Remote Workers – A Difference in Management Style

Post based on article published in Chief Learning Officer publication:

Think managing employees within the office is difficult? Try managing remote employees.  I’ve seen both sides, onsite, off-site, the good and the bad.  And guess what, technology offers little assistance.

In an article published in http://www.clomedia.com/articles/6407-learning-to-lead-from-afar the author Sarah Fister Gale, notes working remotely is attractive, however, leadership style within the office is different from style of leadership for off-site workers. Productivity and constant engagement is crucial.

One of my best friends work for the US Government, lives in Maryland and works remotely.  This arrangement is perfect because of her mother, who resides in a nursing home in Tallahassee.  Working remotely is beneficial to both her and her employer in that she can spend time with mom, attend meetings via conference calls, respond to email and submit assignments on a timely basis, all while working remotely. In many cases, her work days extend beyond the normal 8-9 hours, common for on-site employees.  She reports to the office 1 may 2 days a week when she is not visiting mom in Tallahassee. Perfect uh?  Well not for every employee or manager.

According to a 2015 Gallup poll 39% percent of companies allow some employees to work remotely, and a 2013 study from the social collaboration company Kona shows up to 70 percent of employees would like to take advantage of such options.  Working remotely does offer many benefits, such as hiring the best talent globally, and that these employees are more engaged and work longer hours than their counter parts.  However, these benefits aren’t achieved simply by letting people work from home and hoping for the best. Remote employees require a different kind of management style if they are to be successful and engaged.  As stated by Mark Murphy, CEO of Leadership IQ, “When an employee ‘goes remote,’ they often get disillusioned and start to feel cut off from the organization; in contrast, employees still working in the office can feel resentful of the remote team, and suddenly everyone is unhappy.”

The latter was an experience with a remote worker in my previous employment. Physically unable to drive the long distance the employee was approved to work remotely. This arrangement lasted and the employee performed well with completing tasks. However a change in management due to reorganization of business unit resulted in resentment from new hires and the employee work arrangement converted back on on-site.

From a management standpoint, Murphy belief is there is a paradigm shift managing remote workers. Saving time for the manager is just a myth, in fact, managers should increase engagement with these individuals.  The article uses Cisco as an example of how to maintain engagement with remote workers, and create a thriving remote work culture, by changing their focus from time on the job to outcomes. Additionally regular meetings, manager training for managing remote employees and I want to add to their suggestions is to ensure employees have the technology skills necessary to work remotely. Use of technology is crucial and will certainly require proficiency in use of the hardware and software, which is provided and maintained by the organization or company.

If you have plans to contract with or hire employees to work remotely, this article offers insights and example of how to effectively manage your employees.

http://www.clomedia.com/articles/6407-learning-to-lead-from-afar

Additional resources: http://www.clomedia.com/events/221-know-your-workforce-align-your-learning-program-with-employee-needs