While many employees thrive in a remote environment, you may find that some members of your team struggle. While leaders often can keep an eye out for social or performance queues effectively in person, monitoring employee performance can present new challenges in the virtual environment. By thoughtfully monitoring employee performance and behaviors, you may be able to notice employee struggles and help provide the necessary support.
Though remote work has been a growing trend even pre-coronavirus, the pandemic has pushed many organizations to expand their telecommuting practices. While numerous studies show that expanding telecommuting options can offer benefits for both employers and employees, findings show that not all employees adapt to the virtual environment equally. The Harris Poll conducted a study on behalf of Zapier to see how employees are transitioning to remote work. Results show that:
The same study found many positive attributes of expanded remote work—but this insight indicates that not all employees are adapting with ease.
Remote employees face unique challenges. While numerous studies show that remote employees can achieve levels of productivity that are the same as or higher than their non-remote peers, obstacles do exist. According to the Harvard Business Review, common challenges remote workers face may include:
Many employees can overcome these challenges, and often even thrive when working remotely. However, you may find this won’t easily be the case for all. Managers can focus on identifying issues their team members may be having, and create a plan to address them.
When physically present, leaders often can identify an instance when an employee’s performance or well-being seems to suffer. In the remote environment, there are cues leaders can look for, and topics to consider:
A decrease in performance could be due to a variety of reasons—these may be some clues for managers to use when uncovering an unforeseen issue one of their team members may be encountering.
While some issues may be unavoidable, leaders can be proactive by establishing clear expectations and accountability for each employee. As problems are encountered, be prepared to not only support employees in need but also evaluate and change structural issues.
Managers can take steps to help employees. Considerations include:
Remember, each employee is unique. Some employees may adapt well to a remote environment, while others may need individual support to achieve a high level of performance and personal well-being.
Every business is different, so there isn't one right way to best lead remote employees. Create practices and expectations that work best for your team. Contact Veritas Risk Management & Insurance Services for additional resources regarding best practices for utilizing the remote workplace.