Managing Remote Staff: Capitalize on Work-from-Home Productivity

INTRODUCTION xi 1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF REMOTE WORK 1 1. From the Nineteenth Century to Today 2 2. The Coronavirus Impact on Remote Work 5 3. Lessons from the Trenches 9 2 MYTHS, MISCONCEPTIONS, PROS, AND CONS 13 1. Exploring Some Myths about Remote Work 14 1.1 Myth 1: Employees will be too isolated and will become alienated from the team 14 1.2 Myth 2: If an employee wants to work remotely, they’ll be out of the office five days a week 15 1.3 Myth 3: If I let one employee telecommute, I’ll have to let all employees have the opportunity 15 1.4 Myth 4: Everyone will want to work remotely and there will be nobody left in the office 16 vi Managing Remote Staff 1.5 Myth 5: Only big companies are involved in telecommuting 16 1.6 Myth 6: It is too difficult to manage remote workers 16 2. Benefits of Remote Work for Companies/Employers 17 3. Drawbacks of Remote Work for Companies/Employers 19 4. Benefits of Remote Work for Employees 23 5. Drawbacks of Remote Work for Employees 25 6. Lessons from the Trenches 28 3 BEST JOB TYPES FOR REMOTE WORK 31 1. Is Your Business Ready to Manage Off-site Staff? 34 1.1 Lessons from the pandemic 34 1.2 What it takes: Traits of companies most effective in managing remote staff 36 1.3 Understand the differences and similarities between off-site staff and gig workers (and why it’s important) 38 2. Overcome Resistance from Managers and Employees 41 3. Resources Required: Equipment and Tools, Safety Considerations 43 3.1 Office equipment and tools 43 3.2 Safety considerations 46 4. Lessons from the Trenches 48 4 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 51 1. Policy Statement 53 2. Selection Criteria 55 3. Expectations/Responsibilities of Off-site Employees 56 3.1 Work hours 56 3.2 Work assignments 56 3.3 Employer’s right to inspect workplace 57 3.4 Privacy and confidentiality 57 3.5 Performance measurement 57 3.6 Salary and benefits 57 Contents vii 3.7 Overtime 58 3.8 Equipment and supplies 58 3.9 Insurance 58 3.10 Termination of agreement 59 3.11 Employment-at-will disclaimer 59 4. Communicate Policies and Policy Changes 59 5. Lessons from the Trenches 60 5 THOSE YOU KNOW — CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL REMOTE WORKERS AND SELECTION CRITERIA 63 1. Who Thrives, Survives, or Dives? 64 2. Traits of Successful Remote Workers 64 3. Assess Candidates 65 4. Potential Pitfalls 66 4.1 It just doesn’t work with the employee 66 4.2 It’s not fair! 66 4.3 My manager won’t let me! 67 5. Lessons from the Trenches 67 6 THOSE YOU DON’T — RECRUITING EMPLOYEES FOR TELECOMMUTING POSITIONS 69 1. Steps in the Hiring Process 71 2. Position Requirements 72 3. Your Website as a Recruiting Tool 75 4. The Internet as a Recruiting Tool 76 5. Social Media and Recruitment 77 6. Other Sources of Applicants 78 7. Effective Online Recruiting 79 8. Selection Criteria 81 9. Interviewing Candidates for Off-site Jobs 83 10. References 85 11. Perils and Pitfalls 86 12. Lessons from the Trenches 87 viii Managing Remote Staff 7 ONBOARDING 89 1. The New World of Onboarding during COVID-19 90 1.1 Preboarding — setting the stage for future success 91 2. Social Considerations 92 3. Additional Implications for Remote Workers 93 4. Lessons from the Trenches 94 8 TRAINING OFF-SITE AND ONSITE WORKERS, MANAGERS, AND SUPERVISORS 97 1. Characteristics of Employee Training Programs 98 2. Managers Need Training Too 99 3. Training Onsite Employees 101 4. Lessons from the Trenches 102 9 MANAGING OFF-SITE STAFF — BEST PRACTICES 107 1. The Truth about Managing Off-site Staff 108 2. Set Goals and Objectives 109 3. Establish Job Standards 112 4. Provide Feedback 113 5. Communication 114 6. Help Remote Teams Stay Connected 117 7. Lessons from the Trenches 121 10 MOTIVATE OFF-SITE STAFF 123 1. Managing Both Onsite and Off-site Staff 127 2. Additional Tips for Managers of Off-site Staff 128 3. Lessons from the Trenches 130 11 MEASURING OUTCOMES 133 1. Finding the Right Balance 135 2. Why Alternative Work Arrangements Fail 138 3. Lessons from the Trenches 140 DOWNLOAD KIT 143