As a freelance journalist and writer for over 20 years, I know firsthand the isolation and feelings of being disconnected from the rest of the world that can suddenly and unexpectedly take down my production for a day or two. It’s been widely reported how more companies are implementing telecommuters into their workplaces.
While at first it may seem the company is taking the greatest risk by allowing an employee to work from home, it readily becomes apparent that the employee is incurring many unforeseen risks as well, namely feeling left out or disregarded by the company and other employees.
A recent article by David C. Baker (Integrating Remote Employees Well, Photography Annual, 2011) suggested several great ideas for both the employers and the employees to adapt to remote workplaces.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Remote Employees
There are distinct advantages and disadvantages of letting employees work from home. Advantages include:
- Saves on leased space
- Grow the business without growing the space
- Cuts down on carbon footprint
- Helps prepare a company to work with remote clients
Disadvantages include:
- Less collaboration between in-house employees and the remote employees
- Remote employees can feel out of the loop and undervalued
- The expense of travel and lodging for those times when the remote employee needs to visit the main office
Managers and Employee Changes for Remote Workplaces
Undoubtedly, managing remote workers is still a new paradigm for many managers and to the management process. Baker suggested the following areas for managers to shift their way of thinking for managing others:
- Manage by results instead of by presence
- Adapt communication style to that of the remote worker for mode, style, frequency and time of day.
- Take time to make phone calls versus just using emailing
- Make sure to thank the remote employee as well when thanking the team for a job well done
- When the remote employee is part of a meeting, ask them to report first to make their contribution feel as important as everyone else’s
- Give the remote employees e-mail addresses, phone numbers, etc for others in the office they will need to interact or communicate with
For the remote worker, the following adaptations will help with feeling part of the team and help to keep the feelings of remoteness at a minimum:
- Shower and dress every day to feel as professional as possible during work hours
- Take regular breaks when working
- Work in an isolated part of home where noise and distractions can be kept at a minimum
- Be engaged in what is happening in the office and with other employees
- Share your points of view and ideas when possible
Successful Remote Workers
Companies may have one remote employee or hundreds of people working in remote locations. Regardless of the number of remote workers, companies can create a feeling of being connected by doing the following:
- When hiring someone new that has not worked at the office before, give them a multiple day orientation at the office location so that they can meet others face-to-face and get an understanding of the culture of the workplace.
- When the remote employee is at the office, let them have the same level of access to the office and break room and other areas as those who work there.
- Have a regular schedule of conference calls to keep the remote worker connected to other employees
- Make sure remote employees have all of the tools and technology they need to succeed.
- Plan ways to get the remote workers face-to-face as often as possible.
Resources:
Article, Integrating Remote Employees Well, David C. Baker, Photography Annual, 2011.
