Many businesses have flirted with the idea of work-from-home options for years. And between lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, the coronavirus pandemic forced the issue. Plus, lots of employees and companies discovered they preferred this more flexible arrangement during the last year. As a result, your organization may decide to permanently shift to a remote or hybrid workplace.

So, what works?

Tips for Leading a Hybrid or Remote Workforce

Update Remote Hiring and Onboarding

The first step in leading a dispersed workforce is to create a great employee experience from day one; hiring and onboarding set the tone for the employer/employee relationship. Processes are different for remote versus in-person employees, so be sure to consider:

• If someone can't travel to your location, will you conduct phone interviews, video interviews, or both?
• How will you communicate your culture and help all new hires gel with their teams -- regardless of where they work?
• What will you do to build and maintain great professional relationships with your employees?
• As a leader, how will you share the company vision -- and inspire new hires to help realize it?
• How can you set up off-site training that is as effective as on-site training?
• What methods will you use to introduce remote hires to their new co-workers authentically?

Invest in the Right Technology

To keep your hybrid/remote workforce connected and productive, you must build appropriate infrastructure. This includes everything from laptops to high-speed internet to communication software and adequate data security. As with hiring and onboarding, commit to regularly reviewing your tech, IT support, and processes to make sure your technology supports collaboration and allows you to be an effective leader.

Answer questions such as:

• How will we ensure our organization continues to provide the hardware, software, and support teams need to succeed?
• Will our company pay for internet access or will this be the responsibility of the employee?
• What precautions will we take to address online security issues?
• Which collaboration software is right for our company long term?

Set and Clarify Expectations

For years, companies across the globe have hesitated to implement work-from-home options. Why? Their greatest fear is employees will sit on the couch and watch TV all day instead of working. And yes, without the right leadership and processes, the productivity and performance of a dispersed workforce can take a hit. Thus, it's critical for your organization to clearly define expectations.

Questions to consider:

• Should workers log in and log out at a specific time each day?
• Will you use time-tracking and activity-monitoring software?
• How will you monitor their progress?
• Will they have due dates for tasks, and/or will they be evaluated on other metrics such as customer satisfaction rating?
• How will you lead by example? Remember, employees will take their cues from you regarding off-hours accessibility, responsiveness, accountability and more.

Ultimately, the most productive employees are those who understand what they need to do, have the resources and training to do it, and recognize they will be held accountable. And this holds true whether in an in-office or a home environment.

Emphasize Inclusion

Without careful planning, remote workers may feel like an afterthought. Meetings are a perfect example. People who are on-site can chat before the session, read body language and contribute more freely.

To counteract these problems with hybrid meetings, you may try holding all-virtual sessions, rotating hosts and/or letting off-site participants speak first. Flexible collaboration spaces also are critical to establishing a culture of inclusion. After all, if remote employees come in for the day, you want them to have a comfortable place to work.

Check in Frequently

When one of your in-house employees is having a bad day, you'll probably know. However, it's easier for remote workers to hide their problems. Therefore, you should make a concerted effort to check in with your off-site team members frequently. This could be a quick "How's it going?" phone call or regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings.

Provide Support to All Employees

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the pandemic and political unrest have created a prolonged and profound period of stress. Consequently, your employees may be anxious, sad, angry, and overwhelmed. Recognize these emotions and assist where you can. For example, if an on-site or off-site worker is struggling with child care due to closed schools, offer additional support. This may include flextime or extra days off.

Watch for Burnout

Although working from home has definite advantages, there are drawbacks too. One of the biggest problems is the lack of distinction between work and home, and this can easily result in burnout. In fact, a recent Gallup poll showed remote workers are now experiencing higher levels of burnout than on-site workers.

To keep your remote employees productive and engaged, provide strategies to combat overworking. For instance, you may set specific times where you ask everyone to unplug.

Remember to Have Fun!

Just because you're not physically together as a team doesn't mean you can't build camaraderie. Search for creative ways to make work fun for both remote and in-house employees. Consider hosting informal Zoom rooms where workers can chat about their personal lives. Or hold themed meetings where everyone wears their favorite sports team apparel. Try anything (no matter how small it may seem) that connects people and reinforces your sense of community.

Expand Recruiting

Over the long term, one of the top advantages of a hybrid or remote workforce is tapping a larger talent pool. Your organization is no longer restricted to candidates who live (or are willing to move) near your area. This gives you access to a more talented and more diverse applicant pool.

Make sure HR leverages this opportunity. Within job postings, have them clearly advertise "remote options available," so people from other cities, states or even countries will apply. In addition, since work-from-home options are one of the employees' favorite perks, remember to use this benefit as a selling point, too.

Do You Need Help Creating a Hybrid or Remote Workforce?

Whether you're looking for remote, hybrid or in-house employees, a staffing service can match you with the right candidates. Expert recruiters will evaluate open positions, identify applicants with the right skills and fill those jobs quickly and efficiently. So, you can spend less time worrying about hiring and more time leading your business.