According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, "telework or virtual work is a work arrangement that allows an employee to perform work during any part of regular, paid hours, at an approved alternative worksite (e.g., home, telework center)."
The amount of people who work remotely at least once per week has grown by 400% since 2010. Between 2017 and 2018, telecommuting increased by 22%. Virtual work is only increasing in popularity, and many new entrants to the workforce expect some form of virtual work.
This article will explore the fundamentals of establishing a high-performing virtual workforce, including...
• Preparation and setup
• Implementation
• HR compliance, legal and safety
• Benefits and challenges
Preparation And Setup
At a high-level, strategically, the framework below could be considered in the design phase of establishing a virtual work policy. Essentially, we are asserting to evaluate value and risk from the perspectives of the business, and the employee and culture as a required starting point. More specifically, when we look at the design of virtual work we must consider:
• Investment
• Employee and culture
• Operational efficiency
• Go-to-market approach
• Technology
Considering the different policies across states and the varying nature of organizations, this can't be a one-size-fits-all approach; each organization must design their own virtual work strategy and policies.
Once we strategically design, then we establish an implementation approach, which must consider:
HR, Compliance and Safety
First, an organization must have an enterprise telecommuting or virtual work policy in place. Often, we will hear of a single executive allowing a person to work from home. This behavior, while well-intended, opens the doors for all sorts of risk, including issues of fairness, inclusion challenges, pay and tax risks, etc. A solid virtual work policy will consist of eligibility (job type and level), payroll and tax considerations, both data and personal privacy guidelines, and municipal tax considerations for employees spread across the globe.
Technology Infrastructure, Security and Software
The company needs to provide the following to its employees:
• Laptop with an internet connection
• Remote email access
• File-sharing capabilities
• Videoconferencing capabilities
• Telephone
When organizations design virtual work policies, they are often focused on productivity, and rightfully so. However, a strong focus must be placed on data privacy and data security as well. Specific areas of focus should be:
• Anti-virus software
• Password-protection and data encryption
• Inventory of all hardware
Expectations and Agreements
Leaders must be trained and learn how to manage people whom they cannot see every day. When we talk of expectations and agreements, we are referring to a set of behaviors for both managers and employees.
Your telecommuting expectations should include the following:
• Time employees are required to be available
• Email, phone call and follow-up response time
• Dedicated space for work with little distractions
• Frequency of time allowed to telecommute
• Results-oriented goals and incentives
• Accountability and expectations
Communication is the key to managing in general, and the impact of not communicating effectively for a virtual workforce can have even greater impacts than within an in-office environment.
Remember the three C's: conciseness, clarity and consistent communications. Remember to leverage the following:
• Text/IM or email
• Voice/video chat
• Screen-sharing and presentation software
• Virtual office software
• Document sharing
• Enterprise social media
Distance Learning
Most organizations are learning organizations. A primary way to engage the virtual workforce is through learning. In this case, make sure your distance learning has the following components:
• Single sign-on
• Tracking
• Video
• Device agnostic
What are the benefits of a virtual workforce and for whom?
Productivity For The Organization
The data is clear. There is not much debate that productivity is typically the first and greatest positive impact of virtual work. But what the literature also makes clear is...
• Improved morale and the quality of work
• Additional work hours
• Reduced office requirements/resources
• Improved rate of employee retention
• Access to a wider talent pool
• 77% of remote employees claim they get more done at home
• 23% of remote workers say they work more hours at home than in the office
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is an emotional commitment that an employee has to their organization and its goals.
Telecommuting usually results in:
• Increased sense of freedom in managing one's own time (autonomy and task significance)
• Decreased commuting time (stress from)
• Result-oriented evaluations
• Decreased out-of-pocket expenses for employee-related travel costs
Environmental Benefits
The environmental benefits are obvious. Fewer automobiles on the road result in the largest environmental impact. According to FlexJobs, "Transportation, which includes vehicles used commuting to and from work, is the second source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."
Challenges
Engagement has a bit of a "curvy" relationship with virtual work. It appears that when one spends too much time away from co-workers, there can be negative consequences in some cases. For example, virtual workers can feel disconnected and have trouble disconnecting from work.
In Summary
The movement toward more virtual work is not stopping. In fact, it is speeding up. In the 1970s, virtual work was an innovation; in today's world, it is simply the way we work. Your virtual workforce policies and practices are never set; they are continually evolving.
