Category: Remote Work

When managed right, remote work can be engaging, flexible, dynamic with the desired outcome. It’s 2021, and we are going through the second tremor of the deadly virus. As the second wave of pandemic breaks in, we will see remote work gaining momentum again.  But this time, it is going to be “learn from your mistakes” what failed in 2020 cannot be repeated in 2021 cause organisations are all set on their revival path.  Remote work is no doubt incredible, but it comes with its baggage of difficulties. The report suggests that in 2020 the most common concern raised by employees is “they forgot to unplug from work”. Blending work and personal time, employees complain of failing to call a day at a reasonable time.  You might have felt that the productivity of your team is fluctuating. Common reasons detected are feeling of burnout, isolation, disconnectedness, etc. Considering all the challenges, 2021 will see a transformation in remote working and following five trends will shape remote work management in 2021, which is forecasted to continue in 2022. Integration of Technology When it comes to managing virtual teams, leaders are looking for technology that will integrate different tools required for managing the remote workforce. There might be ten different tools that will keep team members on the same page, from communication tools to workflow management, helping the leaders to track and manage. But handling ten different tools is tedious. Thus, 2021 will see the rise of a single platform with the integration of various tools in a single platform, making collaboration easier.  Flexibility of timing Remote work has become a melting point of your professional life and daily household chores. In such an atmosphere where team members are juggling work and household task, having a traditional work time doesn’t make sense.  2021 will promote an outcome-driven culture. Organisations have understood the importance of flexible timings to complete the task. Moreover, in the remote culture, tracking outcome based on the KPIs is the best way to measure your team’s productivity. Reduced Conference Calls  In remote work, morning generally begins with daily sync calls. But then it doesn’t end there. Slowly organisations have started questioning the effectiveness of video conferencing. Is it draining our productivity? Long calls have left the team with less time to finish off with the priority task. Responding to this, in 2021, we will see the trend of reduced video calls and focussing more on task. Transforming HR practices 2021 will see the demand for digital transformation in HR practices. With mass employees going remote mode, it has become essential to leverage built-in support for virtual onboarding. When employees do not have F2F interaction, there is a chance of feeling isolated. Thus, it becomes vital for HR to promote inclusive culture by deploying a digital platform and be connected to the employee’s journey. This year, we will see some transformation HR practices with the objective of employee’s well-being.  Filling the gap through Reskilling Pandemic has put a halt on individual growth. The report suggests that “54% of workforce needs reskilling by 2022”. Pandemic has widened the skill gap, and reskilling is becoming urgent in organisations. With a heavy focus on digitisation, AI, cloud computing, machine learning and analytics, the in skill demand for the same is on rising. Gartner report suggests only 16% of the workforce possess adequate skills for new jobs. Thus in 2021, we will see the rise of reskilling in remote work mode.  Pandemic has shown us how a remote work model can become a choice for an organisation without affecting productivity. It has been an immensely successful model in the tough time. With learnings from the past, taking care of the challenges will ensure a smooth transition.

If 2020 was about a quick shift to the remote team then 2021 is about a hybrid team. A hybrid team consists of workers who prefer to work completely from home or anywhere but office workers who feel isolated and distracted at home and prefer having “office” cubicles. Now think of a manager, who is expected to deliver his best while managing the hybrid team. Managing a hybrid team means you need to keep your team members on the same page. You have to make sure that the company culture is intact and there is a free flow of communication among the members. Isn’t it daunting? Here are your key managing ways to follow to get your hybrid team organised Don’t shun the remote work model The first mistake that the manager must avoid is not ignoring the remote work model. When you have a hybrid team, you have to ensure that the team members are on the same page. Now, you must be thinking- how to do that? In the following way! Empowering team members with tools that will help them have common access.  Avoid using different communication platforms to communicate important messages. For example- if you are using Microsoft teams for daily standups and scrum calls for a remote team, make sure you don’t use your boardroom for the onsite team.  Use a project management tool to maintain transparency while setting up a task for each team member. They must not only be aware of what is expected out of them but also aware of the task assigned to their team members.  Strive for outcome-based culture When you have a team that doesn’t work together, you cant focus on the process-based culture. Keep the rule the same and focus on outcome-based culture. The ultimate objective of a manager is to get the work done. In an outcome-driven culture, hybrid teams work best. When a manager cannot invigilate on the task team members are performing every hour, it the outcome that will help them track the performance. Thus setting a SMART goal and aligning objectives with key results (OKR) will enhance the productivity rate. Keep up the positive organisation culture A positive organizational culture is built when managers are up with a certain set of values that promote ethical ways. In a hybrid model, remote team members might feel isolated due to the concept of “out of sight out of mind”. A skilful manager ensures a fair and equitable workplace for both the team.  A positive culture is also built through the team-building process. Remote team member must feel that there is an inclusive supportive environment present in the workplace. If they are stuck, then there are team members who are willing to brainstorm and get out of it.  Promote Social Connection A strong bond among the team members works exacerbates the action. Lack of trust and relationship among the team members can be a barrier at work. Long gone are those days when team members used to go out for office lunch.  But in the hybrid team, this culture might complicate the team spirit. Thus, opportunities that the in-office team gets such as shared lunch and small talk must be provided to the remote teams too.  Promote a virtual “water-cooler” culture among employees. Organise some remote-friendly activities such as playing games, talking about hobbies, sharing emotions and setbacks etc to promote social connections.  2021 brings a new challenge for the managers who need to manage the hybrid team efficiently. Keeping the team together is challenging, keeping the isolation away is another challenge. The hybrid work model needs more attention and the manager must keep on experimenting with new ways.