Karl Laughton
Nearly three in 10 employees (29%) would quit their job if they were told they were no longer allowed to work remotely, according to a recent survey. In addition, a recent Harvard Business Study found that “companies that let their workers decide where and when to do their jobs — whether in another city or in the middle of the night — increase employee productivity, reduce turnover and lower organizational costs.”
Over the past 18 months, while instituting a remote work model, our turnover rate at Insightly was the lowest in company history and an internal survey found happiness levels to be twice as high from the previous year. This in the midst of a major pandemic, social movement, forest fires and a disruptive election — all happening at the same time.
On a larger, global scale, employers from companies around the world are coming to the same realization: You don’t need an office to be productive and employees are happier working from home.
The next logical step is, at the same time, a majorly disruptive one and a 180-degree shift toward how companies have operated for over 100 years — the transition from in-person headquarters to a remote, work-from-anywhere model. In line with this shift, we’ve foregone our 40,000-square-foot Soma office space and employees are able to work from anywhere in the United States while keeping the same salary.
There will no doubt be challenges, and there already have been. But with these challenges also arises immense opportunity. Here are a few battle-tested tips on how to maintain productivity while delivering flexibility with this new work model:
Reallocate overhead savings
Let employees choose where they live. Allowing this option will better their lives and make for happy, engaged employees. Overhead costs, especially in large cities such as San Francisco, are the largest operating expense for most companies. Take this large sum of money and invest in employee happiness. You don’t need thousands of square feet in office space to be successful.
That massive overhead cost you just got rid of? Use this toward more meaningful employee experiences that will enhance their lives.
The word “benefit” has come to stand for so much more in the workforce. At Insightly, mental health has become our number one priority. There is now a monthly speaker series and mental health professionals to help our employees maintain happiness. We also provide monthly yoga as well as guided meditation every other week.
When it comes to employee interaction, find activities through common interests that provide social connections. Our company has implemented everything from escape rooms, trivia and cooking classes to a virtual petting zoo. Our monthly newsletter has shifted from a recap of company news to a lifestyle newsletter that announces changes in employees’ lives and other non-work events to keep employees connected on a personal level.
As tech offices begin to reopen, the workplace could look very different
Don’t expect 9 to 5
As long as your employees are available when your customers are in need and goals are consistently met, 9 to 5 no longer needs to be a thing. Where we work is changing, so how and when we work must change too. Utilize tools and application platforms such as Slack and CRMs to allow your employees to share information while living in different cities to provide a great customer experience.
Think digital first
Speaking of application platforms, it’s about to become much harder for employees to align around key performance indicators when they are no longer in a physical, shared office space. Therefore, it is crucial to start implementing digital tools such as CRM, Zoom and Slack that allow employees to share information across applications and keep everyone in sync.
We live in the digital age, where new data is generated every second. All that information, including customer data, is useless if you don’t properly manage it and integrate different parts of your business to implement continuous data-driven improvement. Adapting a management platform will keep your business and customer data secure, align remote teams and track progress across the entire organization.
Hire coast to coast
Utilize your newfound global talent pool. You can now compete for top talent anywhere in the country and the world. Moreover, hiring remotely allows you to build a more diverse team in every sense and attract people from different backgrounds and skill sets.
Break up remote with occasional in-person gatherings
As a last phase, and with no headquarters in place, it’s important to provide regional, in-person gatherings that break up the monotony of Zoom. Provide the option of in-person engagement on both regional and national levels.
On a regional level:
- Hold regional events that bring employees and their families together.
- If an employee is traveling through an area, connect them with others who live there and can provide restaurant recommendations and things to do.
- Pay attention to the most common relocation areas and pick up real estate in these areas so there is an option for employees who want in-person from time to time (Texas and Florida have been the most popular relocation areas for Insightly employees thus far).
On a national level:
- Get the whole company together twice a year — you can afford to do this now that you have no overhead cost.
- Implement activities so that employees in all departments and all levels can interact while in person.
The bottom line: Employers are at a crucial crossroads when it comes to deciding where and how to let employers do their jobs. There are those who will adopt the work-from-anywhere model and those who resist it. As recent studies have shown, those who resist it will likely struggle to keep employees.
At this point, it’s clear we aren’t going back to the way we worked before the pandemic. Now the task is to make remote work the best it can be and to keep work productive and meaningful.
To win post-pandemic, startups need remote-first growth teams
Comment