Our society has had three years to adjust to the realities of remote / hybrid work, yet all signs point to a failure to adjust. A new WSJ report shows just how dire the situation is for employers and employees alike.
The good news? 👍 Employers are focused on attractive benefits packages in an effort to hire workers. The bad news? 👎 They’re seriously lacking when it comes to employee satisfaction and retention.
FLEX Partners has the unique benefit of having worked—both individually and as a group—remotely for the better part of a decade, and we help organizations of all sizes with change management, many of whom are seeking help building an effective remote business.
Our key takeaways? Embrace change, emphasize culture and infrastructure, and focus on your people. 👇
💡 Successful people and organizations are comfortable with being uncomfortable. Change is uncomfortable—but inevitable. Lean in and seek opportunities for feedback, areas for improvement, and ways to innovate. Having a clear north star will keep you and your team focused on your mission-critical objectives, so when the inevitable need to adapt comes your way, your team will be focused and agile enough to respond in kind. As a leader, make sure you listen to your team and act. If you’re receiving constant feedback that your employees want a remote / hybrid model, it’s your job to find a solution. The same is true for any problem.
💡 A remote business will not succeed without strong infrastructure AND strong culture. A third of workers at large firms now don’t live in the same time zone as their managers—a serious detriment if you don’t have strong infrastructure and protocols in place. Set up platforms, educate your team on their use, and ensure they are used correctly. Invest in your middle-managers as leaders and ensure their communication and project management skills are ready to manage workers that could potentially be scattered across the country.
💡 Your people are your most important asset. Managers report feeling frustrated that they are giving employees more money and flexibility, but their workers are still unhappy and unproductive. Throwing money at a problem won’t solve it. Invest in understanding what will make your workers more productive—and then deploy it. We are all human, and we need real interaction. Focus on opportunities for true teambuilding and collaboration when you are remote and invest in getting your team together in-person on a routine basis. Remote environments take serious effort to establish a thriving culture, but the pay-off is immense in happier, more balanced, and productive employees.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/workers-morale-pay-benefits-remote-52c4ab10?mod=hp_featst_pos3