The modern employee craves flexibility – and we all know that a happier workforce is a more productive one. In fact, a recent PWC survey found that when employees are offered the ability to work from home, they are 48 percent more likely to rate their job satisfaction as 10/10. Contributor Linda Aiello, Senior Vice President, International Employee Success – Salesforce.
I personally know that with a busy travel schedule, the ability to have my office wherever I am not only makes me more efficient, but also improves my working relationships. Overall, it makes me a more engaged and satisfied employee. Whether working from home, based in different countries or always on the move, keeping remote staff engaged is a no-brainer for employers.
Create a supportive culture
Physical detachment can often lead to remote workers feeling disconnected from their colleagues. This can be at an emotional level – missing out on building friendships or team celebrations – but there’s also the intangible career benefits of being in an office; opportunities to prove yourself useful to your boss and network, for example. A culture that nurtures a team’s creativity and drive can go a long way towards mitigating these kinds of issues.
At Salesforce, our culture is based on Ohana, the Hawaiian concept that, like an extended family, we are all responsible for each other. Ohana underpins everything we do and means that we’re all working together to achieve something greater than ourselves. This strong culture, which everyone can recognise, keeps employees engaged whether they’re sitting on the tenth floor in the office or at their kitchen table. Ohana is so clear and well defined, that employees can feel like they’re part of the culture no matter where they are.
One way we help bring this culture to employees is through communities and apps. These online tools are where we bring our culture to life for both office based and mobile workers. They not only help with employees’ day-to-day work, but help them collaborate and stay connected with their colleagues. In short they bring Ohana to life and help employees have a great experience at work, wherever they work.
Stop emails and meetings becoming ‘the thing’ rather than ‘doing the thing’
We’re all guilty of getting caught up in seemingly endless emails and meetings throughout the day, which can make us feel like we’re not actually getting anything valuable done. For remote workers, there is greater risk that this process-driven method can become more pronounced. However, when used correctly, technology can actually help us to be more productive and leave more time for creativity.
Collaboration technology can now mimic natural human interaction – and the feeling of being in an office, working face-to-face with colleagues – more closely. Apps such as Chatter and Quip, for example, allow teams to collectively swarm around a solution to a particular problem or theme, meaning stronger collaboration and engagement for workers, regardless of where they’re based. Aston Martin uses Chatter to simplify the way its teams communicate with dealers when they’re in different locations. Similarly, we’ve seen other global brands use Quip to enable teams to work better together and get more done – it allows them to create custom workflows and easily be part of cross-functional teams.
Accessible training for everyone
All employees, no matter if they’re working remotely or from a shared office, need to feel like they have opportunities for progression and learn new skills. Remotely working staff can easily become disengaged if they feel they’re not being given the same access to training as their office-based colleagues.
Employers should therefore adapt their training models, providing remote workers with the resources and guidance that’s suitably adapted for their environment. This includes giving them the option of taking part in training sessions based on their individual needs, at their preferred time, to fit their flexible lifestyle. Whether this is through online training platforms, evening seminars or company away days.
At Salesforce we have an online training platform called Trailhead that ensures employees’ skills are current and relevant while opening up new learning opportunities to everyone, no matter where they sit. Importantly, it provides a direct path for anyone to start learning in-demand skills free, from anywhere.
A more mobile future
According to a Deloitte report, 85 percent of millennial workers want to work remotely all the time, while 54 percent want flexible schedules. This means that all businesses that want to attract the best talent need to think about putting the processes in place to enable flexible working. It is not just large corporates that need to be cognisant about keeping employees engaged – given the changing demands of the workforce, this is going to affect companies of all sizes.
The productivity and efficiency of your team is only as good as your remote management skills. Communication and collaboration will remain the most important aspect of streamlining remote work, as well as the biggest challenge. However, with simple tools such as the Salesforce Mobile App, you can empower employees to take action from anywhere. I personally use the app to align my team on the go and am able to stay current whether I’m over the Pacific or in the back of a cab. And while sometimes I do feel like my team and I are here, there and everywhere, I can honestly say that it also feels like one tight-knit Ohana. We are definitely engaged remotely and not remotely engaged – no matter where we are.
