The number of remote workers across the country is rising like a tidal wave. But too many organizations are failing at making it work.
The remote workforce grew 80% between 2005 and 2012, and it’ll increase by another 21% over the next year. At first glance, this trend (sea change, really) is a positive one. We now know that “remote-ers” log more hours, are more productive and cost their employers less money (when they’re set up well, that is). And businesses can now hire the very best talent, regardless of location.
But the issue—much like in physical offices—is culture. That “best talent” will perform like a B-minus player if she feels disconnected, dis-empowered, unappreciated or out of the loop.
Employee engagement in an average U.S. workplace is a staggeringly low 30%. Take away a person's ability to huddle in a conference room to work through issues or build relationships informally, and the idea of a remote workplace starts to look less attractive. (And Marissa Mayer’s decision to ban remote workers starts to make good sense.)
What does it take to make “remote” work?
A playbook for employee engagement among remote workers doesn’t yet exist. But here’s what we do know: Organizations that do remote work well have a certain culture—a foundation that fosters engagement and trust.
It’s better to say no to a remote-workplace policy than to half-commit and fail. If you’re in, Step One is training people leaders. All the technology in the world won’t matter if your leaders don’t know how to lead in this environment.
Here are three critical components that every people-leader needs to be fluent in—some basics of culture building and employee engagement, amplified for the remote reality.
#1 CREATE TRIBE
Fostering community, connection and shared identity among people who are geographically separated isn’t easy. But it’s possible through the holy trinity of employee engagement:
- HIGHER PURPOSE: Profits are an outcome; purpose is the why that everyone in your organization shares. At Skype it’s “to put a ding in the universe;” at Zappos it’s “to deliver WOW experiences;” at ThinkHuman it’s “to unleash soul in business.” We’re in different time zones, but the “why” behind what everyone is doing is clear and unifying.
- VALUES: Have clear organizational values woven through how you do everything you do. Shared values define how you roll.
- RITUALS: Tribes have rituals that feed the culture. At Git Hub, a platform for software development collaboration, new hires spend their first week at San Francisco headquarters so they can swim in the company culture. In our business, we all sweat it out together with a hard-core Cross Fit workout, blazing hot yoga or cycling class at each of our monthly off-sites. And some rituals are small, like the shout-out: a group email calling out employees for their specific wins and triumphs.
#2 CLOSE THE COMMUNICATION GAP
This can take very different forms, from frequent instant messaging to an end-of-week wrap-up on
- GET FACE TIME—OFTEN: Lack of in-person interaction can create large communication gaps. You can’t afford to leave out 70% of your nonverbal communication. Automattic, a company born out of the open source movement, assigns hefty travel budgets so people can meet up with other team members twice a year in beautiful spots. Spotify brings its entire global workforce to the Stockholm headquarters for an annual party and meetings.
Videoconferencing is the next best thing to in-person. Avoid using email and take feedback to video chats as much as you can. (This is important, since people will default to what's most common for them.) Citelighteruses Skype to keep in constant communication, with a "scrum" each morning to help the team deepen rapport, air issues and weave the company culture throughout their week.
- COMMUNICATE OFTEN:Provide regular updates. People want information from their managers, rather than finding out at the virtual water cooler. How much are you talking? HipChat or GChat are great tools for keeping in constant contact.
- BE AVAILABLE: Be accountable to your team; respond to messages quickly. Be available during key times to support your people, built trust and avoid issues.
#3 ENCOURAGE LEADERSHIP AT EVERY LEVEL
Embolden people at every level to operate with ownership. When remote-ers know their voice matters and they are empowered to be bold and to take risks (within a defined range) they bring their full self to work each day and operate like owners.
- EMPOWER RESULTS: Focus on a results-oriented approach as the initial step when going remote; output produced is the only tangible result that brings the business forward. Have crystal-clear, mutually agreed-on results and timelines.
- CARE: Take the effort to understand how your employees feel, and how they see the world. Learn about their lives outside the office, what drives them, and encourage their full self-expression at work.
- DECENTRALIZE DECISION MAKING: Clarify and agree on a wide band of decisions people should make on their own; empower them and instill confidence so they can carry this out.
It’s now a well-worn adage: People don’t leave jobs; they leave bosses. Instill in your people-leaders the keys that make remote work…and unleash the tide.
Meredith Haberfeld is a corporate change agent who’s taught at institutions from the Esalen Institute to MIT. She’s founder and CEO of ThinkHuman, a consultancy that advises fast-growth organizations (including SoulCycle and Spotify) on employee engagement, team performance, and culture transformation.
