Today, it’s so important to understand how to manage your mobile workforce effectively. Why? Well, because so many people are working remotely. The number of remote workers ranges from 12.7% (working remotely full-time) to 28% (working remotely at least part-time).
On top of this, there are people known as digital nomads who fully use the fact that they aren’t tied by a single place, so they work while traveling the world.
Thanks to the hyperconnectivity of the modern world, you can also hire top talent from areas with lower purchasing power parity, which will allow you to maximize your workforce.
Still, all of this comes with its own set of challenges, and here’s how you manage some of them.
1. Set clear expectations from the start
People who find online jobs have so many questions, and if you manage to address at least some of them in advance, you’ll already be on the right foot.
First of all, you want to tell them what is expected of them in terms of their work assignments. What kind of work can they expect on a regular basis? What is their turnover, and how often can they expect to get special assignments?
One of the most important issues to address early on is what kind of software you’re using. If you have a project management tool, a communication tool, or anything along these lines, they have to know about it. There are many mobile workforce management solutions out there and this is something you might want to disclose early on.
Next, you need to inform them of when and how they’re supposed to work. Maybe they need to have an employee management tool installed and clock in a set number of hours every day. On the other hand, it’s entirely possible that you just want them to do an X amount of work each week.
Most importantly, they want to know how much and how will they get paid. This is something you have to ask right away. If they can only receive money through crypto because their area is unbanked or underbanked, you need to be aware of this.
2. Communication and community
When it comes to communication and community building, it goes without saying that it’s more challenging. After all, you have so many obstacles and have to find simulations that will allow you to develop relationships that would spawn organically in a traditional workplace.
First, you need to establish proper channels of communication. All work-related communication needs to take place through proper channels. This way, you can find all the files and conversations that are shared, but you can also ensure that all this communication is encrypted and protected.
Now, you also need to have time zones and cultural differences in mind. This means that you need to schedule meetings when your entire team can attend and make sure that your employees are acquainted with the culture (and work culture) of some of their international colleagues.
While traditional teambuilding is off the table, you could consider investing a bit into virtual teambuilding. This way, you’ll ensure that your team spends some quality time together and facilitate any bonding. Still, if they work on the same project and chat, relationships may spawn organically.
Keep in mind that a sense of community boosts performance and reduces talent abandonment rates.
3. Emphasize personal success stories
Modern workforces don’t see the workplace in the way their predecessors did. Younger generations are no longer living to work; they’re working to live. This doesn’t mean that there are no longer those who are willing to grind their way to the top; people still care about more than just work.
First, there’s a major shift in the importance of work-life balance. They need to know that they won’t be bothered outside of work hours and that you won’t expect them to pull some incredible working hours. Even on occasions where they have overtime, you need to let them know that this will be (fairly) compensated to them.
A lot of people want to know that what they do matters. So, you can give them an example of how they make a difference. Tell them why your work is important, how they’re making a difference, and, in order to motivate them further, how they can make an even greater difference down the line.
Lastly, you need to put a special emphasis on purpose and value. The company’s vision and mission are not there just for show, and they’re not something that you just write to fill in the blanks. Instead, you’re defining your business and all that it stands for.
4. Explain how they benefit in the long term
If you want people to like you or if you want them to be loyal, show them that you can do something for them.
Let’s face it: you’re not keeping them forever. Even in a more traditional workplace (prior to this uptick in remote work trend), people used to change 12-13 jobs until retirement. Today, this is facilitated even more. Just accept this fact and try to keep them for as long as possible and motivate them to try as much as they can while in your organization.
First of all, schedule a meeting and ask them what they want to do in five years. Maybe you have such a position in your organization, or you may open one in the near future. If not, you could help them develop these skills or handle tasks that they’ll need in order to get this “dream job” of theirs.
Make a short-term agreement with them. If they do X, you’ll write them the best recommendation letter you can come up with and do all you can for them to progress down this path. This way, you may earn their loyalty even after they’re gone and turn them into a great long-term asset.
Also, conduct regular check-ups and corrections. Maybe they’ve changed their mind. Investing in your staff is always a sensible move, even if they won’t stay with you forever.
Wrap up
The last thing you need to understand is that managing your mobile workforce isn’t a simple task. You’re trying to get the most out of people who are scattered across the globe. A few decades ago, this would be impossible, and even today, it’s a challenge. Fortunately, you have the toolset you need to make this happen. Now, you just need to know how!
Guest writer.
