Remote Workers: Benefits, Challenges, and How We Make It Work

It has now been 4 months since a large majority of America’s “knowledge” workforce left their cubicles and corner offices for the kitchen table or guest room folding table. And it is likely that even as some return to the office space, a large majority will be working from home for some time yet, perhaps indefinitely.

Managing a remote workforce definitely brings challenges—we should know. JONES has operated with a remote workforce for much of its 15+ year history. We understand the challenges completely, but we also know how to make it work.

If you are struggling with how to continue to accomplish all your marketing and PR department did before, while your staff are scattered, you’ll find some helpful tips in this infographic, created by NowSourcing. 

I agree that trust is essential. You have to trust that your staff knows what they are doing, that they will do what needs to be done, and that your leadership has set them up for success. And they need to feel trusted, which means you as a manager have to override the instinct to constantly “check-up” on them.

Of course, an environment built on trust also requires having hired the right people. Even if your company isn’t going to always be working remotely, hire with that thought in the back of your mind, and if the landscape shifts again, you will be ready.

I’ve talked about our approach to hiring, remote working, and micromanagement before:

• Lessons From 15 Years: How To Hire The Right People & Work With The Right Clients
• Work Efficiency & Satisfaction Boils Down To This: Trust
• The JONES Approach: Accountability>Face Time

As an already virtual agency, JONES has been lucky that the disruptions so many companies and agencies have had to work through in the last four months have not slowed us down a bit. We already had the people, the technology, the processes and the trust in place that have served us and our clients well for years. The benefits outlined in NowSourcing’s infographic of increased worker satisfaction, decreased agency overhead, and the ability to find the best person for the job, regardless of geographic location, are real.

Would you like to put our team of remote professionals to work (virtually) alongside your own? Schedule a no-obligation consultation to learn more about how JONES can help you achieve your marketing objectives — no office required.