Description
Staying Connected with a Dispersed Workforce
Formats: Self Paced, Live, Guided Learning
How You Will Benefit
The workforce is changing rapidly. An increasing number of employees work offsite, by choice (theirs or their employer’s) or by necessity. A few years ago, 34 million Americans worked remotely at least occasionally, and that number is expected to jump to 63 million by the middle of this decade. Some of your employees may work at home, in close proximity to the onsite team. Others may be scattered around the country or the globe. Given the increasingly global nature of today’s organizations—as well as improvements in technology that facilitate virtual collaboration and a workforce that insists on more flexibility and independence—this trend is likely to keep gaining momentum.
By improving your ability to manage offsite employees, you will empower yourself in many ways. You will increase your ability to recruit, hire, and retain the right employees for a job. You will help ensure that your team is cohesive and productive. You will know how to avoid costly, time-consuming problems and help your team meet its goals. As Dave Ross, cofounder of workplace solutions firm The Vaya Group, explains, skillful managers of remote employees “can build camaraderie, create a more positive work environment, and encourage stronger business performance regardless of distance.”
Course Objectives
When you complete this course, you will be able to:
- Discuss the benefits and challenges of offsite working relationships for employees, managers, and organizations.
- Explain the importance of successfully managing offsite employees.
- Identify the factors and tools that must be in place for an offsite employee to be effective.
- Describe the role that trust and communication play in the success of an offsite relationship.
- Employ strategies that help offsite employees stay on track and that deal with common problems faced by managers.
- Follow a set of best practices for successfully managing offsite employees.
Key Topics Covered
This course explores the following subjects in depth:
- Professional, personal, and financial advantages of an offsite working relationship.
- Core characteristics and abilities of successful remote workers and their managers.
- Categories and examples of jobs that require employees’ presence onsite.
- Must-have equipment and technologies for remote workers to do their jobs well.
- How to establish mutual trust with offsite employees and keep them in the loop.
- How to thoroughly prepare employees to work remotely and set them up for success.
- Warning signs of an unproductive offsite worker and how to deal with this situation.
- Common challenges faced by managers of offsite employees and strategies to overcome them.