We’ve written about remote work many times — and lauded its benefits. Of course, not everyone agrees with us. With the pandemic finally under control, we’re seeing more and more headlines about CEOs calling their teams back to the office. The truth is, many objections to remote work are misplaced. From lack of community to lower productivity (proven to be untrue), the issues at hand aren’t work-from-home issues — they’re leadership issues. Workers have struggled with engagement for decades, largely due to their bosses being unwilling to invest in their training, development, and health.  At Saturday Drive, remote work has given us an incredible chance to embrace flexibility and enable fulfillment. Despite its challenges, WFH has brought out the best in all of us and our company. But allowing people to pack up their desks and head home is barely scratching the surface. Before you can reap the benefits of WFH, you have to properly support it. Here are six ways to do just that. 1. Invest in Thorough Training When I started my career as a young 20-something, I had no professional experience (and barely any life experience), but I was excited to contribute. I assumed that I’d be trained. Instead, my manager preferred to let new hires “figure it out” for themselves.  I was burned out after a few short months on the job. The constant stress of being unsure of myself was too much. The only feedback I received was when I made mistakes, and I (being untrained) made a lot of them. Needless to say, I didn’t last the year.  As a leader, I’ve made a personal commitment to never put one of my team members through that awful experience. Saturday Drive is committed to thorough training that covers our tech, tools, communication expectations, culture, and more. Let me be clear: Training isn’t suffering because of remote work. Companies have been neglecting training for a long, long time — before the world made a massive shift to WFH. But, lack of training in a remote environment has bigger consequences than in co-located businesses. It’s harder to pick up valuable information in passing, and it takes more intention to connect with colleagues who can assist. For the most effective remote working environments, train well and train often.  2. Clear Documentation  If you’ve read our other articles, you’re probably aware that we’re big supporters of asynchronous work — allowing everyone to work on their own schedules. It’s a huge perk with remote work and it protects everyone’s focus. But, async communication (and remote work in general) means there’s not always someone around to help out if you have questions. Clear, thorough, and easily-accessible documentation is vital for remote work. This is especially true in async environments, but it’s also important for remote companies that stick to a universal schedule. Without documentation, workers have to rely on colleagues or leaders for information, which can become disruptive. Document, document, document — your processes and procedures, your project statuses and vision, your assignments and progress. You can’t over-document.  3. Frequent Communication Communication doesn’t have to suffer in remote work environments. And, asynchronous communication doesn’t mean a lack of communication. For remote businesses to succeed — well, for any business to succeed — great communication is paramount. There’s a sweet spot with communication, though. Many employers have tried to over-compensate for remote communication by holding meeting after meeting. I don’t believe this is productive, because it interrupts deep work. Plus, most meetings suck for a variety of reasons.  Remote communication can happen over email, Slack channels, company chat tools, or 1:1s. I think the latter is especially important. In a remote environment, 1:1s are the best way to stay engaged with your team members, coach their potential, establish their goals, and get their feedback. These touch-bases are also how you’ll get to know them as individuals, and they’re often your best resource for recognizing and preventing burnout. 4. Mentorship Programs Mentorship is hugely helpful in career and personal development, but many companies assume mentor-mentee relationships will happen naturally. On the contrary, they require intention and facilitation.  Mentorship programs are an incredible way to support remote workers, aid in their training, and promote strong connections within your company. They’re especially helpful for some workers, such as women and persons of color, to stay competitive in a world that has historically marginalized them.   You can facilitate mentorship programs at your company by creating time and space for them. Establish weekly 1:1s for mentors and mentees, or create a Slack channel for those looking to find a mentor. Encourage these pairs to discuss topics beyond work for a deeper connection.  Whether mentorships are between a leader and a team member, a seasoned worker and a newbie, or even two peers who want to learn together, they should be a safe, dedicated space to grow and build relationships. 5. Ask for Feedback We are all human and fallible, and we’re all going to make mistakes. Remote work is still brand new for many companies, so it’s inevitably going to be a learning process. Even if you implement every single bit of advice about remote work, there will be challenges. That’s why I recommend periodically asking for feedback. You want to benefit your employees (who, in return, benefit your company), so why not ask their opinion? At Saturday Drive, we use several different types of surveys throughout the year to gain valuable feedback from our teams. You can also ask for feedback in 1:1s, team meetings, over email, in Slack, etc, but anonymous surveys will deliver more honest answers. It takes guts to ask where you can improve, but it’s a vital resource for improving your WFH culture and processes. 6. Celebrate Wins Celebrating success may come more naturally in a co-located environment. You can cater lunch, give a speech, and bask in the palpable energy of a communal win. WFH makes this challenging, but don’t skip celebrations simply because they take a bit more thought. Many companies send out celebration packages after a big win, including merch, food, drinks, or other fun perks. Usually, these packages are accompanied by a company-wide Zoom call to congratulate everyone. You can also give your teams a day off to thank them for their hard work. It’s also helpful to create a dedicated space for wins, especially the smaller (but still important) wins that don’t warrant a company-wide celebration. For example, it’s easy to establish a Slack channel for congratulations and special thanks. It’s always there, available for the whole company to see, and it encourages team members to keep an eye out for the small wins. Regardless of how you do it, celebrate the wins. It’s relatively easy to do and endlessly rewarding in a remote environment that could feel isolating otherwise. BONUS TIP: WFH Stipend When you get a new job in a co-located environment, you’re automatically provided a desk, chair, and dedicated space to complete your work. By its very nature, co-located work protects you from home-based distractions (workplace distractions are another story).  Remote work is different. It’s up to you to establish a workspace. Remote work is still fairly new to mainstream companies, and many don’t offer to reimburse remote workers for supplies like a desk or chair. The result? Many employees wind up sitting at the kitchen table, complete with an uncomfortable chair and plenty of tasty distractions. To fully support remote workers, I encourage every company to offer a WFH stipend. This could be a one-time, set dollar amount that allows workers to buy a chair, desk, and more without digging into their personal funds. Or, you could offer a smaller monthly stipend to support ongoing WFH expenses, like office supplies. It’s also becoming more popular for fully-remote companies to reimburse workers for their internet or utility bills. Given how much companies save without brick-and-mortar expenses, it seems fair. If you want the best from your team, pave the way by helping them establish a comfortable workspace that protects their focus. Get On Board With the Future of Work Remote or hybrid work is fast becoming the norm, and I’m here for it. There are so many benefits of remote work, from flexibility and work/life integration for workers to cost-savings for the company itself. But for remote work to work, leaders must adequately support it. I can already see the self-fulfilling prophecy: Companies that cling to co-located work won’t offer the right support or tools for remote work. Unsurprisingly, WFH won’t be as successful for them. And they’ll no doubt lose out on some very talented, very dedicated workers. Support working from anywhere and you’ll have the support of your teams in return.

6 Ways to Support Remote Work

ByKevin Stover

We’ve written about remote work many times — and lauded its benefits. Of course, not everyone agrees with us. With the pandemic finally under control, we’re seeing more and more headlines about CEOs calling their teams back to the office.

The truth is, many objections to remote work are misplaced. From lack of community to lower productivity (proven to be untrue), the issues at hand aren’t work-from-home issues — they’re leadership issues. Workers have struggled with engagement for decades, largely due to their bosses being unwilling to invest in their training, development, and health. 

At Saturday Drive, remote work has given us an incredible chance to embrace flexibility and enable fulfillment. Despite its challenges, WFH has brought out the best in all of us and our company. But allowing people to pack up their desks and head home is barely scratching the surface.

Before you can reap the benefits of WFH, you have to properly support it. Here are six ways to do just that.

1. Invest in Thorough Training

When I started my career as a young 20-something, I had no professional experience (and barely any life experience), but I was excited to contribute. I assumed that I’d be trained. Instead, my manager preferred to let new hires “figure it out” for themselves. 

I was burned out after a few short months on the job. The constant stress of being unsure of myself was too much. The only feedback I received was when I made mistakes, and I (being untrained) made a lot of them. Needless to say, I didn’t last the year. 

As a leader, I’ve made a personal commitment to never put one of my team members through that awful experience. Saturday Drive is committed to thorough training that covers our tech, tools, communication expectations, culture, and more.

Let me be clear: Training isn’t suffering because of remote work. Companies have been neglecting training for a long, long time — before the world made a massive shift to WFH. But, lack of training in a remote environment has bigger consequences than in co-located businesses. It’s harder to pick up valuable information in passing, and it takes more intention to connect with colleagues who can assist.

For the most effective remote working environments, train well and train often. 

2. Clear Documentation 

If you’ve read our other articles, you’re probably aware that we’re big supporters of asynchronous work — allowing everyone to work on their own schedules. It’s a huge perk with remote work and it protects everyone’s focus. But, async communication (and remote work in general) means there’s not always someone around to help out if you have questions.

Clear, thorough, and easily-accessible documentation is vital for remote work. This is especially true in async environments, but it’s also important for remote companies that stick to a universal schedule. Without documentation, workers have to rely on colleagues or leaders for information, which can become disruptive.

Document, document, document — your processes and procedures, your project statuses and vision, your assignments and progress. You can’t over-document. 

3. Frequent Communication

Communication doesn’t have to suffer in remote work environments. And, asynchronous communication doesn’t mean a lack of communication. For remote businesses to succeed — well, for any business to succeed — great communication is paramount.

There’s a sweet spot with communication, though. Many employers have tried to over-compensate for remote communication by holding meeting after meeting. I don’t believe this is productive, because it interrupts deep work. Plus, most meetings suck for a variety of reasons. 

Remote communication can happen over email, Slack channels, company chat tools, or 1:1s. I think the latter is especially important. In a remote environment, 1:1s are the best way to stay engaged with your team members, coach their potential, establish their goals, and get their feedback. These touch-bases are also how you’ll get to know them as individuals, and they’re often your best resource for recognizing and preventing burnout.

4. Mentorship Programs

Mentorship is hugely helpful in career and personal development, but many companies assume mentor-mentee relationships will happen naturally. On the contrary, they require intention and facilitation. 

Mentorship programs are an incredible way to support remote workers, aid in their training, and promote strong connections within your company. They’re especially helpful for some workers, such as women and persons of color, to stay competitive in a world that has historically marginalized them.  

You can facilitate mentorship programs at your company by creating time and space for them. Establish weekly 1:1s for mentors and mentees, or create a Slack channel for those looking to find a mentor. Encourage these pairs to discuss topics beyond work for a deeper connection. 

Whether mentorships are between a leader and a team member, a seasoned worker and a newbie, or even two peers who want to learn together, they should be a safe, dedicated space to grow and build relationships.

5. Ask for Feedback

We are all human and fallible, and we’re all going to make mistakes. Remote work is still brand new for many companies, so it’s inevitably going to be a learning process. Even if you implement every single bit of advice about remote work, there will be challenges. That’s why I recommend periodically asking for feedback.

You want to benefit your employees (who, in return, benefit your company), so why not ask their opinion? At Saturday Drive, we use several different types of surveys throughout the year to gain valuable feedback from our teams. You can also ask for feedback in 1:1s, team meetings, over email, in Slack, etc, but anonymous surveys will deliver more honest answers.

It takes guts to ask where you can improve, but it’s a vital resource for improving your WFH culture and processes.

6. Celebrate Wins

Celebrating success may come more naturally in a co-located environment. You can cater lunch, give a speech, and bask in the palpable energy of a communal win. WFH makes this challenging, but don’t skip celebrations simply because they take a bit more thought.

Many companies send out celebration packages after a big win, including merch, food, drinks, or other fun perks. Usually, these packages are accompanied by a company-wide Zoom call to congratulate everyone. You can also give your teams a day off to thank them for their hard work.

It’s also helpful to create a dedicated space for wins, especially the smaller (but still important) wins that don’t warrant a company-wide celebration. For example, it’s easy to establish a Slack channel for congratulations and special thanks. It’s always there, available for the whole company to see, and it encourages team members to keep an eye out for the small wins.

Regardless of how you do it, celebrate the wins. It’s relatively easy to do and endlessly rewarding in a remote environment that could feel isolating otherwise.

BONUS TIP: WFH Stipend

When you get a new job in a co-located environment, you’re automatically provided a desk, chair, and dedicated space to complete your work. By its very nature, co-located work protects you from home-based distractions (workplace distractions are another story). 

Remote work is different. It’s up to you to establish a workspace. Remote work is still fairly new to mainstream companies, and many don’t offer to reimburse remote workers for supplies like a desk or chair.

The result? Many employees wind up sitting at the kitchen table, complete with an uncomfortable chair and plenty of tasty distractions. To fully support remote workers, I encourage every company to offer a WFH stipend. This could be a one-time, set dollar amount that allows workers to buy a chair, desk, and more without digging into their personal funds. Or, you could offer a smaller monthly stipend to support ongoing WFH expenses, like office supplies. It’s also becoming more popular for fully-remote companies to reimburse workers for their internet or utility bills. Given how much companies save without brick-and-mortar expenses, it seems fair.

If you want the best from your team, pave the way by helping them establish a comfortable workspace that protects their focus.

Get On Board With the Future of Work

Remote or hybrid work is fast becoming the norm, and I’m here for it. There are so many benefits of remote work, from flexibility and work/life integration for workers to cost-savings for the company itself. But for remote work to work, leaders must adequately support it.

I can already see the self-fulfilling prophecy: Companies that cling to co-located work won’t offer the right support or tools for remote work. Unsurprisingly, WFH won’t be as successful for them. And they’ll no doubt lose out on some very talented, very dedicated workers.

Support working from anywhere and you’ll have the support of your teams in return.