Are You Short-changing Your Remote Workers?

Remote workers who telecommute are becoming a greater portion of the labor force. Statistics show as many as 25 percent of workers telecommute with some frequency, which means managers have different issues to deal with when it comes to supervising workers who aren't in the office 40 hours per week.

MIT Sloan Management released a comprehensive survey of remote workers indicating that telecommuting employees didn't receive as many promotions, raises or positive performance reviews compared to workers who are always in the office. Managers must recognize how telecommuting negatively impacts some employees and decide what to do about this issue.

More Productivity

Some remote workers think they must be more productive while away from the office for a supervisor notice them. Telecommuters might also work longer hours in an attempt to spend more time at the office. Telecommuting gives employees flexibility, but extending a full-time work schedule might cause job stress.

Continued Isolation

Remote workers might also feel isolated. Telecommuters don't engage in the same informal social activities as people who spend all day at the office. Also, telecommuters don't have co-workers or supervisors to talk to on a regular basis, which could lead to feelings of loneliness on the job. Supervisors can create a schedule for telecommuters that gets them into the office at least one day per week, even for just a few hours, to foster positive relationships among them and their office co-workers. Social interaction with fellow workers leads to better engagement, stronger working relationships and more career development opportunities.

Video conferencing, FaceTime technology and video apps on smartphones all help facilitate face-to-face communication among employees, which is important for building trust. This technology makes it easy for remote workers to stay connected, as it places them in the same room as regular office workers.

Advancing Careers

Management can help remote workers advance their careers by recognizing and rewarding their hard work and dedication to the job. A telecommuting employee can keep a list of completed assignments and regularly review them with a managing supervisor to keep him informed. Periodically, the two can discuss growth and development opportunities for the telecommuter.

Before deciding to promote a telecommuter, supervisors must ask themselves a few questions. Is the worker an asset to the company? Did the telecommuter take on additional responsibilities, even while working from home? Does the employee actively contribute to the growth of the company? If you answer "yes" to these questions, the telecommuter should be eligible for a salary increase or promotion, just like a traditional employee.

Managers must recognize that remote workers must put forth effort to communicate with people in the office. It's also important to recognize that high-performing telecommuters would benefit from career development opportunities and are just as worthy of promotions and salary increases.

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