by Deb Boelkes, author of “The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture“
In 2020, remote work is “normal.” There’s a good chance at least some of your employees work from home, a coworking space, or some other distant location. And while the arrangement has benefits for all parties, the trade-off is that remote workers get far less (if any) face time with leaders and coworkers. This may lead you to wonder: Can you manage your remote workers properly and truly engage those employees remotely? Is it possible to shape a positive company culture that encompasses everyone?
Yes you can — and the solution lies in your ongoing pursuit of the “WOW Factor”. That’s my terminology for those “Best Place to Work” organizations that seek to create the sense of “Wow!” employees feel when leaders consistently motivate and inspire them, fill them with purpose, challenge them, and make them feel safe and supported.
Many companies don’t work to deliberately shape a positive culture. They think it will ‘just happen,’ but that’s rarely true even when everyone is in the same place. And if a company has remote employees, the need to get intentional about culture-building is intensified.
Engaging remote employees comes down to making them feel like they belong and are part of a cohesive team. They should feel valued and understand that their contributions are seen and appreciated, and that they are making an impact. That’s job number one.
There are plenty of simple engagement practices that make your virtual team members feel supported, connected, and empowered. For example:
1. Make sure remote employees know why they’re there.
All employees should know (and embrace) the mission, vision, values, and objectives of the company. They are a big part of how you convey the sense of meaning and purpose that’s so vital to engagement. Talk about these guiding factors explicitly and regularly (these things can change and when they do you need everyone in the loop.) Additionally, make sure the remotes understand how what they’re doing is in alignment and in support of the company’s, division’s, and department’s goals.
All team members need to know what they do really matters and that their efforts — and results — make a difference. Acknowledge them in the way they prefer to be acknowledged.
2. Never leave them hanging or assume they know what’s going on.
This is vital, especially regarding decisions made at upper levels. The biggest complaint most large or multi-site companies hear from feedback on Employee Satisfaction surveys is lack of communication from senior leaders. Don’t be a micromanager but do communicate, communicate, communicate… and be consistent in your messaging from the top down.
3. Make yourself available (on their timetable).
Managers need to make sure meaningful one-on-one conversations with remote reports happen. Out of sight (and off-site) should not mean out of mind or out of the loop. Be willing to be flexible versus forcing employees to adapt to your schedule and communication style.
Find out what works for your remote reports. Some team members may prefer to establish a fixed time each week to catch up while others may prefer to call-in for a quick update as project schedules permit. Let the employee know when you will be available and how they can get a message to you if it’s critical. Otherwise, be there for them.
4. Be proactive about removing their roadblocks.
If something is preventing a remote worker from being able to do their job efficiently, make sure they know to immediately come to you. In fact, ask them regularly if they need anything. It’s the manager’s job to remove any obstacles impeding team members’ efforts and to get them the resources and information they need.
5. Bring all team members together often.
If possible, have an all-hands, on-site meeting at the start of a major project or at the beginning of the fiscal year. At the very least, schedule weekly all-hands team calls to update everyone on what’s going on, to see who needs help, to announce major accomplishments and recognize team members, and to brainstorm new approaches.
Team members need to know each other. They need to know what the other members are working on, and how they can help one another. They need to trust each other. Regular meetings can help achieve all of that.
6. Remember: face to face matters, so make it happen however you can.
You may not be able to meet in person often, but try to make it happen at least occasionally. And of course, conferencing technology like Zoom, WhatsApp, or FaceTime can be incredibly valuable in helping remote employees connect and engage with the rest of the team. Observation of facial expressions and body language can be just as important as hearing the words being spoken.
7. Don’t let meetings become time-wasters.
Don’t have meetings “just to have meetings”. Call them only when necessary and keep them succinct. When preparing for a remote team call or video conference, ask individual members ahead of time what, if anything, they want to present, what they want to hear or learn, and if they have anything to share. Then stick to the agenda.
8. Encourage team members to connect with one another regularly.
Feeling like part of a team is vital. The boss doesn’t have to be the one who coordinates everything. Make sure they feel free to text, phone, or email each other when they have questions or need guidance or feedback.
9. Pair new employees with a “buddy”.
Newer employees need more hand holding — especially if they’re telecommuting. Among other training, the buddy’s job is to make sure the employee knows who does what on the team, who is an expert at what, and who to go to for what.
10. Be sensitive to cultural differences.
Not everyone interprets communications the same way. Cultural differences can occur regionally within the same country but may be especially problematic between major geographic regions and countries. If this occurs, managers must really listen for understanding, then reframe and restate what they heard, and ask the remote worker to do the same.
Managing multi-country team members can be difficult if members never have on-site meetings over multiple days during which people can get to know each other. When possible, it’s helpful to know ‘locals’ or expats who are from the remote region and can interpret what may be intended or how things could be interpreted in various situations.
11. Occasionally, oversee employee/client interactions.
From time to time, managers should try to participate live when an employee has important events with a customer or client; listening to the clients’ feedback is just as important as employee feedback. While it is important to show trust and confidence in the team members serving the client, it is equally important to acknowledge when things need improvement or when action must be taken.
12. When in doubt, reach out.
If things aren’t feeling right with an employee, they probably aren’t. Meet in person for a heart-to-heart off-site and talk through their concerns or problems. And again, as a general rule try to get together in-person at least once a year if not quarterly; these meetings keep the lines of communication open.
13. Request feedback (from your customers AND your remote workers).
During one-on-ones with each remote employee as well as during one-on-ones with clients, ask for honest feedback. Then based on that feedback, strategize ways the organization could better leverage the skillsets of the team members while moving the organization closer to its goals.
14. Know when an employee isn’t suited for remote work.
Pay attention to signs that an employee is not cut out for being a remote team member. (For example, they may frequently turn in work late, get distracted or lose sight of the project at hand, or need frequent interaction with coworkers.)
Some workers need daily live interaction to do their best work. Be attuned to this and don’t be afraid to make changes to ensure the employee is in the right environment with the needed support and/or freedom.
Finally, make sure every employee knows you have their best interests at heart. Be a heartfelt leader.
You can’t inspire anyone — in-house or otherwise — until you start leading with your heart. Check in with your own passion and make sure it informs all of your interactions. Your heart driven engagement will spread to your workers near and far, and together you will make a difference.
Deb Boelkes is not just a role model heartfelt leader; she’s the ultimate authority on creating best places to work, with 25+ years in Fortune 150 high-tech firms, leading superstar business development and professional services teams. As an entrepreneur, she has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership. Deb has delighted and inspired over 1,000 audiences across North America. She is author of “The WOW Factor Workplace: How to Create a Best Place to Work Culture“.
