Remote working is not going away, as we approach year 3 of the pandemic. A recent article in Human Resources Executive provides recommendations on how to maintain a productive work culture with remote work. (1)
1) Be aware of low meeting engagement
“Engaged employees typically participate with cameras on, nod along and exhibit engaged body language while using the meeting chat to ask questions. More absent employees tend to leave cameras off or respond to questions and key conversation points with blank stares. If leaders find they are consistently calling out names at random just to get a response, there may be a problem.”
Requiring cameras-on during all meetings may not be the right answer, especially for employees who have regular back-to-back zoom meetings. Instead, try to keep meetings as brief and efficient as possible. Establish meeting agendas in advance with employee input and keep to the planned meeting start and end times.
2) Avoid communication silos
With remote work, there is a tendency to limit communication to within the workgroup. Employees who are outside the workgroup, can be left out of important communication about projects which involve them. To mitigate that possibility, include cross-departmental representation on projects. Also, based on a study by McKinsey, encourage “moments of engagement among employees for ideation or mentorship. Such ‘microtransactions’ of social capital, which previously occurred through informal brainstorms or hallway chatter, are essential to strengthening ties between departments.”
3) Don’t allow employees to drift away
The responsiveness of some employee may decline. Note how long it takes employees to respond to email and direct messaging. Establish accountability standards and expectations around availability. Many employees value the flexibility of remote work, but remote work must be combined with published accountability standards.
(1) https://hrexecutive.com/top-3-warning-signs-your-remote-culture-wont-work-for-2022/