 Although telecommuters are currently in the minority, staffing industry
analysts predict that by the year 2020, 50 percent of the U.S. workforce will
be working independently either part- or full-time.
To
promote health among employees who work remotely, it’s important to know the
benefits of working off-site and specific ways to foster engagement.
Benefits that successful
remote workers report
- extra sleep
- increased productivity with
fewer interruptions
- the ability to work when,
where, and how they prefer
- less office drama
- the ability to walk the dog
during breaks
- less dry cleaning and other
clothing expenses
- no need to bring or buy lunch
- more time for leisure and
social activities with less commuting
- financial savings, improved overall
health, and reduced stress with less commuting
Benefits that mobile workforce employers report
- In State of the American Workplace,
Gallup found that the ability to work remotely corresponds with higher
engagement, and that workers who work remotely 60 percent to 80 percent of
the time experience optimal engagement.
- With a mobile workforce, it is
easier to scale teams up and down as needed.
- With the skills gap companies
are facing, remote options enable employers to cast a wider net and tap
into different labor markets.
- Some organizations have seen a
significant increase in the quality and efficiency of work performance and
employee retention, as well as fewer direct and overhead costs.
7 ways
to foster engagement with remote workers
-
To succeed, remote working requires
strong management skills and performance-measuring tools. If this is a new area for your organization, the
state-funded initiative eWorkPlace
Minnesota has a toolkit to help you get started.
- Encourage
senior leaders to show their support for remote working and make it related to
the specific business outcomes that remote work is intended to achieve.
- Your
wellness program is a great resource for bringing a dispersed workforce
together. Check out this Virgin Pulse whitepaper on wellness culture
as a unifying force.
- Conduct engaging virtual meetings. Harvard
Business School offers these five tips to make that happen.
- To
build cohesion, encourage small gestures like sharing information, offering
help when someone is struggling with a project, or offering congratulations on
even a minor success.
- Virtual teams should spend
time agreeing on ground rules related to availability and meeting schedules.
The book Remote: Office not Required
by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier
Hansson offers numerous insights into optimizing remote work.
- For even more specific
guidance and case studies, the American Psychological Association has compiled
this comprehensive list of resources for
employers.
Since
remote working is a relatively new concept for many, we’d love to hear what
your organization has figured out. Add your comments in our Health@Work
LinkedIn group to share and learn from
others.
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