Managing a Remote Workforce: Key Considerations for HR Leaders
Remote work has become a permanent fixture for many organizations rather than a temporary measure. As an HR leader, you play a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth transition and building an effective infrastructure to manage a distributed workforce for the long haul. From communication tools to performance management, you need to reimagine policies and practices to drive productivity, alignment and engagement across the organization.
Communication and Engagement
Effective communication is vital for ensuring remote employees remain connected to the company culture and aligned with its goals. For instance, Jamie Sieja, Director of Marketing for Flex HR, shares, “Our team comes together bi-weekly for what we call our ‘coffee break meeting.’ It’s a chance for staff to catch up, discuss upcoming events, and virtually high-five each other for our successes. These moments foster camaraderie and have strengthened bonds across the team, despite the physical distance.”
To continually gauge how employees are feeling, it’s essential to solicit feedback regularly. We send out an annual employee engagement survey asking what employees want us to continue doing, stop doing, and suggest doing. Taking this feedback seriously has led to changes that enhance the workplace for everyone.
Performance Management
Visibility is lower when managing remote teams. This makes clear goal-setting and consistent performance management even more critical. Train managers on best practices like setting SMART goals that translate to remote environments. Establish key performance indicators and success metrics for individuals and teams. Leverage tools like Asana to create transparency at each stage—from assigning tasks to tracking outcomes.
Schedule quarterly check-ins supplementing weekly stand-ups. Freeze weekly 1-1 meetings as sacrosanct for candid conversations. Conduct regular peer reviews for unbiased feedback. Half-yearly performance reviews should focus on growth and development areas beyond evaluation. Reviews must culminate in actionable remote training and upskilling plans.
Learning and Development
Bite-sized microlearning modules, webinars, mobile apps, and online courses enable remote skill-building. HR should curate remote-friendly resources covering technical skills, soft skills, and leadership capabilities. Mentorship programs through Microsoft Teams, messaging platforms and email exchanges can supplement self-paced remote learning.
Asynchronous discussion forums allow employees to post questions and advice seeking beyond geographical barriers. Consider gamifying remote training via engaging interfaces like Axonify and Kahoot! for higher adoption. Conduct “lunch and learn” sessions periodically on trends impacting the business. Job shadowing can translate well virtually through screen-sharing tools. Offer cross-functional project opportunities to expand skill sets.
With a remote workforce, it’s important to encourage in-person connections where feasible. Sieja shares that “as a company, we facilitate monthly lunches for employees located in the same region, providing an opportunity to strengthen relationships and share quick learning moments. These gatherings also support morale and offer an environment for informal training conversations.”
Technology and Tools
The success of a remote workforce hinges on having the right technology stack in place. As noted in the document, leveraging project management tools like Asana or Monday.com, as well as communication platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack, keeps everyone connected and on the same page. HR leaders should ensure that employees have access to secure file-sharing systems like SharePoint, and regularly assess the tech tools being used to support productivity.
“We’ve seen firsthand how critical the right technology is in keeping our remote teams productive. By using tools like SharePoint for file sharing and Asana for project tracking, we’ve created a seamless workflow that keeps projects moving forward, no matter where our employees are located,” Sieja said.
Culture and Values
Maintaining a strong company culture in a remote setting requires intentional efforts. Having a “fun club leader” or organizing virtual activities like desk yoga, book clubs, and high-fives can boost morale. Scheduling regular virtual town halls, celebrating wins, and even organizing occasional in-person gatherings are all essential practices to nurture culture.
Sieja adds, “We’ve implemented bi-weekly virtual coffee breaks where our staff connects not just for work but to share successes, discuss upcoming events, and bond over personal wins. This has significantly contributed to maintaining our team spirit in a remote environment.”
Nurturing organizational culture requires intention in remote settings devoid of ambient cultural cues. Clearly articulate company values, purpose statements, and what makes your culture unique. Weave these strongly into onboarding experiences with “culture carriers” assigned to induct new hires remotely. Have the leadership team share stories on failures and learnings regularly to promote transparency and vulnerability—the cornerstones of resilient cultures.
Institute peer recognition programs publicly calling out individuals modeling desired cultural behaviors. Empower every employee to be culture ambassadors through their everyday virtual interactions. Send new hires welcome kits with branded merchandise to build affiliation. Organize informal virtual hangouts periodically. Keep assessing the cultural pulse through focus groups and stay interviews to course-correct proactively if remote working dilutes your cultural fabric in unintended ways over time.
The Future is Now
One critical aspect of managing a remote workforce is having clear policies outlined in the employee handbook. These should cover working from home, the necessary technology, and accommodations required for remote work. Defining these expectations helps employees feel supported and sets a clear foundation for success in a hybrid or fully remote work environment.
Business pundits estimate that post-pandemic, over 70% of companies will transition to permanent hybrid frameworks blending remote and in-office work. As HR leaders, the onus lies on us to define the policies and infrastructure empowering distributed teams to thrive in the future of work. It requires upgrading legacy people practices with empathy, agility and technology at the core. The ideas shared above should spur you to put on the innovation lens and reimagine HR for unprecedented times.
Contact Flex HR today to be your HR support at info@FlexHR.com.