Managing performance for remote and hybrid employees requires a shift towards outcome-based evaluation and clear communication. Setting measurable goals, regularly tracking progress, and providing constructive feedback become vital components in ensuring accountability and maintaining productivity. Managers and supervisors should leverage technology for regular check-ins, fostering open dialogue to address challenges and celebrate successes. Recognizing and appreciating contributions in virtual settings is key to motivating remote and hybrid teams.
To ensure employee performance is measured fairly and effectively for a remote or hybrid workforce, measure performance with outcome-based parameters that reflect business contribution rather than relying on line-of-sight management. Showing up for work and sitting in front of a computer is not performance, it's attendance. Performance management is (and always has been) best measured by pre-determined metrics to evaluate quality work, meeting goals and directives, timely deliverables and client feedback. Holding employees accountable for the outcomes they achieve gives them the flexibility to reach those outcomes creatively and in ways that work best for each employee.
Set Team Expectations
Equip employees with collaboration tools and emphasize objectives
It is important to set expectations with individual team members and the team as a whole to ensure both effective individual contributions and team collaboration. Identify and communicate clear goals, set effective metrics, and have regular performance conversations. Understanding their expectations too can help ensure roles, responsibilities and workflows are aligned so your employees knows what to expect from them and you know how best to support their needs.
Normalize Self-Direction
Trust your teams
Assess how ready remote employees are for coaching conversations focused on development. This will help build an understanding of where employees are in their work and identify the best approach to coaching moving forward.
Questions to ask yourself
-
To what degree has this employee mastered their current role?
-
How quickly is this employee able to understand and put new concepts or skills into practice?
-
Considering life factors both in and out of work, what is the employee's availability and appetite to take on more?
-
Does this person have the time management skills to allow for more autonomy? The more autonomy a worker feels, the more they like their job.
Enable New Relationships
Encourage innovation and monitor for signs of distress
- Identify opportunities for your virtual team members to collaborate with, or learn from, other members of your team or organization.
- Foster a sense of collaboration and inclusiveness, and encourage your team members to connect with the rest of the team and build connections.
- Establish regular team goals and sharing of individual work-wins.
- Ensure inclusion during team meetings.
- Monitor mental health, struggling employees tend to disconnect when distressed. Connect them with campus resources when needed.
Accentuate the Positive
Promote two-way communication and increase recognition
-
Effective communication
-
Employees working fully remote are nearly twice as likely to receive corrective feedback than onsite employees. When delivering feedback to remote employees, discussions should be open, evidence-based and forward-looking. Use prompting questions to self-reflect and prepare for constructive feedback discussions.
-
Encourage each employee to share a "weekly win" at each team meeting.
-
Show appreciation.
-
By doing their job well, who on your team makes your life easier? What do they do (specifically) that you value? Commit to telling them what you value, and why, in your next one-on-one conversation. If you discover what form of appreciation resonates most with them, and provide it, you’ll make an even bigger impact. There are a number of ways to show the members of your team that you appreciate them.
-
One group has even likened the different types of appreciation to the bestselling book The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. In their adaptation, the Five Appreciation Languages (for work) include:
-
Words of Affirmation: personal and written communication
-
Quality Time: focused attention and companionship
-
Acts of Service: lending a helping hand
-
Tangible Gifts: gift cards, treats, crafts etc.
-
Physical Touch: consenting hugs, pat-on the back, etc
-
-
Learning Opportunities
Focus on developing "soft skills" that address specific work challenges for both you and your employees working flexibly.
.
- Managing Remote Employees UC Learning Center, Human Capital Practice Slide Deck.
- Managing Remote Teams UC IT Blog, Women In Tech
- Learning How to Manage Your Time When Working Virtually, UC Learning Center Video (4 min)
- The Connector Manager Approach to Virtual Onboarding, Gartner
- A Guide to Managing your (Newly) Remote Worker, HBR
- Leading Remote Teams Effectively, Harvard Business Publishing
- 4 Ways to Mitigate Bias in Performance Management, Gartner
How to Manage Employee Performance in a Hybrid Work Setting, Gartner (4 min)
Expanded webinar: Hybrid Managers’ Performance Management Handbook, Gartner (33 min)
Leading at a Distance 36 minutes, LinkedIn Learning Course
Leading during Times of Change 12.25 hours, LinkedIn Learning Path
Managing Remote Teams 12 minutes, CUPA-HR
Leading Virtual Meetings 32 minutes, LinkedIn Learning Course
Remote Working: Setting Yourself and Your Teams Up for Success 14.5 hours, LinkedIn Learning Path
Leadership Skills for The Future, LinkedIn Learning (54 min)
Leveraging Virtual and Hybrid Teams for Improved Effectiveness, LinkedIn Learning (29 min). Discover how to recontract and reboot your teams in our world of hybrid work. Learn how to help virtual teams connect emotionally and mentally, as well as feel empowered to share their experiences and perspectives. Plus, get tips for restoring your team's energy through recognition and shared goal achievement, boosting your team's agility, and more.
- Virtual Performance Reviews and Feedback, LinkedIn Learning (46 min). Alisa Cohn—executive coach and leadership development expert—walks you through the performance review process when you have to deliver it virtually. Alisa helps you prepare for the conversation, think through how to deliver tough messages, and give a “grade” if you need to.
- Preparing for Virtual Performance Conversations and Year-End Reviews, Gartner
Ensure Accountability
Supervisors need to be comfortable with and prepared to manage the flexible arrangement or it will not work. It is incumbent on all of us to hold each other accountable if performance suffers and to be engaged in managing and documenting expectations; this includes being prepared to revise or revoke a flexible work agreement if needed. We can all improve the chances of successful flexible work arrangements by:
- Focusing on the organizational benefits derived by supporting flexible work arrangements, including reduced turnover and increased productivity, equity, belonging, and commitment.
- Thinking of jobs in terms of roles and performance, and measuring performance by results rather than through direct observation and time in work spaces.
- Supporting the concept verbally and through personal modeling of balanced work practices.
- Making an effort to work through problems and/or obstacles that may arise.
- Assuring that written documentation of the arrangement is in place with signatures of all involved parties, including business unit/division leadership.
- Revising or even reversing a plan if it is not serving the individual’s or organization’s needs.
- Consulting with their own supervisors and Human Resources as needed.
Monitor Effectiveness
Establish regular intervals (~every 90 days–6 months, but no less than annually after the initial trial period) to evaluate the effectiveness of the flexible work arrangement. Assess the needs of the business and the well-being of the employee, and discuss potential concerns. If something is not working, discuss and implement appropriate changes to the details of the flexible work agreement. In a flexible work arrangement, as in any work situation, measuring employee results rather than their activities is more efficient and effective.
Provide Feedback
Regular feedback is vital to the success of a flexible work arrangement. Supervisors should give feedback just as they would with any employee. It should be direct and offer examples of where the employee is meeting, or failing to meet, expectations. Good communication between supervisors and employees is essential for successfully completing work and is especially necessary in a flexible work environment.
Share Career and Development Opportunities
Share career and development opportunities equitably with your employees regardless of their mode of work.