How do you develop and retain remote workers and reduce turnover and attrition?

Clearly articulate what the end goal of the project is, ensuring that everyone involved understands what success looks like. This includes defining the deliverables, deadlines, and milestones. Break larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks, and assign specific responsibilities to team members. This reduces the chance of things slipping through the cracks and helps everyone stay on track. Since remote work removes the usual office touchpoints, it’s important to establish how and when communication should happen. This could include daily or weekly check-ins, project updates via email, or team meetings through video conferencing.

Establishing clear communication channels and setting transparent expectations is fundamental to the success and retention of remote workers also regularly scheduled check-ins and feedback sessions can further enhance communication and alignment.

Es muy importante que para que las personas de tu equipo se sientan parte de la empresa e involucradas, cual es su papel dentro de la empresa, qué impact tiene su trabajo como parte del equipo. Saber qué se espera de tí y dar feedback de manera regular de los avances, hará que tu equipo esté motivado.

To retain and develop remote employees: 1. Regular Check-Ins: Hold frequent virtual meetings for updates and support. 2. Clear Goals: Set and communicate clear expectations and objectives. 3. Professional Development: Offer online learning and growth opportunities. 4. Recognition: Acknowledge achievements and milestones. 5. Feedback: Provide continuous, constructive feedback. 6. Work-Life Balance: Respect boundaries to prevent burnout. 7. Tech Tools: Equip teams with collaboration and productivity tools. 8. Community: Foster a sense of belonging through virtual team-building activities. Engagement and development are key to retaining remote talent.

Here are some tips for setting clear expectations: Be specific. Don't just say "I expect you to work hard." Instead, say something like "I expect you to complete 10 tasks per day, with a 90% accuracy rate." Be measurable. How will you know if the expectations have been met? Make sure the expectations are measurable so that you can track progress and provide feedback. Be achievable. The expectations should be challenging but achievable. If the expectations are too difficult, people will get discouraged and give up.

Engage remote workers in group participation just like the on-site workers if there are any, in order to eliminate the feeling of isolation. Effective and constant communication helps to avoid gaps in updates, change in delivery direction and expectation of the remote workers. Appreciate their input in the organization.

Regularly scheduled meetings (like daily stand-ups or weekly team updates) help everyone stay aligned on goals, progress, and any challenges they’re facing. Use a mix of communication tools to accommodate different needs and preferences. Some people might prefer quick chats over email, while others may find video calls more effective for understanding complex ideas. Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams can facilitate real-time messaging, while Zoom or Google Meet allows for face-to-face interaction. Offer opportunities for remote learning and development through online courses, webinars, or training. Investing in their growth helps remote workers feel valued and improves their sense of purpose within the team.

I find that meeting rhythms are an important part of managing and developing remote employees and teams. Daily huddles and weekly meetings can help tremendously with focus. Start with a daily huddle in the morning, taking a few minutes to celebrate any big accomplishments from the previous day. Then move into dashboard and KPI review to understand process effectiveness, tasks and projects, ending with an opportunity to talk through any road blocks they need help with. A longer weekly meeting should be used to address longer agenda items, operational updates, and more in-depth problem solving and planning. A quarterly meeting can be expanded to included strategic planning and goal setting.

Establish transparent and open communication channels. Regularly check in with remote workers to discuss their progress, challenges, and career goals. Use a combination of video calls, emails, and messaging tools to keep everyone connected.

Agree, I have faced a huge performance loss because of a lack of regular conversation with remote talent. It's really necessary to communicate and clear each other's expectations with remote talent. I would prefer to arrange regular in-person meetings with a remote team. It could be along with a team outing activity or corporate event but it will help employees and employers to understand the actual business need vision of the company.

Training and development are key to anyone’s success but making certain to know how that person learns the best is necessary. Is the person an audio or visual learner? Share the goals of each training, how long it should take and the desired outcome. When I work with organizations, I think sharing the training expectations is overlooked along with gathering feedback and evaluating how much they retained from the training. Add in interactive trainings and also quizzes to test their knowledge. I think follow up trainings are very underrated as well.

Provide access to reputable online platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning where employees can take courses relevant to their roles, from technical skills to soft skills like communication and leadership. You could also consider customized in-house training modules tailored to the company’s needs. Encourage continuous feedback between remote workers and managers, peers, or mentors. This can be done through regular one-on-one meetings, 360-degree feedback, or peer reviews. Feedback provides valuable insights into performance and helps identify areas for growth.

Not everyone learns the same way, so it's important to use a variety of training methods. This could include online courses, webinars, e-books, video tutorials, and in-person workshops. My fave: LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and Coursera

Offer opportunities or training for skill development and career advancement. Remote employees, like any other workers, want to grow in their roles. Provide access to online courses, workshops, and mentoring programs to support their professional development.

Just because your team is remote doesn't mean they should miss out on growth opportunities. [1] Offer Tailored Online Courses: -> Consider partnering with platforms like Coursera and Udemy to offer courses that align with both company needs and individual career goals. [2] Create Mentorship Programs: -> You can pair newer remote workers with seasoned employees for mentorship. -> This not only helps with skill development but also fosters a sense of community. Example: Atlassian, the company behind Jira and Trello, provides their remote employees with a $3,000 stipend annually to use for professional development, whether it's attending a conference, taking an online course, or buying books.

Help remote workers set clear boundaries between work and personal life by establishing expectations about working hours. Promote flexibility, but also encourage employees to disconnect when their workday is over. This helps prevent burnout and ensures they have time to recharge. Loneliness can be a major issue in remote work. Organize virtual team-building activities or social events to help employees connect with each other. Casual video calls or chat channels dedicated to non-work-related topics can help foster a sense of community. Encourage employees to incorporate physical activity into their day, whether it's a quick walk, a workout, or stretching. Consider offering wellness programs or subsidies for fitness apps or gym memberships

Remote work is often valued for its flexibility. Allow remote employees to have some control over their work hours and schedules. This flexibility can contribute to a better work-life balance and increased job satisfaction.

Prioritizing my team's well-being and work-life balance is paramount. Recognizing that everyone has lives beyond work, I encourage maintaining a healthy balance even during the "standard work hours" - we all have priorities and not being restrictive to a normal work schedule is important to maintain that balance and mental well-being. Supporting remote workers in navigating both personal and professional commitments is key to a thriving and fulfilled team.

A big perk for remote work is work-life balance. You don’t have a commute, can work in sweats, save money by eating at home etc but the negative is that your work is in your home. Workers are more likely to stay longer to finish up one last item or check a notification when they hear it. It doesn’t seem like much at first but it adds up to where you’re working much more than the typical 40 hours. It’s best to make sure there is time for them to connect with their team with maybe a team event on person or virtually. Also provide a dedicated platform/space to ask questions or ask for help in a judgement free zone. When the market switches back to a candidate market, companies that provide a wfh office stipend will be more competitive!

It's definitely important for remote workers to maintain their lifestyle. I believe that remote work, while has numerous benefits. Also leads to physical and mental health issues. It's important to take breaks, have a walk or exercise daily and keep the body moving. Health is wealth. And it's also a responsibility for employers to make sure employees are feeling relaxed and not burdened while providing them all the necessary resources.

Remote workers often feel disconnected from the organization. To counter this, create open lines of communication by being transparent about company goals, challenges, and successes. Regularly check in with them through one-on-one meetings and team calls. Trust your remote workers to manage their time and responsibilities. Allowing them to take ownership of their tasks and projects not only fosters a sense of responsibility but also demonstrates confidence in their abilities. Ensure that the compensation you offer is competitive and aligned with industry standards. Offer performance-based bonuses or incentives to reward exceptional contributions and to motivate employees to keep striving for excellence.

Remote work can often be used as a bargaining chip to try to pay less but it’s just a different work model with its own challenges. Remote work is competitive in this employers’ market because of the flexibility, ability to save more money, be comfortable and have more time. The job market is a boom and bust cycle so when it swings to a candidates’ market more companies will be remote and provide more compensation. It’s still true that the best way to get a raise is to job hop. You can get 10-20% increase in pay switching jobs when merit raises for staying are typically around 2%. To combat this companies need to offer an environment with a good work culture and other comprehensive benefits like PTO, 401k matching, EAP, health etc

Retaining and rewarding remote workers involves a combination of recognizing their contributions, providing meaningful incentives, and creating a positive work environment.

Más que retenerlos como si fueran rehenes, hay que hablar de fidelización y para ello es importante el reconocimiento cuando se lleva su trabajo a la excelencia. Nombrar a las personas que han hecho algo explendido en una reunión de equipo por ejemplo, o en un email poniendo en copia al director, son algunas acciones que funcionan y que ayudan a darle visibilidad a esas personas que más tarde lo necesitarán para una promoción.

Your employees may not be in the office, but they should feel valued and appreciated. [1] Performance-Based Bonuses: -> Implement a performance-based bonus system -> Instead of generic end-of-year bonuses, tailor rewards to specific achievements. [2] Public Recognition: -> During your weekly team meetings, take a few minutes to publicly recognize the achievements of our team members. -> Whether it’s a shoutout in your Slack channel or a spotlight feature in your newsletter, make sure everyone knows their contributions are valued.

Just in a simple line gain your remote working team's trust and also trust them too, I have seen that some people get jealous and start complaining about employees though the most funny thing in this is that the one who complains are also working from home. Don't take any action without understanding the whole picture

Tips for developing and retaining remote workers: 1. Onboarding: - Provide orientation materials. - Assign a mentor. - Conduct regular check-ins. 2. Communication: - Use collaboration tools. - Encourage transparent communication. - Schedule virtual meetings. 3. Work Culture: - Promote work-life balance. - Celebrate achievements. - Encourage team-building. 4. Employee Well-being: - Encourage breaks. - Promote self-care. - Provide mental health resources. 5. Sense of Belonging: - Organize team-building activities. - Facilitate video calls. - Create collaboration platforms. 6. Address Burnout: - Encourage time off. - Promote workload self-assessment. - Implement work-life balance policies.

Host virtual team-building activities that go beyond work. From online game nights to virtual coffee breaks, these events help the team members bond on a personal level, making them feel like they're part of something bigger than just their job. We, at Typescouts, empower our remote workers by giving them ownership over their projects. This not only boosts their confidence but also drives innovation.

Personal interaction holds significant importance. Unlike machines, humans benefit more from face-to-face meetings, be it with colleagues, clients, or supervisors, compared to virtual communication. In prolonged remote work scenarios, this can potentially impact performance and motivation. If managing a remote team or operating a remote company, my recommendation is to organize gatherings (team-wise, for instance) at least 4-5 times a year to humanize relationships.