THINK OUTSIDE THE OFFICE BOX
DEVELOPING REMOTE TEAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT BUSINESS SPACE
BY CLINT McCLURE, CCAM
PING PONG, BASKETBALL, NAP-TIME AND FREE FOOD. No, I am not talking about recess for your kids; these are some of the things big business has been providing to employees with the goal of having those employees live, work and play at work … and work very long hours. The last 10 years have been a good test of this model for large businesses with large campuses and thousands of employees, but whether it really provides increased retention, happier employees and better work product remains in question. Even if it does achieve these objectives, this model really isn’t applicable to most community management companies. Sure, a few may opt for a break room with ping pong or an outside basketball court, but for the most part our employees, especially managers, are out in the field, and ping pong is just not an option. Another prevalent model that is catching on rapidly with businesses, both big and small, calls for a distributed work force with significant flexibility. This model does have applicability for our industry, and although it may not be a perfect match for everyone, it offers many advantages over a traditional office environment. Of course, like anything, the devil is in the details, and for this model to work, it needs to be carefully implemented, clearly communicated and closely monitored. EMPLOYEES NEED A REASON TO GET UP When hiring an employee, rate of pay is not everything. In fact, metrics show that work/ life balance options actually provide happier, more productive employees. If you don’t give it Continued on page 56 54
Vision Summer 2016 | www.cacm.org
