BY C. Lee Smith
Employees report that the ability to work from home or another location is a key factor in job satisfaction. Employers, on the other hand, aren’t so confident about the remote work arrangements. Team managers are worried about productivity, and they want to reclaim engagement.
The Hybrid Workforce Conundrum
Multiple surveys, including our proprietary AudienceSCAN, have found that nearly 50% of job seekers want the ability to work remote. Team members report a better work-life balance when they don’t have to grind through a daily commute. Employees also don’t love certain aspects of office life – such as the noisy work environment.
This mindset can leave team managers feeling like they are in a no-win situation. Nearly four years after the pandemic started, employers are still struggling with the topic of work location.
Some businesses have embraced a hybrid schedule. Employees may come into the office two or three days a week.
Other employers, such as Amazon, are taking a hardline approach. They will require employees to be in the office five days a week at the start of the new year. Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO, noted that the return to office would allow the company to reclaim engagement.
Change the Purpose of Meetings
If your team members participate in remote work, you may have noticed reduced participation in something else: team engagement. Florence Zettelmeyer, founder of the Ad-Tech Research Lab, has been studying this problem.
Zettelmeyer reports, isolation can be a particular challenge in organizations where projects, tasks, or caseloads are handled largely by individuals.
As team members work independently, it can be challenging to reclaim engagement. This is the time for team managers to step in. The remedy, according to Zettelmeyer, is to develop “lab settings.”
How does this idea differ from the standard weekly team meeting? Managers may decide to have team members with similar jobs give each other feedback on projects such as blog posts. This feedback exchange should happen in person and on a regular basis.
Zettelmeyer worked at Amazon for two years. At that company, which is famous for its meeting format, Zettelmeyer noticed another way for managers to reclaim engagement. Regular, in-person meetings that include a share-out by a team member on their work builds awareness.
During these meetings, spontaneous ideation sessions can lead to better creativity.
Guiding Reluctant Employees
Not everyone may appreciate a big change in the way their team manager has been conducting meetings. Some employees may panic at the idea of presenting before the group in a lunch and learn session.
Managers can develop a sense of their employees’ styles by studying the details of their psychometric assessments. For example, with TeamTrait, managers can learn what motivates their team members and what work traits will surface in a team setting.
Managers can coach employees who lack confidence, help them master the skills needed to make presentations and provide valuable feedback.
Inclusion
Fostering connections between team members isn’t limited to meetings and feedback. Employees should get to know each other through social events. Setting up coffee hours or a team outing to an offsite location takes the pressure off performance.
Managers can poll employees to find an acceptable location. These outings, even if they happen only twice a year, help managers reclaim engagement. As employees learn about their co-workers, they will be more likely to reach out when they have ideas.
When employees realize that other team members care about their success, their loyalty and engagement will increase. These types of exchanges definitely seem to have more impact when they take place in person. If that is not possible, team managers will have to work harder to develop effective ways to improve engagement.
Photo by Luke Miller on Pexels.