We’ll lose the sense of connection in our culture.
The team won’t feel like a team if we’re too distributed.
Our productivity will take a hit.
How will we trust things will get done?
Over the last couple of years, we’ve heard an array of concerns and doubts from leaders as to why certain companies and their teams can’t — or won’t — go hybrid or remote. But what if the solution were as simple as a single word?
For Juli Royster, that word is: intention.
“Having a fully remote workforce requires more intention on everyone’s part,” she said, adding how regularly scheduled meetings can become more purposeful spaces for connection and communication. As the VP of human resources at Frontsteps, Royster knows better than anyone how a simple shift in mindset can overhaul the functionality of a remote company’s operations.
The decision to see the remote-first transition through at Frontsteps hinged on the organization’s adaptability and, ultimately, reflected the team’s needs. “We heard our employees say they enjoyed working from home, and our data showed that our business was just as productive as when we were in the office,” Royster explained.
This trend in remote productivity has been seen across the industry, as illustrated by Owl Labs’ 2021 State of Remote Work, which cited 90 percent of full-time remote workers reported they were as — if not, more — productive compared to when they worked in the office.
How can employers let go of the commonly held misconception that employees need to be seen to be trusted?
According to Pinnacol Assurance, you need to put trust in autonomy — from there, intention follows. “You have to trust that employees are intelligent and well-intentioned enough to get work done,” said AVP of Human Resources Lisa Mason.
In conversation with Built In Colorado, Mason and Royster shared more about what the transition to hybrid and remote work entailed for their respective teams and revealed how intention and trust can work in tandem to provide a foundation for success.
Pinnacol Assurance is a workers’ compensation insurance provider.
Imagine you’ve stepped out of a time machine into March 2020. Knowing what you now know about remote work and the challenges associated with the transition, what would you do differently?
Looking back, we may have benefited from implementing more flexibility pre-pandemic to get employees used to more consistent remote work and letting them have a voice in deciding which type of work they do at home versus in the office.
At what point did you realize Pinncaol should permanently become a hybrid remote workplace?
It became clear that the pandemic changed worker attitudes towards having a choice and we heard loud and clear from potential candidates for employment with us that they expect a hybrid or remote model option. We saw the benefits of being able to open our search parameters outside of Colorado to recruit top talent for in-demand roles. It didn’t come without its challenges, though. We had to work out the legal implications of out-of-state workers and rethink our recruitment process. We also started to work with our hiring managers to implement a training program for managing remote and hybrid workers. It is important that we maintain a positive work culture and promote an inclusive environment while in a remote ecosystem.
When people are forced into the office, they resent it. They say, ‘You trusted me during the pandemic. Why don’t you trust me now?’”
What advice would you offer to a fellow leader thinking about transitioning to a permanent remote or hybrid workforce?
Trust in employee autonomy. We trust, and have years of evidence, that our employees can get work done in a variety of environments. We guide managers to avoid strictly dictating when and where they should work. For example, mandating that workers endure a long and expensive commute to come to the office a certain number of days a week, just to work largely alone in their cubicles, doesn’t make sense anymore. All of the early data shows that when people are forced into the office, they resent it. They say, “You trusted me during the pandemic. Why don’t you trust me now?”
That’s not to say workers shouldn't have any guidelines regarding how they work. During times when colleagues need to work on certain tasks — for innovation, specific collaboration needs, training or team building — meeting in person may work best. But rather than dictate a one-size-fits-all approach, business leaders should allow individuals and managers to figure out the schedules that work best for their particular teams. Sometimes you need to be shoulder-to-shoulder to collaborate, but you have to trust people will show up when they need to.
Frontsteps offers a platform for residents across the nation to engage with their communities.
Imagine you’ve stepped out of a time machine into March 2020. Knowing what you now know about remote work and the challenges associated with the transition, what would you do differently?
What an interesting perspective in reflecting on what we’ve been through in the last two years.
If I could have done anything differently, I would have established a regular meeting cadence for teams, departments and leaders. In providing a suggested cadence for different types of meetings, our leaders would have had better tools to support the transition to remote work and keep their teams connected. Two years later, we’ve got our routine down, but it took some trial and error to get there.
At what point did you realize your company should permanently become a remote-first workplace?
What has kept our business thriving over the last two years is our adaptability and unwavered focus on our company’s vision. For us, adapting meant being flexible and ultimately switching to a fully remote workforce. We heard our employees say they enjoyed working from home, and our data showed that our business was just as productive as when we were in the office. By the end of 2020, we decided to officially make that switch going forward.
It’s all about intention and creating a safe and consistent space for work relationships to flourish.”
What advice would you offer to a fellow leader thinking about transitioning to a permanent remote workforce?
Having a fully remote workforce requires more intention on everyone’s part. Daily stand-ups may become a quick way to regularly connect with everyone on your team. Monthly all-hands may become instrumental in communicating larger objectives and news across the entire business. Encourage people leaders to get their teams together for work sessions virtually or in-person, if possible. Even a quarterly two- or three-day in-person work session is worth maintaining those connections. It’s all about intention and creating a safe and consistent space for work relationships to flourish.
