Many things about the workplace have changed this year but
the need to get the best from employees has not. Below are some suggestions how
to do that remotely.
Trust
Many leaders are managing their teams remotely for the foreseeable future. For
those managers used to sneaking the occasional glance at employees’ screens to
make sure they really are working learning to trust that employees have got things
covered will be paramount. When trust isn’t there, employees don’t perform as
well remotely. Trusting employees to manage their own time might be the first
step, but there are other things to consider to ensure remote performance
management runs smoothly.
Input vs output
When setting goals with your newly remote workforce, keep in mind that progress
should be tracked by output rather than input. The biggest challenge
managers have in the current environment is that in many cases they can’t see
their employees. So the big risk is that we revert back to inputs – how long
someone is logged into their computer for. We’ve got to get better at checking
in and gathering data about the contributions employees are making.
Alignment
It’s easy to get off track when teams are dispersed, so it’s important to
ensure that what employees are working on continues to align with the
organisation’s overall mission. It’s important to be transparent and
cascade organisational goals from the top when it comes to setting KPIs (key
performance indicators) in a remote setting – so that every individual’s OKR
(objectives and key results) is aligned with the company’s.
Keep it regular
When employees are working remotely, regular check-ins and transparency will
ensure they are kept in the loop about how they’re performing. Most organisations
will continue to have their formal performance management process, but managers
should be checking in regularly so that when it comes time for the performance
review, it’s never a surprise conversation.
Be flexible
Course correction is key when it comes to remote performance management. If
priorities change, the last thing you want is employees still focusing on the
old ones. Performance is more likely to be derailed when people are focusing on
the wrong things rather than underperforming. COVID-19 has highlighted that
it’s difficult to set goals 12 months in advance that are still going to be
relevant.
Underperformance
When an employee’s performance has started to decline since working remotely,
it’s important to change tack and separate the performance from the
person i.e underperformance vs. the underperformer. There could
be many factors contributing to the reduced performance, especially in the
uncertain circumstances we now find ourselves, so managers should take a
diagnostic approach and consider:
The differences. Have
things changed within the organisation or has the employee been suffering
personal difficulties? Working remotely can be technically challenging and
not everyone is capable of self-management.
Organisational issues. Working
remotely can highlight the weak spots in your organisation – whether that be
outdated processes and technologies or a secretive culture. Managers should
identify the organisational performance issues that are impacting the
individual’s performance before pointing the finger.
Fact over emotion. Try to
separate emotions such as anxiety, anger and frustration from fact before
entering into a discussion with the underperformer.
Taking responsibility. Consider
whether you have been clear in your expectations from the employee and if you
have provided adequate resources, coaching and feedback. Once the issue has
been identified, engage the underperformer by asking what they might improve or
any lessons that can be learned. Reassure them that missteps are okay when corrected
and reiterate that you’re there for guidance.
Reward and recognition
Regular recognition and reward of performances essential when managing a remote
workforce. Rather than reserving positive feedback for reviews, you want to be
doing this on a daily basis through a technology platform. Value champions
awards which have a monetary value associated with them when employees have
really gone above and beyond to live or display a company value. This is called
out on the platform to all employees.
The annual review
It’s likely much has changed since these goals were set, and employees may be
dreading their review as their goals no longer apply. A focus on employee
contribution rather than traditional performance measures may be warranted. We
need to shift the focus to how our employees have behaved, how they have
reacted to what we’ve thrown at them, what they’ve contributed, not just to the
organisation, but to their peers and colleagues.
The performance review is also a wonderful opportunity to say, ‘what do you
need, how are you going, how are you finding the balance of work and life, do
you have everything you require to get your work done, is there any clarity
that should be provided on what should be focussed on?’
