working remotely

Workplace flexibility a top priority for candidates: report

Simone Wu — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Workplace flexibility a top priority for candidates: report Simone Wu

It has been more than three years since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. People around the world went through national lockdowns and mobility restrictions; they had to work from home for extended periods, and many spent a lot of time outside of the office because offices had to be closed.

From that, companies learned how to implement hybrid working arrangements and exercised flexibility for employees working from home. As the pandemic moves to the endemic stage globally, some organisations decided to get people back in the office, while others continued with hybrid work arrangements.

It is not flexible if it is defined.

Many companies are looking to revert back to their pre-pandemic days. But the world has changed. People do not want to be ordered back into the office. They want to go to the office when they want to, and when there is a good reason to do so, and not because someone higher up the food chain has instructed them to do so.

In fact, some 1,042 respondents to our Talent Trends 2023 Report ‘The Invisible Revolution’ have ranked flexibility as the No. 2 most important motivator for factors that attract them to join a new company, with No. 1 being salary. Last year, flexibility was ranked at no. 7, indicating that flexibility is now on everyone’s mind.

Flexibility has become a universal right, not a privilege

The three years of pandemic living have demonstrated that work is not more important than one’s personal life. People’s priority has shifted – they now prioritise work-life balance even more.

The concept of work-life balance changed from a largely intangible and hypothetical conversation before the pandemic to an undeniable aspect of everyday life. And it is a factor that affects everyone, from junior-level professionals to those at the C-suite level.

“I had a VP-level candidate who wanted to block off an hour from 4pm every day for time with his child. For them, it is more work-life integration than work-life balance. They view personal responsibilities and professional responsibilities with equal importance, so when hiring senior-level executives, companies need to tailor solutions according to the candidates’ personal interests, situations, and industries,” says Angela Y Yang, Partner at Page Executive Singapore, recruiting senior-level executives for the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector.

The pandemic has also shown us that work can be done outside of the office, and employees can still be productive.

Advantages of workplace flexibility:

Improved work-life balance: Flexibility can enable employees to better manage their personal commitments, leading to reduced stress and increased job satisfaction.
Increased productivity and engagement: When individuals have control over their work arrangements, they are more likely to be motivated, engaged, and productive.
Expanded talent pool: Offering flexible work options can attract a wider range of candidates, including those who may have constraints preventing them from pursuing traditional 9-to-5 roles.
Cost savings: Flexible work arrangements can reduce overhead costs, such as office space requirements, commuting expenses, and employee turnover.

“Flexible work is here to stay,” says Nilay Khandelwal, Managing Director, Michael Page Singapore. “It boils down to the trust created in the last three years of hybrid work. Culture gets created on the back of becoming comfortable with that model.”

It is a complex problem with no easy solution, as the feasibility of remote work is dependent not only on an individual’s personality and personal circumstances but also on the sector and role. Depending on the job scope and industry, employers need to consider flexibility as part of the employee experience.

Challenges of implementing flexibility at the workplace:

Organisational culture and mindset: Many companies still struggle to embrace a culture of flexibility, often due to concerns about accountability, communication, and team collaboration in remote or flexible work environments.
Managerial support and training: Managers play a crucial role in implementing and supporting workplace flexibility. However, some may lack the necessary skills or training to effectively manage remote teams or provide guidance in a flexible work setting.
Technology infrastructure: Adequate technological infrastructure and tools are essential for seamless remote collaboration and communication. Organisations need to ensure that employees have access to reliable and secure technology platforms.
Inequality and access: Workplace flexibility may not be equally accessible to all employees, particularly those in lower-income jobs or industries that require in-person presence. Addressing these disparities and providing equitable flexibility options is an important consideration.

Openness to flexibility is vital for employees who cannot work out of the office. For instance, it might not be practical for someone responsible for running a factory to expect to work from home. However, that person can request more flexible hours.

Some findings on flexibility from our Talent Trends 2023 Report:

72% of respondents in their 40s said that hybrid working is the most important aspect of flexibility, and at the same time, 72% of employees with senior-level managerial responsibilities feel the same way.
75% of respondents in their 20s said flexible working hours are most important, and 74% of employees with mid-level managerial responsibilities feel the same way.

The findings from our talent trends report show that flexibility requirements do not just come from one category of employees – everyone wants flexibility at work.

“Flexibility has to be customised to individuals, and it also depends on the industry. Some people love going to the office, while others don’t. It also depends on your work environment. For instance, in Hong Kong, everyone goes to the office because homes are small. The important thing is to have a choice. It is not flexible if it is defined. Everyone views employee engagement differently and relates to flexibility differently,” adds Khandelwal.

Organisations that embrace flexibility, instead of simply tolerating it, as a good business strategy will have significantly better retention rates.

People don’t want hard and fast rules regarding flexibility — they want your trust to make the right decisions. Retaining talent will improve with adaptive flexibility policies that target individual needs rather than one-size-fits-all policies.

Using benefits like hybrid work as a selling point will not stand out to prospective talent unless a company’s approach to flexibility is holistic and end-to-end.

Since good work-life balance is a non-negotiable expectation for today’s talent, this makes an excellent opportunity for employers to refine flexibility to provide an outstanding employee experience.

Embracing flexible work

One company that has fully embraced a flexible way of working is Heineken Vietnam. “Working from home or anywhere outside the office allows our employees to spend more time with their families and take care of their well-being,” shares Le Qui Don, Human Resources Director, Heineken Vietnam.

“At the same time, some of our employees still want to come into the office some of the time as nothing can replace the joy of true togetherness. This can be attributed to the social nature of human beings, and it also happens to be a part of our purpose and DNA at Heineken Vietnam.”

The hybrid working model was trialled at its head office in Ho Chi Minh City at the start of 2022, and the company is now making preparations for the same model to be rolled out nationwide.

Heineken Vietnam has also made improvements to the interiors of its head office to create a more conducive working environment. It now offers flexi-desks, and chairs with good lumbar support and configured its spaces for better collaboration.

Now is the time for bold, people-first moves

While other companies lament offering flexibility for their employees, others are getting ahead of the curve.

Indonesian peer-to-peer lending platform Alami has chosen to go against the grain, having put in place a four-day workweek since October 2021.

Alami’s CEO, Dima Djani, said that the company wanted to give employees more time to spend with family, pursue hobbies, or participate in faith-based activities.

The impact of this was immediate. After starting the four-day workweek at the beginning of October 2021, the company closed the month with a 40% increase in monthly disbursements, from US$ 7 million to US$10 million, proving that a shorter workweek can do wonders for productivity.

Djani says that putting in place a four-day workweek has led to teams coming up with more creative ways to work, such as collaborating asynchronously to accommodate teammates working in different time zones.

Since news of Alami’s four-day workweek went viral, the company has seen unexpected payoffs in other ways: It received over 4,000 job applications in less than two months. If anything, this is evidence that companies willing to take bold steps to change the way they work will also be more effective at attracting talent.

Employees don’t just want flexibility; they want autonomy

For companies and their leaders to succeed with workplace flexibility, Anthony Thompson, Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific at PageGroup says it empowers employees to decide how and when they want to work. “One of the misconceptions about hybrid work is that everyone wants to work from home. More than ever, what employees want now is to have a choice.

“Leaders and managers will need to communicate regularly to find out what works best for individuals and teams,” he emphasises.

He said he expects to see most APAC markets adopt a blended approach to work. “I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the office. We’re seeing many people who want to be back in the office and having that interaction again,” he noted.

Discover the latest talent trends in our 2023 Talent Trends Report, The Invisible Revolution. This survey report findings are based on responses from 20,811 people across 12 markets in Asia Pacific, of which 1,042 are from Hong Kong.

It covers what hiring professionals need to know to address talent attraction and employee retention for the year ahead. It also highlights a change in the hiring outlook as job candidates and employees now prioritise their well-being more than ever. Download our report to find out more.

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How to create a great employee experience – in the office or at home

Simone Wu — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 17:30:00 +0000

How to create a great employee experience – in the office or at home Simone Wu

Talent-short markets make it imperative for organisations to boost employee retention. To do that, employers need to focus on improving employee engagement and employee experience.

Employee engagement is the emotional connection employees have with their work and their organisation, while employee experience encompasses all the experiences an employee has had throughout their tenure with the company. While there are some overlaps, both elements come together to drive productivity and retention.

However, creating truly effective engagement strategies is no easy feat. For employee engagement initiatives to succeed, they must be tailored to each individual's unique needs and motivations.

Why should you care about creating a great employee experience?

Engaged employees voluntarily invest extra time, effort and initiative to contribute to business success. They feel a sense of purpose within their role, and bring enthusiasm, passion, and energy to the work they do.

As well as being more motivated, committed and loyal, engaged workers are typically higher performers and produce better results for both the customer and the company. Boost your employee experience with these six techniques:

6 ways to boost employee experience

1. Ensure that your leadership is inspiring

Competent, passionate, and hands-on leadership is critical to employee engagement. Showing a genuine interest in your employees and investing time in understanding their needs and aspirations will help send the message that their contribution is valued, creating goodwill and a desire to succeed – both as an individual and as part of a team.

Check in with them regularly to find out how their experience in the workplace can be improved. This can be done informally, by participating in casual conversation, or via occasional non-work activities.

Find out what motivates them by instigating more formal employee surveys and avenues for feedback. Make a point of finding out how your employees define success so you can create a rewarding environment in which they can thrive.

Leaders must also take a serious look at their company’s DE&I policies, and make sincere efforts to effect positive change if current policies are lacking on this front. Michael Page's Talent Trends 2025 shows that 10% of talents in Hong Kong have personally experienced workplace discrimination, while 26% have witnessed colleagues facing the same.

These findings highlight the growing importance of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) in shaping workplace culture – and companies considered to be more progressive will have an edge over their competitors in the war for talent.

2. Provide opportunities for growth

A guaranteed way to disengage staff is to let them feel underused. Engaged employees are those who are given the opportunity to adequately use their skills and are encouraged to stretch those skills in order to progress.

Talk to your employees about their career plans. Does their current role make full use of their strengths and abilities? If not, come up with a plan to expand the role description. Is their career moving in the direction they desire? Try and map out a path within your organisation and agree on targets for promotion.

Are there new or interesting projects they can work on to expand their skillset? Perhaps a secondment to a different department or location will give them the variety they need to maintain engagement.

Discuss the training and development opportunities that can help them advance within the company and provide clear and consistent feedback on how they can improve their performance. Ultimately, showing that you care about helping employees maintain job satisfaction will reap the rewards.

3. Foster meaningful work for all employees

Engaged employees believe that the work they are doing is important and has value. They feel they are contributing to something meaningful and take pride in the results of their efforts.

As a manager, it is crucial to frequently reinforce the importance of your employees’ roles to the organisation as a whole. Help them to see the direct connection between their activities and company success, and the ways in which even the smallest tasks can contribute.

Set goals and challenge your employees to meet them to promote a sense of purpose. Grant them the autonomy to improve the way things are done to help them feel trusted and respected, and involve them in decisions that provide a sense of ownership over the direction of the company.

4. Find ways to recognise and reward employees

For employees to be motivated to give their best, they need to know their efforts will be recognised and rewarded. Regularly thanking them for their efforts demonstrates your awareness of their hard work and provides encouragement for them to boost their performance.

Make the time to celebrate accomplishments, rewarding and recognising employees in ways that are meaningful to them. The celebrations don’t have to be lavish to be meaningful – ordering in a team lunch, sharing wins with the wider business, or presenting someone with a small gift for achieving a milestone goes a long way to making people feel recognised and rewarded.

While competitive pay and good benefits are key motivating factors in accepting a job, providing incentives for higher performance gives employees something extra to strive for and helps them stay engaged for a longer period.

5. Go green

A study published in the Journal of Organisational Behaviour showed that employees at green firms were 16% more productive than employees at other firms, concluding that “employees in such green firms are more motivated, receive more training, and benefit from better interpersonal relationships. [The] employees at green companies are therefore more productive than employees in more conventional firms.”

Similarly, research from the Charlton College of Business at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth found that employees are likely to report higher levels of job satisfaction if they work for a company that is perceived to be environmentally friendly.

Here are some simple strategies your organisation can adopt to improve your green image and employee engagement:

Implement company-wide recycling policies and challenge employees to limit waste
Switch to energy-efficient light globes
Use recycled paper in the printer and challenge employees to use less
Provide employees with reusable water bottles to discourage the consumption of drinks in PET plastic
Ask employees to power down their computers and other desk appliances fully in the evening
Explore corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that can get your organisation involved in helping the local community

6. Put people at the heart of the company culture

Companies that understand people are their greatest asset reap the benefits of an engaged workforce. These days, this means considering employees’ lives beyond the office.

Find out the responsibilities of your employees and consider initiatives that enable them to balance work and home life more easily – this may mean flexible hours or remote work arrangements.

Encourage employees to balance hard work with socialising and fun by investing in social events and regular team-building activities. Promote the sharing of ideas, suggestions, and improvements by asking for feedback in a variety of ways, such as a ‘suggestion box’ initiative or – more difficult but more rewarding – fostering a culture of honest feedback.

A work environment in which people feel valued, and heard, and have a sense of camaraderie is critical to employee engagement.

Ways to maintain employee engagement while working from home

The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work. Remote work has become the new norm for many traditionally in-office roles, and this shift is likely to impact work models long after the lockdown is over.

So, how do you boost individual and team engagement while staff are working from home or telecommuting? Try these tips.

1. Set clear expectations from the outset

Many employees have had to quickly change their working arrangements, which can lead to confusion about what’s expected of them on a day-to-day basis. As a manager, it’s important to communicate your expectations with your team as early as possible, including:

Their responsibilities – these may stay the same, or they may need to change given the new remote work environment.
When they should be online and available – work hours may be fixed or flexible
How and when they should check in with you
New policies and guidelines about workplace conduct, including how to work securely online

Periodically check in with your team to ensure these expectations are being met, and remember that it may take time to find the right workflow for some employees.

2. Be deliberate about communication

Communication can be a challenge for remote teams. A study found that many employees struggle with communication issues and even loneliness when working remotely. To mitigate the risk of disconnected teams and disengaged employees, managers must set the standard for regular, ongoing communication.

Organise regular meetings and catch-ups – both one-on-one with employees and as a team – via apps like Google Hangouts, Zoom and Skype. It’s also a good idea to keep lines of communication open with collaboration platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

3. Embrace flexible ways of working

Many people are trying to navigate unexpected changes in their lives, which often involve juggling childcare and personal commitments with work. Managers should be empathetic and flexible in supporting employees during these times of uncertainty.

Where possible, allow for flexible work arrangements such as flexible working hours, and acknowledge that different people may require certain accommodations due to family situations and living arrangements. This will demonstrate clear support for employees and help stave off resentment during difficult periods.

4. Listen to your team’s feedback

Adopting new ways of working is a learning curve for both managers and workers. With that in mind, encourage your team members to share their challenges and successes while working remotely. Listen to the needs of employees, and incorporate changes to policies and arrangements where possible to help continually improve the work environment for your team.

While it may not be possible to prevent the fear and uncertainty of the current landscape, you can implement processes to support your employees while they navigate unfamiliar territory.

As in any office environment, keeping employee motivation levels up in a remote work situation is key to keeping staff happy, retaining your best people, and maintaining team cohesion.

Start a hiring conversation with Michael Page to find out how you, too, can reap the many benefits of a leading global recruitment agency.

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Putting the “work” into working from home: how to be productive

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 01:52:36 +0000

Putting the “work” into working from home: how to be productive Anonymous (not verified)

Are you accustomed to the work from home or flexible work arrangements many businesses in Hong Kong and China have recently adopted post-pandemic? Many companies have realised that the job can still be done regardless of whether or not you are in the office, from doing anything like promoting MPF products to writing blogs about the Metaverse.

Whether you regularly work from home as per a remote job role or your workplace has new hybrid working policies, you may still find it difficult staying motivated and productive during the day when literally left to your own devices.

Here are some tips on how to set up your working space, the best tools to use if you are working from home, and how to ensure you can still be efficient outside of the traditional office setup.

How can I boost productivity when I work from home?

To start, here’s the bottom line: you can be productive while working from home. Without the distractions of office chatter, group lunches, long meetings, and other regular office activities, you may find yourself more productive than ever before.

On the other hand, it takes more initiative to find that productivity. Also, sometimes people find working from home to be lonely, have trouble with communication or lose the feeling of being part of a team. Getting the right setup and using effective tools can help ensure that doesn’t happen, especially as more jobs become accustomed to the work from home trend.

First, set up your space

It may be tempting to work from your laptop in bed, or relaxing on the couch, but it’s hard to keep up productivity levels like that for long. Set up a working area that includes a comfortable, high-backed chair, a table or desk for your computer and a working environment that feels best for you and allows you to perform diverse job duties as necessary. Having a dedicated workspace also makes it easier to ensure healthy work-life balance, so you don’t feel as if your work is following you home and creeping into your places of relaxation.

Ensure you have a reliable internet connection, and access to all the files you need. If you need to work from home unexpectedly, it might take longer to get access to your work servers. If this is the case, then transfer urgent files to a service like Google Drive to access them away from the office. This is especially true for handling client requests or matters that pop up out of the blue and may need you to access something quickly.

If your days involve a lot of client calls or if you’re handling customer inquiries, make sure you have a quiet environment you can conduct these conversations in. It can be a serious distraction and also seem unprofessional if the sound of never-ending construction from across the street drowns out your voice on calls. Plan your day and step out to go somewhere quieter if needed.

Do you work better with music or in complete silence? While feeling cold or warm? One great advantage of working from home is that you can set up your space in the exact way that makes you feel the most creative and productive. Take advantage of that and make your space work for you - you may be surprised at how easily you complete your diverse job duties, provided you have the right atmosphere.

How to remain focused throughout your work from home arrangement

Work for a set number of hours a day.

Pick a hard start and hard finish time to help structure that day. Decide when you’re going to take a lunch break and other breaks. Having a set schedule that you can refer to will help structure your day and improve focus.

Remove distractions as best as you can.

Turn off the TV and forget any ideas about multitasking chores that you need to do at home while also doing work. Sit down to work in the same way you would in the office and as much as possible, ignore distractions that come up at home versus in the office.

Find childcare if needed.

Working with kids at home? Although they are cute, they can be a huge distraction and affect your productivity. Think about having childcare lined up for your working hours just as you would if you were out of the office. The now-famous moment from the BBC when a daughter, followed by her brother, burst into her father’s live TV commentary is both incredibly adorable and emblematic of what it’s like to work from home with kids around.

Get organised.

If you are working from home only a few days a week, plan the week so that the tasks you do from home are more individual that would benefit from high levels of focus, versus other tasks that you need to collaborate with other team members and may be done more efficiently if you could speak face-to-face in the office.

Stay connected with your team

The work from home trend has shown it’s not necessary to be physically present to communicate clearly and effectively. Aside from the usual ways of communicating with your team, members of supporting management, and relevant stakeholders through email and phone calls, look into other avenues like video calls and instant messages and chats. Collaboration at a distance is easy for everyone with the right tools.

For communication: look into diverting all communication into messenger apps like Slack, Yammer, WeChat or WhatsApp. Skype for Business and Zoom make video calls effective and accessible - arrange daily virtual stand-ups to ensure everyone is on track.

For file sharing: Use programs that will give you access to all necessary documents from wherever you are. Additionally, it will allow multiple people to work off the same document as needed, and avoid confusion on which is the latest version. Look into using tools like Dropbox, Google Drive or Evernote.

For team updates: When you have multiple projects going on, and need to get constant status updates, use a team collaboration tool that allows people to mark what they have done, what’s pending and what else needs to be done. Tools like i done this and Trello allow for virtual team updates and keep everything neatly organised for quick and clear access.

Work smart, work hard

A work from home arrangement can be extremely productive, it’s just a matter of getting organised and making the commitment to do the work needed. Another key to success is being organised and self-motivated.

Working remotely holds a strong place in the future of work and provides continuous learning opportunities, and those who thrive within this environment may even see prospects for career advancement such as a future internal transfer given their ability to work remotely.

Find out what else workplaces of the future might have in store, and discover work from home jobs and contract jobs in Hong Kong that offer ultimate flexibility and have attractive salary potential for the successful candidate.

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6 tips on managing remote teams more effectively

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 04:25:30 +0000

6 tips on managing remote teams more effectively Anonymous (not verified)

Having looked after teams in Asia over the last eight years, I am the first to admit that managing people remotely is hard work. Why? Because remote teams are isolated from the day-to-day communication that the rest of us take for granted.

While everyone might be clear about a project at the start of the week, by Friday the work may have been clarified, discussed, refined and massaged into something very different. Without access to these conversations, it’s no surprise that your remote team members can be five steps behind everyone else! We assume they’re on the same page, but in reality they’ve been left out and robbed of the opportunity to add value.

Throughout my career, I have found that the secret to effectively managing teams remotely is simple: When in doubt, communicate! Here are six ideas that I’ve implemented to stay better connected to my team overseas:

Create a daily summary

At the end of each day, a member of my team will compile discussion points around key projects. If we talked about processes, issues, concerns, or made any decisions during the course of the day – it’s documented, filed, and sent out to the remote team members. That way, nothing gets lost in translation.

I’ve been doing this with my teams for the last 12 weeks now and the results have been very positive – the remote members of my team feel more included and informed; and I can close doors faster with fewer errors than before.

Give them clear goals, tasks and deadlines

We all know role ambiguity kills engagement. The last thing I want is for the remote members of my team to feel like they’re isolated from the rest of the team, and are waiting around for work. It’s critical to let them know exactly what I want them to achieve over the coming month/quarter, so that they can feel empowered, independent and in control.

During regular catch-ups we’ll verbally agree on tasks, KPIs, short and long-term milestones; document them; and then refer back to this on an on-going basis. Checking in regularly to see how they’re going is critical, particularly for those that are shy/uncomfortable about bringing up issues. Of all the engagement strategies I’ve implemented, I’ve found this to be the most effective so far.

Recognise their efforts publically

Remote teams often don’t get the verbal “Good job!” that people offer in passing here. I make an effort to regularly recognise their contribution publically, such as in a team meeting or team email. This helps them to feel like their efforts are acknowledged and valued – and that they’re part of the team.

I don’t always wait for something “big” to happen to recognise them. It could be as simple as telling them they have written a good email, or thanking them for completing a task proactively.

Recently one of my team members in Asia presented some information on a conference call. I sent them an email telling them they did a great job on the call citing a specific example: “I like the way you handled question x on the call.” I then followed that up in our next team meeting giving them a few minutes on the call to talk about their presentation and how they felt it went.

When it comes to managing people remotely, out of sight doesn’t need to mean out of mind. By making the effort to (over)communicate and include them as part of the team, we both win.

Get them involved in team building/celebrations

Celebrating together and creating shared memories is one of the best ways I’ve found to bring my remote and local teams together. Here’s an example: My team completed a major global project last year, and I was given budget to take them to lunch as a congratulations.

Instead, we bought a cake in Sydney and organised a team meeting via teleconference. While on the line to Singapore, they received a knock at the door, and were surprised with a cake of their own (which I had organised through the office manager).

We all enjoyed in the cake celebration as a team, and it’s a memory that the team in Singapore still recount to this day. We do the same for holidays – whether it’s exchanging Christmas cards, chocolates for Valentine’s Day, lanterns for Diwali or envelopes for Chinese New Year – if it happens here, we make sure it happens for the remote members of my team. For a small cost, these things go a long way to making people feel included.

Schedule meetings within their time zone

Another simple consideration: if you are managing people outside of your country, make meetings in a convenient time within their time zone. Unless a major crisis has erupted, I also avoid missing or changing meetings with Asia. They’re not here to understand why a meeting can’t happen, so it’s important to honour the commitment to demonstrate that I value their time and prioritise our catch ups.

Slow down meeting agendas

Phone conversations are tough, even if language issues aren’t a factor. For people on the receiving end it’s often difficult to hear, hard to interject, and impossible to interpret social queues. It’s critical to avoid rushing through the agenda. Remote teams need a chance to weigh in and respond, as we can’t see perplexed looks or confusion. They need to feel they’ve had a chance to listen and participate. Here’s how I structure each discussion point:

“Does anyone in Asia have any questions?”

“Does anyone in Australia have any questions?”

“Asia team – before we move on from this topic, do you have anything more to add?”

This gives my remote team ample opportunity to have things repeated, clarified or explained. Meetings are minuted and distributed, then followed up with a personal phone call to ensure everything was understood, and to give them a chance to clarify things privately. It also means that as a manager all major announcements and changes are captured, should I need to refer to them down the track.

When it comes to managing people remotely, out of sight doesn’t need to mean out of mind. By making the effort to (over)communicate and include them as part of the team, we both win – the business leverages their talents, and they feel like an engaged and valued member of the team.

Marcus Sandmann

Summary

More and more employees are working remotely, and sometimes entire teams are separated from their manager, which can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection.

The most important things to do is maintain regular, consistent communication with remote workers and teams, and to have clear parameters in place to ensure no communication is misinterpreted.

working remotely

Workplace flexibility a top priority for candidates: report

Flexibility has become a universal right, not a privilege

Advantages of workplace flexibility:

Challenges of implementing flexibility at the workplace:

Some findings on flexibility from our Talent Trends 2023 Report:

Embracing flexible work

Now is the time for bold, people-first moves

Employees don’t just want flexibility; they want autonomy

I need to hire

Popular articles

Advertise Your Role With Us

How to create a great employee experience – in the office or at home

Why should you care about creating a great employee experience?

6 ways to boost employee experience

1. Ensure that your leadership is inspiring

2. Provide opportunities for growth

3. Foster meaningful work for all employees

4. Find ways to recognise and reward employees

5. Go green

6. Put people at the heart of the company culture

Ways to maintain employee engagement while working from home

1. Set clear expectations from the outset

2. Be deliberate about communication

3. Embrace flexible ways of working

4. Listen to your team’s feedback

I need to hire

Popular articles

Advertise Your Role With Us

Putting the “work” into working from home: how to be productive

How can I boost productivity when I work from home?

First, set up your space

How to remain focused throughout your work from home arrangement

Work for a set number of hours a day.

Remove distractions as best as you can.

Find childcare if needed.

Get organised.

Stay connected with your team

Work smart, work hard

Join over 60,000 readers!

Job Match

Topics

Popular Articles

6 tips on managing remote teams more effectively

Create a daily summary

Give them clear goals, tasks and deadlines

Recognise their efforts publically

Get them involved in team building/celebrations

Schedule meetings within their time zone

Slow down meeting agendas

Summary