Q&A with Adeyemi Oginni, Senior Consultant, Strategy and Operations
2020 has brought an overwhelming desire for remote work. After being sent home to work due to the pandemic, many people got a front-row seat to schedule flexibility and greater work-life balance. It seems many people are hard-pressed to give that up now that life has been getting back to normal. In fact, people are quitting their jobs to find remote work, as we enter the “Great Resignation”. In one report, 17% of workers claimed they would take a reduction in pay for a remote position.
We recently sat down with Adeyemi Oginni, Senior Consultant, Strategy and Operations at CREO, to discuss the benefits of a remote workforce, how leadership can support a remote workforce model, and how to tackle issues that might arise.
Q) Many workers were incredibly attracted to the virtual environment during the pandemic, and now there is a large increase in people desiring job flexibility post-pandemic. Why do you think this flexibility is so important to people to the extent that they are willing to quit their job or take a pay cut?
A) Three years ago, if people had asked to work from home their employers would have never considered it. But the pandemic has shown us a different way of working – and shown that the work is getting done. Employees are finding more balance working from home. Many of them have discovered that they can accommodate their needs, and their family’s needs much easier. This flexible schedule has become very beneficial in comparison to a traditional in-office setting where an employee may need to consider many factors daily, including caring for their family, or other needs.
Having a flexible schedule and working from home doesn’t mean the employee is working any less, there are days they may be working more. But it becomes more beneficial when the employee can save on childcare costs, PTO, or other costs by working around their scheduling needs.
Q) Can you talk about the different leadership styles that work well in a remote environment and offer any tips for leaders?
A) Employees need to get work done, and being in a remote environment does not change that expectation. If the work isn’t getting done then the company isn’t going to be sustainable, and the business will go on a downward slide. Management has a responsibility to set attainable goals and ensure their team can meet those goals, at the same time making work enjoyable so that the talented employees keep coming back. Finding that balance is key.
Several management styles support in-person, virtual, and hybrid environments. However, managers that only get work done by looking over the shoulders of the employees are less likely to thrive in a virtual environment. It’s true that some managers may struggle with being sure that their team is working the hours they claim and earning their keep. But that highlights the importance of making the right hiring decisions in the beginning. When you choose dedicated and talented people that want to work for your organization, who have bought into your vision; you don’t have to worry about the work not getting done, regardless of your work environment.
If you have hired a strong team, and you start experiencing issues in work being completed, it may be time to reevaluate if you are tasking them more than they can take. Perhaps you need to spread the work differently? Ensure you are setting attainable goals, then trust your employees to get the work done.
Q) What are some of the issues remote workers face, and how can companies with a remote workforce show support?
A) Overworking is a big deal. Many employees that work from home have a hard time walking away from their work because it’s in their house. It’s important to educate your workforce on what a healthy work-life balance is, this can apply to all work environments. Consider having regular one-on-one sessions to catch up with your direct reports. You may also send them notes to let them know that you care about what they are doing. Offer tips or resources to help your team prioritize their work. Have an open-door policy for workers who are feeling overwhelmed. You don’t want your workers developing burnout and becoming unproductive.
Tech difficulties often rise to the top as a challenge for remote workers, as well. Some remote workers sometimes try to fix things on their own, because they can feel unsupported during a tech issue. It’s important to develop and communicate your tech support plan for your remote team so that everyone feels supported.
Information security is another issue. The virtual environment presents a challenge to protecting the company’s digital assets, including sensitive internal-only or even customer information in an environment that depends on employees to have appropriate security controls in place in their own home, e.g., secured WiFi routers, family shared networks, and devices. As such, there is a higher risk that confidential information may be compromised.
There is often a fear of lack of recognition for work performed by virtual workers due to the absence of facetime. Research suggests that remote workers are less likely to be promoted than onsite workers; this is linked to the typical out-of-sight out-of-mind thinking. The higher visibility of on-site workers helps people to create stronger relationships with decision -makers that enhance the appreciation of their work whereas remote workers tend to be forgotten despite sometimes working harder. How do you solve this? One way is for managers to set clear and objective measures for measuring performance. When it’s clear what you’re working towards and the goal is achieved, then the right accolades can be delivered to the right people.
Comradery is also important when you work in teams, and it’s a lot easier to create in the office. The possibility of unplanned meetings with someone at the coffee pot that sparks up conversations with significant impact is lost in a remote environment. It’s important to try and find a way to capture that remotely. Think about adding virtual lunches, or other virtual events of interest. One idea might be to randomly call your staff to check-in, see how they are doing, and see if you can spark an interesting conversation!
If your office is on a hybrid model and some people work in-office, as well as work offsite, or you are rotating. It can be important to establish a remote meeting policy to ensure that no one is missing important meetings, or meetings aren’t repeated.
Q) Culture is important to any company. If a company is working with a remote workforce they may need to work a little harder to build a strong, connected culture. What are some things that employers can do to create a good remote culture?
A) For managers that have a wide span of control. Employee check-ins are particularly important. Check-ins let employees know they are cared for. Employees who receive regular check-ins are more inclined to put in effort knowing their manager cares about their productivity.
In addition, companies should consider a monthly all-hands meeting. Where all employees get “face-time” and receive company updates. This has many benefits even if it’s virtual.
If your company isn’t one that’s spread across a large demographic, consider planning company outings, where your team can get together to meet in person once every couple of months. This is a positive way to connect and network with each other.
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Regardless of the work environment you are in, ensuring that your company has the necessary tools that promote a strong, connected culture can help your organization have maximum impact.
CREO offers Organizational Effectiveness services that enable businesses to develop strategy and create structure and alignment. As well as skilled professionals in Cybersecurity and IT that can ensure your work environment is secure and built with the infrastructure needed for success. If you need help adapting or improving your current working environment reach out today.
