A Gartner survey found that 35% of on-site employees were highly engaged, compared to 49% who were under hybrid programs. Though, hybrid employees are cautious about employers who prioritize on premise employees. Is there any unique challenges in managing someone in-person or through virtual calls?
90% of my team work remotely. We have protections and guidelines in place to make sure everything runs smoothly. For instance, we keep our phones on silent while coaching a client to ensure they have our full focus. It is also recommended to obtain a Google voice number with a professional voicemail.
-Stephanie Mckenzie, Super Coach & Healer
My company had a team of 40 employees in an office for the first 5 years. Then 5 years ago we decided to go fully remote. The biggest challenge with remote work is that the team never gets a chance to build the same type of relationship. But on a brighter side, they’re happier to feel like they have more ownership of their time.
-Alex Oliveira, podcaster on digital marketing
As an online interior designer, I have been working a lot with clients remotely or in hybrid situation since before the pandemic even started. I think the biggest issues come from unclear communication. There are often a lot of subtle hints we can pick up on in person, especially in the design world when looking for a client’s feedback or likes and dislikes – body language can tell you a lot. It is important to keep dialogue open and try to be as clear and concise as you can be. Flamboyant verbiage is not helpful. You want your client to be understood more than entertained.
-Stephanie Purcell, Creator and Online Interior of Redesigned Classics
I believe there are unique challenges in managing individuals especially during this post-Covid syndrome that we are all in. It’s easier to manage in person versus virtual calls because there is a way to personalize the interaction.
-Brandon Jay, talent manager
As a business owner I went “hybrid” during my maternity leave with my twin girls earlier this year. Instead of closing, I decided to remain open so that my patients would receive continuity of care. As the sole employee I had to bring on a team that included a front desk receptionist to handle scheduling and payments and a cover doctor to handle patient care. While on leave, I was still actively involved to ensure the practice continued to thrive with 2 new staff members. Although they were indeed highly engaged, they were not fully equipped to grow the practice. They did however keep the practice afloat while I was out, so I was very appreciative. The very nature of chiropractic care is hands on, so I was very limited while virtual, only able to assist with trouble shooting and administrative tasks.
-Lakendra Fulbright, chiropractor & exercise physiologist
Yes. There are challenges no matter how big or small. The challenges you face when you are doing virtual calls is that even though you can speak and see a person through zoom or skype it is still harder to detect tone or sometimes the connection is bad so you may think you heard one thing versus another. When you are doing virtual it seems as if you are more in a rush to get things said and done versus being in person and having more time to fully get understanding of the problem or situation.
-Ayanna Jones, Chef & ShopChefAj.com Owner
I have been running my software agency for 12 years now. We started as a small in-person team. Over time we would augment our team with 1-2 remote employees. Right before the pandemic started, we were a fully hybrid team with 1/2 the team on-prem and 1/2 remote. During the pandemic we went full remote and have been scaling steadily since. I have dealt with so many challenges managing remote or hybrid resources. From not being able to oversee their output / productivity (with numerous stories of remote employees under-performing or not performing at all) to team communication challenges to challenges building a culture. I don’t have all of the answers. But we have built a new software product specifically to help managers better manage remote / hybrid team performance: https://getoversight.io/
-Rich Rudzinski, Founder & Lead Strategist at Tragic Media
The unique challenge that we face in managing our team virtually is not how to get them engaged but how can we encourage more creative collaboration. In an office environment, there are plenty of opportunities for relaxed, unfocused conversations that are not tied directly to tasks but can lead to brilliant ideas. There is also the socialization aspect. We are trying to figure out ways to do this virtually, not just because of the pandemic but because our team is spread out throughout the world.
-Marc Liu, Brand Strategist & Marketer
Hybrid employees can be as effective as on-site employees. To do this the employer must have a financial reward system where all employees are participants. In my case, I compensate my employees on a tier system where they get paid for everything they do, including responding to a client’s email. We the employers must take advantage of the new generation and the technology available to us, for example, I use AI to track, predict and reward employee behavior.
-Pedro Curbelo, Risk Manager
The pandemic has clearly shown that we are not meant to work from 9-5 in a desk. I run my business from home and visit on-site clients as need be and I’m much more productive creating my own schedule. I like to work out in the morning so I’ll be at my computer starting at 9 or 10 AM, I’ll take a mental break around 3 and pick it back up around 5 and work through the evening if I’m having a busy day. I’m less stressed and more energized. I am also very flexible with my employees as to when they’re working so everyone is comfortable, but things are getting done as well.
-Alina Zerpa, Social Media Marketing Director
With my television network and television show I found it very helpful to manage/direct my cast and crew virtually leading our upcoming projects to be a success.
-Reggie Haynes, business owner & entertainer
