mobile technology allows you to turn every phone call into a video session. Distance doesn’t have to feel inhuman, so make remote interactions as personal as possible to lower that barrier. Ban services that require a physical presence, even if it requires upgrading technology.
  1. Reach all employees, even non-desk workers. If you can’t all be in the same room, shrink the distance between people. The more people on IM or ready for immediate communication, the better. Even executives should be available and lead by example. You’re not hiding under your desk, so don’t hide in the digital world.
  1. Make mobile universal. An intranet that’s unavailable to half your staff isn’t just a tech hurdle — it’s a disservice to non-desk workers. The same is true for HR processes, such as requesting vacation days or getting payroll information. Start everything with a mobile world in mind.
  1. Prioritize results over time. Establish a culture that values results over hours logged. While technology can help this along, the core of the change must be in the leadership philosophy.

This shift in approach can be summed up in one concept: people. If you have a 10 percent remote workforce, act like that figure is 100 percent. No leader treats left-handed people differently — the workplace is designed so that such distinctions don’t matter. Aspire to create a workforce in which remote work is not only accepted, but also a part of everyday life.

Daniel Kraft is the president and CEO of Sitrion. Sitrion provides millions of people with a mobile and socially enabled workplace that’s tightly integrated with SAP, Microsoft SharePoint, Office 365, and Salesforce. Daniel is a public speaker on topics involving employee engagement and productivity and was featured on TEDx.

Image credit : StockSnap.io

Being a Remote Worker is No Day At the Beach!

/ /by

There was a time when I used to dream about becoming a remote worker. The thought usually arose while stuck in rush hour traffic on the 405 (note: rush hour is approximately 7am to 7pm in Southern California). I pictured myself on an outdoor chaise lounge, tropical drink in hand, as client after client called to tell me they were ready to sign on the dotted line. Pineapple slice? Don’t mind if I do.

Fast forward a couple years. I am now a remote worker, thanks in part to my wife taking a teaching job on the opposite coast, and our house is literally one block from the beach. And though we do own a chaise lounge, it gets virtually no weekday use, and nothing is quite as I pictured it (example: I still wear pants every day). Being a remote worker is not as easy I thought it would be.

According to the NY Times, the number of telecommuters rose 79% from 2005 to 2012. There’s a variety of reasons one might choose to work remotely: geographical limitations, family situation, the desire to become one’s own boss. In some respects, there’s never been a better time to work remotely. Fast internet and myriad communication tools help us to overcome the everyday inconvenience of a lack of facetime.

But there are drawbacks too. Working out of a home office can be distracting, as family (and pets) compete for your attention. Being a remote worker is psychologically taxing, as you can sometimes feel isolated and miss out on the social gatherings an office affords. On the productivity side, access to critical data and company updates are often stymied by a breakdown in the communication process.

Having experienced the highs and lows of transitioning from cubicle dweller to master of his own home office, I thought I’d share three important lessons I’ve learned along the way:

  1. Schedule your day tightly (and stick to that schedule)

In an office, the most important items on your to-do list are often dictated by outside forces (“Can you follow up on this lead?”, “Can you help me find a reference client?”, “We need you in this meeting”). You likely would have a schedule, but there was some fluidity to account for the needs of other team members.

As a remote employee, you must create a strict schedule for yourself and stick to it. You have to be incredibly proactive and not easily distracted. And you can’t wait for others to do things for you. It’s not exactly “out of sight, out of mind”, but it’s a lot harder to be the squeaky wheel when the oil is 3000 miles away. (side note: your mixed metaphors get less appreciation when you’re remote)

Repetition is also an important part of scheduling. For instance, I have a call with one particular client every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:30. I can schedule the rest of my calls and tasks around that one particular anchor task.

  1. You must be succinct and direct in your communication

In an office, you can iterate often. The logo is off-centered, pop over to the graphic designer’s desk. Now the logo’s too large, head on back. You wanted burnt sienna not burnt orange, one more trip.

You don’t have that luxury as a remote employee. You only get attention sporadically, so you have to be very specific in what you want. And definitely don’t be shy. If you don’t ask for something, you don’t get it.

You also must be succinct – if you write a long rambling email, you’re going to lose your audience halfway through. Plus, you want to place emphasis on only that which is important, something easier in-person via dialogue, because you don’t want your fellow employees to focus on the wrong area.

  1. Take advantage of online collaboration tools

The internet can be a huge time suck (thanks, Twitter). But it can also make you more effective and connected with other employees.

There are a number of different online collaboration tools out there. One company I consult with, WorkSmart.net, has a productivity suite that includes cloud-based document management, project management, and database apps. Some of the other indispensable solutions I’ve used recently: Skype, Trello, Hipchat, and join.me.

Solely relying on email can lead to information overload – plus it’s hard searching through 1000s of emails – so seek out more efficient solutions. If you use an online collaboration tool, you can effectively work with teammates while being geographically disperse. I’m able to work collaboratively with colleagues in the UK and India often without having to pick up the phone. Plus, building out these online collaboration portals helps bring new remote employees up to speed quicker after hiring.

I must confess, there’s a lot of things I miss about working in an office: lunchtime basketball, high fives, saying “goodnight” to friends/colleagues. But one thing that hasn’t changed is my productivity. Don’t let the realities of being a remote worker derail your career. Just because you’re remote doesn’t mean you have to be distant.

Be More Productive with Remote Workers

/ /by

remote workersAre you seeking a way to enhance productivity in the office? Counter to what you may be considering, it may be beneficial for you to offer employees the opportunity to work remotely.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 24% of American employees are remote workers.  This growing class of employees is also an astounding 71% more productive than their counterparts working in the office.  But before you knock the cubicle walls down and tell everyone to go home, there are some systems and processes your company needs to support its remote workers and encourage productivity.

Encourage Productivity with Remote Workers

Becoming a virtual office can be very scary for employers.  Whether you turn off the lights altogether and tell everyone to work from home or you hire a handful of remote workers, there are many potential mine fields to navigate.  How do you ensure employees continue to do their job?  What if they become too distracted?  But when executed well, a remote work program can encourage employees to balance their lives.  Suddenly, parents are able to see their children more, there’s more time for the gym without a commute.  But how do you set up a system that works?  Try the following suggestions and your remote worker program will flourish:

  • Create a team environment in a wiki or a project tracking program.  It’s important for companies with remote workers to offer the same spirit of support and collaboration that would exist in the office.  It’s also important to make sure everyone is still involved in their projects.  Company wikis or project trackers are great ways for remote workers to catch up, rope people into ongoing projects, and offer insight into what they’re doing.  If this is a new tool for your team, there will be some period of adjustment and getting used to the technology, the new habits of tracking milestones, and communicating with others online.  But it can be very beneficial to your remote workers.  Nobody wants to feel as if they’re adrift in the company or that their only coworker has become the dog.  Encourage your remote workers to participate and collaborate online.  Without micromanagers or time wasters at the water cooler, find out just how much more productive your team can be.
  • Use video conferencing tools.  When your team is geographically dispersed, it can be hard to meet and go over project details.  This is where video conferencing can assist.  Video conferencing utilizes existing technology- a phone connection and video conferencing.  The difference is it allows team members to meet in a secure and branded environment for a fraction of the cost.  Take for example a company based out of Singapore- now they can meet securely and for a fraction of the cost- with their team members in Australia, America, or even Europe.  The possibilities are endless for these kinds of meetings.  Imagine town hall meetings on site where your satellite offices are conferenced in, board meetings, and more.  All of these are possible with video conferencing technology.  Remote workers don’t have to be left out of the loop anymore.  Now, they can be an integral part of the decision-making process.
  • Offer virtual HR assistance.  Many remote workers complain that their biggest gripe is not feeling a part of the team.  Your company can remedy this with a variety of online tools such as onboarding, training, and even reviews.  Remote workers can receive all the benefits that an onsite HR team can offer.  Encourage employees to make use of these tools to stay in the loop and develop professionally.  Working in the cloud has never been so easy and your remote workers will appreciate the opportunity to stay involved.

It’s Time to Think Differently

In the old days, companies had to have brick and mortar locations or they couldn’t survive.  Technology simply hadn’t advanced far enough to allow for workers to spend time at home and still do their job.  But today cloud based applications make it easier than ever.  The opportunities for remote workers keep growing as more companies are discovering how productive employees can be when they’re not in the office.  Whether working from your daughter’s soccer game or in an airport lounge, the barriers to productivity have been erased.  The key is to put a strong program in place to ensure your remote workers are supported and in constant communication.  Find out how productive your team can be with these simple but actionable tips.

Corporate Culture and the Future of Inter-Office Communications

/ /by

While email is a communication platform that’s not likely to disappear anytime soon for external communication, a number of solutions are making it an obsolete technology for internal communication.

So what’s taking the place of email when it comes to team collaboration? And what does the future look like for inter-office communication? The answer is driven in part by messaging technology, and how systems originally built for the consumer are now having an impact on the business landscape.

Group messaging clustered around social networks has quickly expanded, and apps are fast becoming a favorite way of communicating on mobile devices. That change is extending to the work world as well. In February 2015, Slack, an internal messaging and work collaboration tool, reported more than 500,000 users and dubbed itself the “fastest growing business app ever.” While many thought that quote was a bit of business promotional puffery, their growth in the following two quarters ended up supporting the claim. For professionals exhausted by an overloaded inbox, Slack is proving to be a

Godsend.

Messaging is on the rise, so it’s no surprise to hear that employees feel email and the Internet are their most important work tools. According to a 2014 Pew Survey, 46 percent of respondents believe they are more productive when using email, the Internet, and their mobile phone. Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed believe these tools bring them more flexibility, while at the same time increasing productivity, with 35 percent reporting they worked more hours because of them.

The corporate communication space is rapidly evolving, and, in what feels like a very short amount of time, apps like Slack have taken over interoffice communications. Farhard Majoo of The New York Times believes that Slack may finally sink inter-office email.

“Yet despite email’s admirable endurance, it’s possible to envision a future in which email — remarkably — is supplanted by new tools that allow people to collaborate in big groups and force upon companies the sort of radical information transparency that many in the tech industry, at least, believe is essential.”

As I’ve said before, the future of work is here — with tech tools already having a profound impact on our relationships with co-workers, executives, and customers.

Collaboration, Office Communication, and the Cloud

Applications like Google Drive and Docs, Dropbox, and other cloud storage tools allow employees to collaborate across the globe, and make the issue of failing hard drives a distant memory. When paired with a communications tool, such as Yammer, Skype, Jive, or Zoom, workers are able to “meet” at any time of day while collaborating on shared documents, eliminating mindless administrative tasks and the need to coordinate schedules through countless email chains.

The result? The growing remote workforce won’t be out of touch with office culture, and projects among teams, even those living in disparate locations, are completed seamlessly.

“I’ll go home, put my kids to bed, and then take the Hangout from my living room. And the person in India will be getting ready to go to work (8:30 a.m.), so he’s going to do the opposite. Before he takes his kids to school, he’ll go to a quiet place, and we’ll have our work meeting.” – Dr. Todd Carlisle, Google HR director.

The Trouble with 24-Hour Communication Tools

There is, however, a downside to all this connectivity. Workers using these communication methods may start to think they are on a leash—unable to truly leave the office behind and enjoy their personal lives uninterrupted by the pings of their smart phones. Notifications and other communications start to become huge distractions. That’s why it’s important for employees to take the time to unplug. Companies will see that setting up a policy for remote work is crucial for their employees’ well-being.

Maintaining Company Culture with Remote Workers

It’s not uncommon for remote workers to feel lonely or isolated because they are separated from their co-workers. Small talk and other socialization opportunities, which only occur in close quarters and help to build camaraderie, aren’t possible.

Some communication naturally needs to happen in person and can’t be done via technology. Bringing remote employees into the office at regular intervals helps foster feelings of being part of the team. Plus, recognizing your telecommuting employees’ achievements will also help them feel more connected with the office.

Telecommuting is changing the corporate culture in significant ways, as technology gives workers greater freedom and autonomy. Corporate leaders understand that if you’re not communicating with 21st century tools, your workforce is less agile, less responsive, and less effective. Consider GE CEO Jack Welch’s famous statement with your own inter-office communication in mind, “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”

Image : BigStock

Corporate Culture and the Future of Inter-Office Communications

/ /by

While email is a communication platform that’s not likely to disappear anytime soon for external communication, a number of solutions are making it an obsolete technology for internal communication.

So what’s taking the place of email when it comes to team collaboration? And what does the future look like for inter-office communication? The answer is driven in part by messaging technology, and how systems originally built for the consumer are now having an impact on the business landscape.

Group messaging clustered around social networks has quickly expanded, and apps are fast becoming a favorite way of communicating on mobile devices. That change is extending to the work world as well. In February 2015, Slack, an internal messaging and work collaboration tool, reported more than 500,000 users and dubbed itself the “fastest growing business app ever.” While many thought that quote was a bit of business promotional puffery, their growth in the following two quarters ended up supporting the claim. For professionals exhausted by an overloaded inbox, Slack is proving to be a Godsend.

Messaging is on the rise, so it’s no surprise to hear that employees feel email and the Internet are their most important work tools. According to a 2014 Pew Survey, 46 percent of respondents believe they are more productive when using email, the Internet, and their mobile phone. Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed believe these tools bring them more flexibility, while at the same time increasing productivity, with 35 percent reporting they worked more hours because of them.

The corporate communication space is rapidly evolving, and, in what feels like a very short amount of time, apps like Slack have taken over inter-office communications. Farhard Majoo of The New York Times believes that Slack may finally sink inter-office email.

“Yet despite email’s admirable endurance, it’s possible to envision a future in which email — remarkably — is supplanted by new tools that allow people to collaborate in big groups and force upon companies the sort of radical information transparency that many in the tech industry, at least, believe is essential.”

Clearly, the future of work is here; technology is having a major impact with tech tools already having a profound impact on our relationships with co-workers, executives, and customers.

Collaboration, Office Communication, and the Cloud

Applications like Google Drive and Docs, Dropbox, and other cloud storage tools allow employees to collaborate across the globe, and make the issue of failing hard drives a distant memory. When paired with a communications tool, such as Yammer, Skype, Jive, or Zoom, workers are able to “meet” at any time of day while collaborating on shared documents, eliminating mindless administrative tasks and the need to coordinate schedules through countless email chains.

The result? The growing remote workforce isn’t out of touch with office culture; and projects among teams, even those living in disparate locations, are completed seamlessly.

“I’ll go home, put my kids to bed, and then take the Hangout from my living room. And the person in India will be getting ready to go to work (8:30 a.m.), so he’s going to do the opposite. Before he takes his kids to school, he’ll go to a quiet place, and we’ll have our work meeting.” – Dr. Todd Carlisle, Google HR director.

The Trouble with 24-Hour Communication Tools

There is, however, a downside to all this connectivity. Workers using these communication methods may start to think they are on a leash—unable to truly leave the office behind and enjoy their personal lives uninterrupted by the pings of their smart phones. Notifications and other communications start to become huge distractions. That’s why it’s important for employees to take the time to unplug. Companies will see that setting up a policy for remote work is crucial for their employees’ well-being.

Maintaining Company Culture with Remote Workers

It’s not uncommon for remote workers to feel lonely or isolated because they are separated from their co-workers. Small talk and other socialization opportunities, which only occur in close quarters and help to build camaraderie, aren’t possible.

Some communication naturally needs to happen in person and can’t be done via technology. Bringing remote employees into the office at regular intervals helps foster feelings of being part of the team. Plus, recognizing your telecommuting employees’ achievements will also help them feel more connected with the office.

Telecommuting is changing the corporate culture in significant ways, as technology gives workers greater freedom and autonomy. Corporate leaders understand that if you’re not communicating with 21st century tools, your workforce is less agile, less responsive, and less effective. Consider GE CEO Jack Welch’s famous statement with your own inter-office communication in mind, “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”

Image: BigStock

Top Work Benefits From Business Phone System Innovation

/ /by

As the world changes and becomes more connected, more digital, and more mobile, the working world must adapt in order to keep up with the changing times. The need for innovation and advancement is even more essential in 2015, and business phone systems are no exception.

Remote And Distance Workers

More and more employees today are giving up the office and opting for a more mobile approach to work. Whether they work as freelancers or employees who work remotely from home, many employers are finding this to be the new trend in employee hiring and work hours. Integrating these new and unique off-site workers involves a change in approach and mindset. At the heart of this new trend is the utilization of the cloud-based business system. When this technology is embraced and fully integrated to its full potential it will help to significantly boost a business’s productivity and work quality. With the use of cloud-based technology and remote workers it is now possible for managers to oversee employees and manage workloads, no matter where their workers may be.

Phone Systems For Conferencing Calls

One of the biggest issues facing many business owners today is the existence of an ever-widening skills gap between older, established employees and new blood coming into the business. Young workers may need training on the specific ins and outs of the business and older workers may need training in the new technology and tools used in day-to-day business operations. Cloud phone systems give employers and managers access to a variety of video and audio conferencing features. Whether the training needs to be simple audio direction or a visual tutorial, these conference calls and conferences can be held and attended anywhere, no matter where all of the employees may be located. There is no longer a need to fight with conflicting schedules, transportation, and location issues when it comes to setting up a conference meeting. Training materials can be prerecorded, handouts can be emailed, and some conference call systems even have options for white board interactions!  Training has never been easier!

Easy To Expand

Many small businesses hope to see continued growth this year. Only the best business phone systems offer nearly unlimited options and customization features that can be tailored to fit any business and any industry. Costs are generally much lower than what most traditional phone systems cost to maintain and upgrade as needed, which of course goes a long way in making it easier to grow. When a business can keep up with the market, grow as necessary, and not be tied down by technology limitations, the potential for profit is limited only by the company itself. Two of the growing trends in businesses across many markets and fields are a new focus on greater automation and greater personalization. This can be easily achieved with a modern phone system that includes conferencing options, data plans, and much more! A new and modern business phone platform can meet these needs and open the doors for continued growth.

Phone Systems And Automation

Many businesses are leaning toward a business phone operating system that can be automated. From taking calls, channeling callers to the right departments, managing wait times, taking messages, and assisting customers, there are many areas where an automated system can help save time and streamline the communication process. The system many business owners are looking for is one that can also track and record calls so a record is generated; this can be helpful to highlight problem areas and to pinpoint areas that need additional work and assistance for customers. Other automated features that many businesses seem to be looking for in their phone systems include an automatic callback feature to reach out to customers to check on their satisfaction and the quality of the service they received with their call.

Personalization Is Enhanced

Phone systems are growing in popularity as well as in the services that they can offer. These services can help businesses manage their workers and teams more efficiently, help them know their customers better, encourage better communication, monitor team interactions, promoting a closer relationship between team members, and encouraging an overall better business platform. These phone systems can go a long way in helping any business be better poised to take full advantage of everything 2015 has to offer.

As the business world begins to adapt in order to keep up with the changing times and new technological advances, there are many wonderful benefits that can be gained from a business phone system that is automated and innovated. The need for innovation and advancement will be paramount if any business hopes to take full advantage of 2015.

About the Author: Sheza Gary has been a project strategist since 2009 and also involved in the launching of startups and tech companies in New York for over five years.

photo credit: Nokia E6 Business Phone India Launch via photopin (license)

Telecommuting Tools: What's Your Plan?

/ /by

Virtual teams are truly gaining ground in today’s workplace, thanks to the convergence of three factors:

1) More employers recognize the value of flexible work models,
2) Workers are open to remote options, and
3) New cloud-based technologies make it easy to connect, communicate and collaborate.

Many employers now allow members of their workforce to operate entirely from home — while other companies support more limited forms of telecommuting.

Telework = Serious Savings

There are compelling business reasons why organizations and individuals should evaluate this trend. According to research compiled by Global Workplace Analytics, 50 million U.S. employees have jobs that are compatible with telecommuting, and are willing to pursue it at some level. It’s estimated that, each year, if all those who are able and willing worked from home even half of the time, a typical employer would save $11,000 per person, while the typical telecommuter would save $2,000-$7,000.

But regardless of how much money telecommuting can save, one thing is certain — it’s essential to invest in viable technology to ensure that remote workers can succeed in their role.

110727_GIST_The_Mobile_Worker4

See the infographic and more details at Mashable

3 Keys to a Telework Technology Plan

Before assuming which tools are ideal, it’s wise to look for helpful insights from workstyle studies. For example, a 2011 study by GIST profiles remote work behavior across multiple dimensions — identifying locations remote workers prefer, and revealing how they accomplish tasks on the go.

Of course, every business is unique, but when you develop a detailed technology plan for virtual workers, it’s essential to consider three key elements: communication, collaboration and connections. Here are some ideas to kick-start your process:

Communication: There are many technologies remote workers can use to stay in touch with team members, managers, customers, and others. Email probably remains the most common communication channel, but text messaging, chat, and instant messaging are also useful when people need to discuss projects, status and other issues in real-time. The good news is that many of those tools work in tandem or on top of popular workplace communications applications.

Skype and similar audio and video conferencing tools are highly affordable, reliable and are easy to deploy and support. They’re ideal for everything from small group meetings and business presentations, to more formal conference-like events. Google+ Communities and Hangouts are also gaining popularity as simple, freely available tools to help groups connect and discuss topics and projects via audio and video, with file sharing and social tools that enhance and extend those discussions.

Collaboration: Remote workers need tools that help them work together with others to generate ideas, solve problems and manage group projects. Google Docs is a great way to co-create content and share information among team members on an ongoing basis. Also, Dropbox and other cloud storage services are popular for exchanging, organizing and archiving content (especially larger files), and for easily accessing content while on the go.

Connections: With today’s vast array of freely available social media and cloud software solutions, keeping your workforce securely and reliably connected is becoming remarkably easy to do. Intranets provide dedicated virtual spaces that help distributed teams work together asynchronously, using embedded social tools to interact. And integrated suites of cloud-based tools like Google Apps for Business help workers easily create, share and manage all kinds of business documents and communications. To learn more about Google Apps for Business, watch this video overview:

Staying Ahead of the Curve

Whether you tap into new web-based tools, or you extend applications that your company already uses in-house, a technology plan is one way to be sure that all your remote contributors stay focused and productive, no matter where or when they’re working. The pace of cloud software innovation is so rapid, your biggest challenge may be staying ahead of new technology developments. However, your efforts should pay off, with telecommuters that are highly efficient and engaged in their jobs.

Your Turn

Does your company encourage telework arrangements? What tech-related issues do your remote teams face? What tools do you recommend to others?

(Editor’s Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat Events each Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome at weekly events, or join our ongoing Twitter conversation anytime. Learn more…)

Image Credit: Pixabay

Telecommuting Tools: What’s Your Plan?

/6 Comments/ /by

Virtual teams are truly gaining ground in today’s workplace, thanks to the convergence of three factors:

1) More employers recognize the value of flexible work models,
2) Workers are open to remote options, and
3) New cloud-based technologies make it easy to connect, communicate and collaborate.

Many employers now allow members of their workforce to operate entirely from home — while other companies support more limited forms of telecommuting.

Telework = Serious Savings

There are compelling business reasons why organizations and individuals should evaluate this trend. According to research compiled by Global Workplace Analytics, 50 million U.S. employees have jobs that are compatible with telecommuting, and are willing to pursue it at some level. It’s estimated that, each year, if all those who are able and willing worked from home even half of the time, a typical employer would save $11,000 per person, while the typical telecommuter would save $2,000-$7,000.

But regardless of how much money telecommuting can save, one thing is certain — it’s essential to invest in viable technology to ensure that remote workers can succeed in their role.

110727_GIST_The_Mobile_Worker4

See the infographic and more details at Mashable

3 Keys to a Telework Technology Plan

Before assuming which tools are ideal, it’s wise to look for helpful insights from workstyle studies. For example, a 2011 study by GIST profiles remote work behavior across multiple dimensions — identifying locations remote workers prefer, and revealing how they accomplish tasks on the go.

Of course, every business is unique, but when you develop a detailed technology plan for virtual workers, it’s essential to consider three key elements: communication, collaboration and connections. Here are some ideas to kick-start your process:

Communication: There are many technologies remote workers can use to stay in touch with team members, managers, customers, and others. Email probably remains the most common communication channel, but text messaging, chat, and instant messaging are also useful when people need to discuss projects, status and other issues in real-time. The good news is that many of those tools work in tandem or on top of popular workplace communications applications.

Skype and similar audio and video conferencing tools are highly affordable, reliable and are easy to deploy and support. They’re ideal for everything from small group meetings and business presentations, to more formal conference-like events. Google+ Communities and Hangouts are also gaining popularity as simple, freely available tools to help groups connect and discuss topics and projects via audio and video, with file sharing and social tools that enhance and extend those discussions.

Collaboration: Remote workers need tools that help them work together with others to generate ideas, solve problems and manage group projects. Google Docs is a great way to co-create content and share information among team members on an ongoing basis. Also, Dropbox and other cloud storage services are popular for exchanging, organizing and archiving content (especially larger files), and for easily accessing content while on the go.

Connections: With today’s vast array of freely available social media and cloud software solutions, keeping your workforce securely and reliably connected is becoming remarkably easy to do. Intranets provide dedicated virtual spaces that help distributed teams work together asynchronously, using embedded social tools to interact. And integrated suites of cloud-based tools like Google Apps for Business help workers easily create, share and manage all kinds of business documents and communications. To learn more about Google Apps for Business, watch this video overview:

Staying Ahead of the Curve

Whether you tap into new web-based tools, or you extend applications that your company already uses in-house, a technology plan is one way to be sure that all your remote contributors stay focused and productive, no matter where or when they’re working. The pace of cloud software innovation is so rapid, your biggest challenge may be staying ahead of new technology developments. However, your efforts should pay off, with telecommuters that are highly efficient and engaged in their jobs.

Your Turn

Does your company encourage telework arrangements? What tech-related issues do your remote teams face? What tools do you recommend to others?

(Editor’s Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat Events each Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome at weekly events, or join our ongoing Twitter conversation anytime. Learn more…)

Image Credit: Pixabay