Motivating the unseen

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Monthly Article
Motivating the Unseen                                                                     April 2008

How do you motivate “virtual” employees who work away from a traditional office?
How do you keep their performance at initial highs?

We are the unseen. We transcribe medical data, we are professors, writers, we are insurance billing clerks,
technical support, and yes, consultants. We go by the names “virtual employees,” “distance workers,” “virtual
staffers,” or “remote employees.” We work from home or from distant offices. Sometimes we work at our clients’
sites. And we are growing in number each year.


              “Futurework: Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century," a report by the
              Department of Labor, found that roughly one in ten workers fits into an alternative
              work arrangement, with nearly 80 percent of employers offering some form of non-
              traditional staffing arrangements.


Careerbuilder.com reports that 39% of employers surveyed plan to provide more flexible work arrangements in 2008
including telecommuting options. So how should managers keep their remote employees in the know, happy and
productive?

A clear orientation program to the distant work arrangement with specific expectations is essential. For
example, does the employee need to be available during core office hours, or can he/she work from 8:00pm to
2:00 a.m. if that is the person’s most productive time? When a manager can trust that an employee will perform
to established standards, and no micromanagement is required, trust builds.

In a recent edition of Retention Connection, Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, explains
that recognition and rewards can be the biggest hurdle in virtual workplaces.

In a virtual environment, recognition needs to be more of a conscious and planned act because there are not as
many spontaneous opportunities to acknowledge an employee's hard work and accomplishments. Making sure a
virtual employee stays motivated, happy, and productive is the key to ensuring the success of a virtual workplace.

New forms of recognition must be developed according to the work situation. For example, the corner office or a
primo parking spot are no longer beneficial to remote employees. Verbal or written praise can go a long way to
help employees feel included. Some possibilities Mr. Nelson suggests are:
     an upgraded or faster computer
     learning and development opportunities
     live plants
     gift certificates for local restaurants or theaters
Actually, the best way to reward remote employees is to be flexible with your plan and simply ask them. Survey
employees to find out what they want!
        “As you involve those you are trying to motivate, not only are you likely to be more on the mark,
        but others will more likely take ownership of the recognition program and activities. Involvement
        equals commitment and the best management is what you do with others, not to them.” Bob
        Nelson



Communication
“Increase communication as you increase distance,” says Bob Nelson, in Workforce 2000. Constant
communication is the bridge to keep remote employees in the loop. In addition to e-mail, there are many
electronic tools now available to assist you in keeping your virtual employees in the loop. Consider how you could
use the following tools:


     newsletters
     Web chats
     electronic message boards, especially ones that focus on problem resolution or group praise
     conference calls, teleconferencing and Web-conferencing
     Project management software that helps track progress
     Calendars shared on-line
     Intranets that store in-house documents

Non-electronic connections should not be overlooked. Some of these might be helpful:

     Invite virtual employees to office happy hours and holiday parties
     Visit them at their site periodically
     Share promotional items from vendors with remote workers (everyone loves free stuff!)
     Include remote workers in congratulatory meetings by calling them to hear the kudos

Communicating in any means other than face-to-face can more easily be misinterpreted (remember, when
speaking to someone, 93% communication is non-verbal). One helpful tip is when assigning a new project, don’t
use e-mail or voice mail. Instead, be sure to talk to the employee and allow him/her to ask questions about the
details of the project.

Socialization
The remote employee lacks the day-to-day social interaction with co-workers, which suits some just fine, and
isolates others who would love to “do lunch” with a co-worker. Since we spend most of our waking hours at our
jobs, this isolation can be a serious factor in retaining employees or team members who work on their own. In
fact, “isolation is one of the most common reasons given by online students who drop out or fail” according to the
January 21, 2008, US News & World Report article entitled, “New Answers for E-Learning.”

Says Caela Farren, CEO of MasteryWorks, "Managers who get to know their people, respect and trust the
competency of their employees, and listen continually for how employees are doing relative to their aspirations,
quality of work life, and sense of career advancement, will have a far greater chance of developing and retaining
their employees."
                                                 Resources

http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Resources/CareerResources.aspx?sc_cmp2=JS_Nav_CarRes

http://www.ebizinsider.com/0108-managing-virtual-employees.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FXS/is_8_79/ai_64694301
http://www.milspouse.com/work-from-home-challenges.aspx#postcomment

http://www.retentionconnection.com/article_recognize_long-distance.html

“New Answers for E-Learning,” by Kim Clark. Page 46-50, U.S. News & World Report, January 21, 2008.




                    written by Tanya Kruk, a remote member of ICATT Consulting, Inc.