24 ADVISOR: Recruitment
BARRY WHELAN managing director of Excel Recruitment
www.excelrecruitment.com
Six tips to maximise your work from home leadership strategy
For many roles and companies, remote working is here to stay. Here, Excel Recruitment’s Barry Whelan outlines how to ensure your leadership style within a vitual setting can still motivate and drive the best performance from your team
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ithin the wider trade of retail, there are of course many people who cannot work from home. However, there is still a significant number, particularly in the brand and administration end of retail, who are working remotely and for whom this may remain a large part of their future work life. Over the last 24 months, companies have proven that productivity levels can be maintained and even improved with remote and agile working, so it is more important than ever for employers to take full control of the situation by adopting the correct leadership strategies.
not have to relate to work and should not feel structured or regulated. The idea is to get to know your colleagues, as better and more comfortable communication leads to higher standards of work and increased productivity. Senior members of staff should also involve themselves in this activity, as it bridges the gap between all levels of seniority.
2. Be clear and transparent To build on the note of effective communication, it is so important to set in place clear and reasonable expectations you expect your employees to adhere to. Full and comprehensive communication guidelines should be circulated including the company’s expectations of their employees and how they can continue to embrace and strengthen the culture of the company. This gives both the employee and the employer something to reference if there is ever a need and ensures that each party understands their role.
3. Utilise technology
Creating ‘break out rooms’ after online meetings finish, where colleagues can have an unstructured chat for a few minutes, helps teams feel more connected, writes Barry Whelan
1. Communicate In any business, one of the most important aspects of working on-site is the opportunity to interact with and meet employees and colleagues. It is therefore vital to establish these moments even in a virtual setting. This can be done by creating ‘break out rooms’ after online meetings finish, where employees must stay on the call for an extra five to 10 minutes to discuss anything they like – it does
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An employee’s work from home set up should not differ greatly from their office, in terms of their ability to perform the tasks assigned to them and they therefore need to be given the appropriate tools and training to enable this. Virtual meeting platforms and suitable forms of communication need to be set in place to ensure no employee feels vulnerable or unsure of where to turn when working from home. Processes need to be set in place from the start of remote working to ensure there is visibility among team members about the status of projects and tasks.
4. Be inclusive and reach out It is easy to forget that whilst remote working may be the ideal situation for some, for others at times it can feel lonely and isolating. That is why it is so important to instill an ethos of open and genuine communication. CC colleagues on emails, video call or message them to check in on their day and invite them on your relevant calls with team members. For a business to work as a synergy, the members involved must both act and feel like a team and not only work together but thrive together.
5. Show your appreciation and reward achievement Employees are only human and sometimes employers need to be reminded of this. By regularly showing gratitude and recognition for well performed tasks, employees feel appreciated and encouraged to maintain their high standard of work. Successes and achievements within the company represent both the employee and the business and should be measured and rewarded with specific methods in place to ensure fair and equal distribution of recognition.
6. Have confidence in your employees Once given the appropriate tools to succeed, most strong employees will do just that, and it is important to give them the space to do so. While it is necessary to make your employees feel valued and supported, you must ensure that you do not end up micromanaging their work. A balance between the two must be established to ultimately create the best outcome. ■
