The COVID-19 pandemic altered employee expectations and preferences regarding work configuration (remote, hybrid, hybrid-at-will) and overall work-life balance, including benefits and perks. More than ever, potential job candidates and existing employees are drawn to the prospect of partially or fully remote work. In response, more companies are adapting to offer more remote work opportunities to potential and existing employees.
As a result of these widespread changes, many organizations are actively in the process of updating their HR processes to accommodate and support remote workers and, by extension, employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
From innovations in digital onboarding to efforts to leverage technology to improve communication, company culture, and work-life balance, organizations are striving to implement changes that help remote workers feel fully acclimated and connected to their organization and supplied with the tools and resources they need to thrive.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the major changes occurring in HR practices to support remote workers and ensure employee retention and a productive remote workforce.
Innovations in Recruiting, Hiring and Onboarding
One of the obvious advantages of the shift to remote work is that more organizations are empowered to hire skilled employees who work in a range of locations. Although this can improve the quality of your workforce, it can make recruitment and hiring a challenge without the right tools and support. More organizations are working with qualified HR providers to help them more strategically announce job openings, conduct productive virtual interviews (in lieu of traditional face-to-face ones), manage cross-jurisdictional payroll, and properly vet job candidates through comprehensive screening processes. This helps businesses capitalize on access to talent-rich, remote-based applicants while thoughtfully navigating the new challenges that remote work creates.
Of course, the shift to distributed teams and workforces also has a significant impact on onboarding, altering a traditionally in-person process into a more sustained and technology-driven one. Especially for remote workers, onboarding can play a pivotal role in helping new hires become acclimated to company culture, connected with other team members, and fully aware of the policies and standards of your company.
On a practical level, many organizations are shifting to digital onboarding that includes a preboarding process. Preboarding is much easier when paired with an HR platform that allows you to digitally disseminate welcome packages, the employee handbook, benefits information, tax forms, and any documentation that requires e-signature. The right HR software can also allow new hires to complete important training remotely and enjoy a host of virtual socialization opportunities, whether it’s meeting other team members for coffee or tea before their official day one, or participating in performance reviews or check-in meetings with management. In general, more organizations are developing longer and more comprehensive onboarding plans for their remote workforce. Whether it’s leveraging the HR software we’ve mentioned or creating 30-60-90-day plans that strengthen relationships and productivity early on, these approaches are gaining traction and increasing employee engagement while making onboarding more incremental and intuitive for new hires.
Increased Reliance on Digital Tools
To set new hires or existing employees up for success in a remote work configuration, it’s essential to provide them with all of the technology, resources, and software they need to work and communicate easily. In addition to providing baseline equipment such as laptops, monitors, and other physical hardware, working with a qualified HR provider can be incredibly helpful, especially when using HR software that can automate and streamline processes as diverse as payroll, benefits administration, onboarding, timekeeping, scheduling, performance management and more. The best platforms and providers are capable of providing easy 24-7 mobile access to employees, who can report hours, submit PTO requests, review benefits information and complete other HR tasks remotely and from a single platform. In general, this type of software can improve training processes, team management, project workflow, and demonstrate your organization’s investment in making key HR processes simple for both HR staff and remote employees. This investment boosts the morale of employees and empowers your HR staff to bypass redundant manual tasks and focus instead on business growth and supporting employee well-being.
Boosting Employee Engagement, Communication, & Socialization Opportunities
Many organizations are reevaluating and redesigning their approach to onboarding to prevent new hires and new employees from feeling alienated or disconnected from the rest of the workforce, as well as the company’s values and mission. Although a more comprehensive and extended digital onboarding process is an important part of the equation, some companies are doing more to encourage and sustain socialization among remote workforces well past the 90-day employment mark.
For instance, some companies offer virtual classes as a perk for employees; some are work- or career development-related, while others are related to personal wellness. Whether it’s offering optional training for a new work-related tool, organizing free yoga classes, or arranging casual Zoom meetings or “water cooler” sessions between team members every other week, these efforts can go a long way to boost cohesion and connection among your workforce.
Some companies are going a step further to design and offer in-person retreats or getaways for team members to have the opportunity to connect and share ideas. Whether this is hosted at the business’ central location or in a different environment, even these limited opportunities for in-person socialization and collaboration can make future project collaboration more productive. Similarly, by recognizing special events like birthdays through a mailed gift and/or video message, employees feel more connected and valued by their company and co-workers.
Employee-centered programming and even small but consistent gestures of appreciation boost employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity, which in turn increases the overall success of the organization.
Renewed Emphasis on Work-Life Balance
As a general HR practice, more employers are placing a heavy emphasis on creating work-life balance for their remote employees. This is, in part, due to the increased expectations of job candidates who seek companies that offer greater flexibility in terms of work configuration, scheduling, PTO, and other benefits. Ironically, the common belief is that a remote work configuration will lead to less committed or productive work from employees.
In actuality, some remote employees struggle to start and end their work days within normal/expected parameters, sometimes working early, late, or weekend hours beyond the job expectations. Likewise, even among companies that offer benefits and perks like unlimited PTO, unlimited PTO is frequently underutilized when compared to traditional PTO because of employee hesitation to overuse hours, or because of employee issues self-regulating periods of work and rest.
For these reasons, it’s essential for employers to continue to offer compelling remote work and benefits. However, employers should simultaneously encourage remote employees to fully utilize the benefits and flexibility that is offered. This investment in helping employees monitor their own work-life balance reduces the risk of burnout, poor employee retention, and reduced productivity. To achieve this, employers and their HR staff can take the following steps:
- Schedule time for managers to check in with employees regarding their mental health, job satisfaction, and work-life balance, and offer resources or reminders when appropriate.
- Offer health and wellness programming and incentives ranging from stipends for home fitness equipment to gym membership.
- Remind employees to log off from any company portal(s) each day and create clear separation between work and rest/recreational hours each day.
- Provide mental health services and/or resources to support employee well-being.
- Offer learning, career development and other optional training that supports the remote employees’ long-term goals and development.
- Consistently acknowledge high-quality work and offer additional perks or incentives for improved performance.
Upgrade Your HR Strategy with Cello HR
Creating work-life balance, cohesion, high productivity, and streamlined HR processes within your workforce can be a challenge without access to expert tools and support. At Cello HR, our team of experienced HR professionals can help you develop policies and procedures that support remote work, empowering you to implement intuitive software to improve communication, collaboration, training, and development for all of your remote employees.
Ready to improve recruitment, onboarding, employee retention, and productivity across your organization? Contact us today to get started.