Don’t look now, but if your organization is trying to compete for talent in an already stressed labor market, your options could be why you can’t fill open positions.
In its 2024 Global Workforce Report[i], Remote.com found that employees are jumping ship at an alarming rate, and for one reason. In the past six months of 2024, 67% of US employers report losing their workers to competitors who offered what employees want – remote work options. Globally, that number reached 73% (in the ten countries surveyed).
It’s no secret that job seekers want hybrid work. It’s also no secret that employers are struggling to understand how to manage remote workers. That same Remote.com study found that 51% of companies surveyed reported that managing remote teams is sometimes difficult.
Yet in a market that has employees looking for a better work-life balance, learning how to manage workers remotely is essential to the health of your organization. For those who have embraced remote workers and have learned how to manage them, the benefits are clear; 37% have observed higher levels of productivity, 32% say that absenteeism has been reduced, and 26% have notices a higher caliber of quality candidates applying for openings.
Isn’t it time you embraced remote work? Hiring a remote worker to augment your current workforce is a great way to get the precise talent you need. Remote workers are not bound by geographic limitations – your best worker could be three states away or even farther.
Still, even the best workers need proper management. Here are some strategies you can apply to implement a sound remote management style or improve on an existing one.
Amp up communication. Your hybrid workforce needs much more communication than your in-house workforce. Give employees at all locations ample tools for reaching out – video, email, chat, phone. Encourage open, frequent communication. Check in daily with employees. Hold short, focused weekly employee meetings.
Set productivity goals. At employee one-on-one meetings, set goals. Create benchmarks, and talk about issues that could be impacting their work, be they professional or personal issues. Create a shared folder detailing goals and benchmarks. That’s where they share what may be helpful or hampering to meeting those goals.
Make a feedback loop. Listen to employee feedback on projects, concerns, or suggestions. Act on them. Have an online suggestion box where they can reach out and report issues or successes. Give feedback when needed, including kudos and thanks for a job well done.
Build teams. Celebrate together – milestones, birthdays, retirements, new hires. Hold virtual happy hours and parties. Share team member successes with everyone, be it small or big. Make your employees feel seen and heard.
It doesn’t take a lot to create a more inclusive, proactive way of working together no matter where your employees are located. Pay attention to the small stuff. Make sure to always be communicating. Create a remote/hybrid culture that includes a more flexible, engaged management style and two-way communication. That attracts top talent, and it keeps your employees happy and engaged.
[i] Remote Global Workforce Report 2024: Flexibility is everything | Remote
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