We have heard recently of organizations debating whether work at home/working remotely makes sense and some of those organizations have cancelled all remote work options. I find it surprising when companies do not want to explore work at home options. While it has to be managed (we’ll discuss that shortly), one great benefit is the ability to expand the pool of potential talent for the organization. Why limit your search to your local area or worry about moving expenses (and whether or not a potential employees even wants to relocate) and instead enable for the ability for employees to work remotely?
Of course you will need to establish processes and procedures for work-at-home employees in order to ensure that there is consistency and the job is getting done. Having processes in place also calms managers who may not be used to work-at-home employees and wonder if folks are really working or goofing off.
Consider the following needed to ensure success for work-at-home employees
- Technology plus support for setting up and troubleshooting technology (computer, phone, software including for virtual meetings, etc.)
- Access to portals or other internal sites to share information, download files, and transfer data
- Clearly defined responsibilities of the employee
- Regularly scheduled check-in’s (one-on-one meetings) with the employee’s immediate manager
- Ensuring time in the office on a regular basis (even if just a few time a month) to enable for building relationships and staying connected to others
- A mentor to help the employee (ideally a peer within or external to the employee’s department) to provide support and answer any questions or address concerns
For new hires also, as a best practice, bring them into the office for at least the first one or two weeks of employment. Introduce them to others (always nice to meet those you are working with face-to-face), allow them time to build relationships and get a feel for the organization. This also enables you to get a “feel” for the employees’ skills and where they may need more support when they are working remotely.
Initially, assign the employee projects that enable them to work with others rather than getting things done on their own. This enables them to become better acclimated to the organization, the department and their co-workers.
