Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
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FEATURE September 2015 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 5 While the benefts of greater staf autonomy t y pica l ly out weigh the potential disadvantages, managers need to adjust their strategies to make things work when team members are ofsite. Here are some do's and don'ts of managing remote workers. Do establish the parameters of your remote work program. Which positions are compatible with telecommuting? W ho is eligible for fextime? A re there specifc periods when you need all of-site employees to be accessible or for the entire team to be under one roof? For best results, set clear guidelines for your satellite employees. Do use video conferencing whenever possible. Nonverbal cues and body language are an important part of verbal communi- cation. Short of in-person sessions, nothing beats face-to-face meetings, even if they're virtual. If video isn't practical for your staf, schedule regular phone meetings. Just be sure to develop strategies to keep remote worker s engaged du r i ng conference calls. Do address cybersecurity issues. Because remote workers rely heavily on mobile apps, non-company servers and possibly their own equipment, they face a different set of security issues than onsite employees. At the very minimum, make sure your com- pany's IT audit takes into account these security risks. But you' ll also need to arrange training sessions for remote workers on topics such as vir- tual private networks (VPNs) and best practices against computer viruses. Do maintain a good "offce rapport." Staf who work together in an ofce usually develop a tight-knit camara- derie through shared cofee breaks and lunches, chats by the water cooler, and desk-side small talk. A virtual work- place, on the other hand, requires more effort for a similar level of rapport. W h e t h e r i t 's h o s t i n g a n o n l i n e h a n gout or f e at u r i n g i nd i v idu a l employees in the monthly newsleter, fnd ways to strengthen ties among all staf members. If feasible, schedule monthly or regular in-ofce meetings to bring all employees together. In addition to discussing business priorities, use the time for team building, such as with a lunch or other group activity, and to help staf bond. Do get feedback from your remote workers. No two remote teams are exactly alike, so you shouldn't make assumptions about what's best for them. One of the most important elements of efective staff management is to understand how your ofsite workers can collabo- rate most efectively with the rest of the group. Ask remote employees for their input on the challenges they're facing and what they need to be more successful. Don't forget to acknowledge remote workers. Whether they're in the ofce or on the other side of the world, employees won't feel like they're part of the team if they don't receive regular feedback and praise. Be sure to acknowledge the eforts of your entire staf. Tose who are out of sight shouldn't be out of mind. Don't hold remote workers to different standards. Offsite employees will resent being treated diferently from their onsite co-workers. For example, don't expect telecommuters to check email after their quiting time when you restrict c o m m u n i c a t i o n s w i t h i n - o f f i c e employees to just normal work hours. Deal with your entire staf consistently and equitably. Don't miss warning signs. It's easy to pay atention to your staf when they're in adjacent cubicles. But when you don't see them ofen, it could be easy to miss warning signs that all is not well. What to watch for: • Tey start arriving late or not showing up for phone or video conferences. • It takes them much longer than usual to respond to your emails, instant messages or phone calls. • Tey miss deadlines more frequently and/or turn in sloppy work. W hen you notice these or other signs, address them immediately — before the situation gets out of hand. Don't think that everyone wants to work remotely. While many employees prefer to work from home at least a few days a week, others do beter in a structured ofce environment. As examples, extroverts may feel isolated if they don't have frequent in-person interactions with other team members. And employees w ho h a v e t r o u bl e f o c u s i n g m a y s t r u g g l e w i t h o u t s o m e d i r e c t supervision. Thanks to tech advances, many companies fnd it increasingly easy a nd more ef f ic ient to of fer t hei r employees f lex ible work arrange- ments. But to make it benefcial for employers and remote workers alike, it pays to take a proactive approach to staf management. 9 ESSENTIAL TIPS for Managing Remote Workers Team members who are out of sight shouldn't be out of mind By Paul McDonald H igher morale, increased productivity and a beter retention rate are just a few of the benefits of offering telecom- muting options, according to a Robert Half survey of chief fnancial ofcers. So popular is this option that more than one-third of the executives said remote work opportunities at their company have increased in the past three years. Yet some employers are concerned about staf management issues that will undoubtedly arise if workers aren't physically in the ofce. Paul McDonald is senior executive director with Robert Half, the world's frst and largest specialized stafng frm. Over the course of his 30-year career with the company, he has spoken extensively on employment and management issues based on his work with thousands of companies and job seekers.