Here’s a well-researched list of ideas stemming from government, human resources and consulting firms for running effective telework, remote and hybrid offices
via Intelliworx
The current debate over teleworking in government primarily centers on where work is performed. Whether your personal inclinations favor telework or not – that’s the wrong focus.
A better debate would center on productivity, as our CEO Rob Hankey wrote recently for Government Executive.
The pandemic that necessitated telework is long over, but it’s had a lasting impact. In the years since, we’ve had a lot of time to experiment with telework programs – and document some of the best practices.
Recently, we canvassed telework management ideas stemming from government agencies, human resources experts and consulting firms. We’ve organized what we found into 20 tips that are segmented into three sections:
- Telework tips for agencies and policy;
- Telework tips for leaders and managers; and
- Telework tips for civil servants and individual contributors.
We’ve linked to the underlying source of each tip for those interested in reading further.
Telework tips for agencies and policy
1. Best practices for establishing a telework program
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report earlier this year on telework. It noted that telework offered benefits to the government in terms of cost savings on office space and in attracting and retaining talent.
The report also set forth best practices including the following:
- Have a published policy and “telework managing officer” in place;
- Establish written agreements “between teleworkers and their managers”;
- Develop equitable performance standards for “both teleworkers and non-teleworkers”;
- Ensure managerial support and address “managerial resistance to telework”;
- Provide telework training and education;
- Develop equipment standards that meet teleworking needs; and
- Establish a system of telework evaluation.
Read more: Federal Telework: Interior Can Benefit from Strategic Workforce Planning and Following Key Practices (GAO-24-107162 – PDF) via the GAO
2. Involve employees in telework policies
According to the 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, nearly six in 10 civil servants polled said they do not think there is a clear policy behind the federal government’s policies on telework vs in-office. Buy-in from civil servants has to be earned, so leaders should spend some time listening to civil servants and incorporating their ideas into a policy.
Research from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) demonstrates the positive effect this can have on both policy design and employee morale:
“Nearly two-thirds (62%) of our respondents told us that they do not have a say in their work model policy. Instead, it is dictated by either company-wide guidelines or their manager. Of all participants, 39% reported that their company decides where they work. In these companies, 24% of employees were unhappy with their work location policy. That 24% goes down to 14% if the manager decides and 6% if the team decides.”
And here’s the clincher:
“In other words, the closer to the work the policy gets set, the more satisfied employees are with it.”
Read more: Making flexible working models work via BCG
3. Establish clear expectations organization-wide
A solid article by the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) suggests establishing “clear and realistic goals and deadlines for your [telework] team.”
The organization elaborated:
“Just like at the office, managers should keep workers updated on the organization’s policy and staff changes…Managers also should model expected behavior, such as whether or when to respond to after-hours texts and email.”
This should also include basics like dependent care. Telework gives workers greater flexibility over their schedules, but it’s not intended to be a substitute for childcare for example. The government is explicit about this particular aspect of teleworking for civil servants.
This ought to work in the other direction too. Among the objections civil servants have over the recent back-to-office requirements is that 56% of civil servants polled do not think the purpose behind the policy is clear.
Read more: 10 Tips for managing remote workers via SHRM
4. Build a universal sense of belonging
Organizations with hybrid environments – where people telework some of the time – are at risk of developing two separate cultures, according to McKinsey:
“It also risks letting two organizational cultures emerge, dominated by the in-person workers and managers who continue to benefit from the positive elements of co-location and in-person collaboration, while culture and social cohesion for the virtual workforce languish.”
The downside is clear:
“When this occurs, remote workers can soon feel isolated, disenfranchised, and unhappy, the victims of unintentional behavior in an organization that failed to build a coherent model of, and capabilities for, virtual and in-person work. The sense of belonging, common purpose, and shared identity that inspires all of us to do our best work gets lost.”
So, any policy, program or communications ought to be considerate of all workers to keep esprit de corps high.
Read more: Reimagining the post-pandemic workforce via McKinsey
5. Telework is also a fail-safe for operational continuity
Much of the debate around telework centers on whether it’s efficient or not for routine work. However, it’s also an incredibly important aspect of operational continuity for the federal government.
In fact, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recommends agencies to the following:
“Conduct an annual telework exercise where employees participate in a telework day, in order to test the organization’s capability.”
That grain of wisdom comes in an 80-page guide on teleworking – with advice for agencies, managers and individual contributors.
Read more: 2021 Guide to telework and remote work in the federal government via OPM
6. Focus on productivity
How much time a government employee spends in a given location is irrelevant in the context of productivity. Much of that thinking is driven by tradition and culture, but it’s the wrong focus:
“The fact is more government processes are moving online. This includes engagement with citizens through websites, apps, chats and other digital channels. It just makes sense to have a significant part of the federal workforce there too.
Yet we’ve also got to be able to prove the value if we are ever to put the debate over telework to rest. Proving that value starts by focusing on productivity.”
Read more: Put the telework debate to rest by focusing on productivity via Government Executive
7. Foster a culture of curiosity
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has several sound ideas for fostering effective remote and hybrid work environments based on their experience. They put a lot of emphasis on providing the right tools to employees without sacrificing security. Yet this piece of advice stood out for us too:
“Federal IT leaders should also promote a culture of curiosity. No system will be perfect — we need users to be curious and to offer their input as part of a continuous conversation. Even the best of intentions can be misinterpreted.”
Many organizations cite curiosity as a means to further professional development, yet here the NSF is brilliantly using it as a pre-emptive move to support conflict resolution.
Why? It’s easy to misinterpret a written message absent tone of voice or seeing an expression – and written communication is far more prevalent in remote and hybrid workplaces.
Read more: Q&A: The National Science Foundation Is Adapting Teleworking to a Hybrid World via FedTech Magazine
8. Redouble your cybersecurity posture
By now every federal employee has had some level of cybersecurity training. Yet telework introduces new risks for sharing, transmitting, processing and storing data.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says all managers should:
“Implement cybersecurity training requirements for your organization to improve working knowledge of cybersecurity concepts, current threats, and trends to empower workforce decision-making when accessing organizational systems and data remotely.”
They offer a range of free (and sanctioned) tools, training and guidelines to assist the federal workforce in that endeavor.
Read more: Telework essentials toolkit (PDF) via CISA
Telework tips for leaders and managers
9. Be a leader, not a manager
“Many managers are concerned about how to manage their staff when they can’t see them,” wrote, Raghu Krishnamoorthy, Senior Fellow and Director, Chief Learning Officer doctoral program, University of Pennsylvania:
“Presenteeism, or the need to show facetime at work, is often assumed to be necessary for productivity. However, productivity data during the pandemic demonstrated that people could perform just as productively without being monitored for time spent at work or being physically present.”
The key is to remember that the purpose of a leader hasn’t changed – even if how that leader accomplishes their objective has:
“Remote or not, the role of a manager at its core remains the same: to motivate employees and organize resources to drive performance excellence. So what managers do remains the same; it’s the how that changes.”
Managers should be “enablers, not enforcers,” he suggests.
Read more: What great remote managers do differently via Harvard Business Review
10. Establish individual and team check-in times
Good leaders schedule regular times to check in with their telework employees. As an article in Harvard Business Review put it:
“Many successful remote managers establish a daily call with their remote employees. This could take the form of a series of one-on-one calls, if your employees work more independently from each other, or a team call, if their work is highly collaborative. The important feature is that the calls are regular and predictable, and that they are a forum in which employees know that they can consult with you, and that their concerns and questions will be heard.”
It’s advisable to do that with team meetings too – or even schedule office visits. For example, some teams have a day or two a month when everyone is required to come to the office. It’s a good chance to reconnect face-to-face.
However, these days should be scheduled in advance, or you risk having some employees drive into the office only to find it’s largely empty.
Read more: A guide to managing your (newly) remote workers via Harvard Business Review
11. Keep communication frequent, consistent and two-way
Communication is a key to building trust, so long as it’s consistent and everyone feels heard. In a well-researched article for MIT Sloan Management Review, a trio of authors write:
“Employees consistently valued tools such as weekly pulse surveys…that allowed them to share anonymous feedback and ask questions in real-time. Virtual town halls and fireside chats provided another setting for employees to express their concerns and pose questions. Some employers created COVID-19 response teams focused on soliciting concerns and questions from employees, finding the right person to respond, and communicating the answers quickly and widely throughout the organization.”
Read more: Five ways leaders can support remote work via MIT Sloan Management Review
12. Have a system for reporting
One of the biggest knocks against teleworking at the agency level is a lack of data and reporting. As (a separate article in) Government Executive noted, “agencies are now required to report to OPM on the number of remote work and telework agreements they have signed with employees.”
Whether your agency is on the hook for such data now or not, wise leaders will get a handle on those numbers right away. Further, it is probably useful to develop your own method for measuring productivity too, because it’s only a matter of time before someone asks you for that data as well.
Pro-tip: It’s useful to be able to answer such a question succinctly. For example, to be able to respond, “I have 10 employees who telework now. We have 100% compliance with the written telework agreement requirement. In addition, I’d be glad to show you the data I’ve collected demonstrating these 10 employees are just as productive in a telework setting as they were historically in an office.”
Read more: OPM reminds agencies of new telework reporting requirements via Government Executive
13. Treat telework like a team event
Telework is a team event, according to the General Services Administration (GSA). That perspective will change the entire dynamic:
“The tendency for supervisors may very well be to view teleworking as an individual request. However, if teams develop a telework business approach and system that is right for everyone, it will improve inter and intra-group connectivity, performance, and community. Rather than establishing an independent schedule, determine a team schedule.”
Read more: Telework as a Team Sport: – GSA’s 10 Tips via the GSA
Telework tips for civil servants and individual contributors
14. Make a dedicated space for work
If there’s a downside to remote work, it’s that the lines between work and play get blurred. That’s why making dedicated space is crucial:
“It can be easy to sit on the sofa with your laptop and expect to get work done. Experienced teleworkers will tell you they tried that and it simply doesn’t work! We are creatures of habit and most of us are used to lounging with our laptops to read the news, watch TV, play games and chat with friends and family. Establishing a workspace, even if it is your kitchen table, gives your brain a cue that it is time for work and not play.”
It’s worth pointing out a dedicated space is a requirement for civil servants.
Read more: Teleworking tips for employees via the University of Washington (HR)
15. Maintain regular hours
“Set a schedule and stick to it…most of the time,” writes reporter Jilly Duffy for PC Magazine. This is something most government workers are expected to do – and should be documented in your written telework agreement with your manager. However, it’s good to know this is also in your best interest as well:
“Having clear guidelines for when to work and when to call it a day helps many remote workers maintain a work-life balance. That said, one of the best benefits of remote work is flexibility when the job allows for it. Sometimes, you need to extend your day or start early to accommodate someone else’s time zone. When you do, be sure to wrap up earlier than usual or sleep in a bit the next morning to make up for it.”
Keeping regular hours is sage advice for job seekers too.
Read more: 20 Must-know tips for working from home via PC Magazine
16. Replicate your office environment and habits at home
“Mirror your work setting,” is a sound productivity hack for remote workers, according to the consulting firm, Korn Ferry International:
“To get into a professional groove quickly and consistently, create a similar work environment whether you’re working from home or in the office, says [Korn Ferry Partner Mary Elisabeth] Sadd. If you have a monitor or any other technology at your office desk, set those up at home as well so you don’t have to spend time adjusting to a new work setting every day. On top of ergonomic solutions, forming good habits and discipline around your schedule can help you make the most of your time.”
Mirroring your work setting might also include getting dressed in office attire even when working from home.
Read more: 5 Time-management tips for the hybrid-work era via Korn Ferry
17. Answer the phone if the office calls
Few people answer their phones these days. The deluge of robocalls has nearly ruined the telephone as a medium for communication. Yet if you work from home, you might reconsider this position:
“If someone calls while you are teleworking and you don’t pick up, they get upset and think you are lazy. Same rules don’t apply at the office as when you don’t pick up the phone there, people assume you are busy at a meeting.”
That might sound like a double standard, but it’s also a reality. A good technique is to save the phone numbers of work colleagues into your mobile phone’s memory – that way you can always recognize the caller.
Read more: Top 7 tips on teleworking via GovLoop
18. Schedule periodic breaks
It’s easy to get absorbed in your work and lose track of time. In an office environment, we get visual cues when colleagues are taking a break for coffee, or lunch. That doesn’t occur in the same way in a telework environment, so be sure to schedule periodic breaks.
“Try setting an alarm to get up and stretch every hour or so. (Standing desks, which at home may mean perching your laptop on top of a bookshelf, also pay large dividends for overall health.) Walk around your home while chatting on the phone with a friend. Move to a separate area – away from your email – to eat lunch for 30 minutes. Breaking up the day and moving your body enables you to refresh and can increase your productivity when you return to your work. When the weather is nice, I like to do conference calls while taking a walk outside.”
Getting outside for some sunshine or a walk are both proven to have a positive impact on our mood and creativity too.
Read more: 23 tips for working remotely via Inc. Magazine
19. Find creative ways to connect with others
Remote work is credited with providing teleworkers with time to focus. Teleworkers typically have more control over their work environment – and can eliminate distractions in a way office workers cannot. Even so, that benefit can come with a cost: the feeling of isolation.
To remedy this, the Mayo Clinic suggests:
“If you’re feeling disconnected from co-workers, be intentional about making time to socialize throughout the workday. This could be scheduling a 15-minute break for each of you to take a walk around your own block while chatting on the phone.”
There should be plenty of secure and agency-sanctioned tools available to you for chatting, collaborating and conversing with colleagues remotely:
“Consider using workplace chat services, such as Microsoft Teams or Skype for Business, to stay connected about projects or schedule a brief daily Zoom check-in.”
The best application of this advice isn’t limited to just working hours either:
“Outside of work, make time to schedule safe activities with friends and family. Different things will be helpful for different people to help enhance feelings of connection. Experiment with what may work for you.”
Read more: Is telework working for you? 3 tips for coping in the telework age via the Mayo Clinic
20. Go to the office for key events
“It’s important to make yourself part of a unified cohort working toward a common goal,” according to a piece in Bloomberg. “That means making the effort to come into the office for essential meetings or when key colleagues are in town.”
As described above, some leaders coordinate monthly get-togethers for this purpose. Even organizations that are entirely remote will schedule “together events” annually or semi-annually.
“‘We’ve strongly encouraged teams to have regular in-person meetings,’ says Craig Knoblock, executive director of the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute [as relayed to Bloomberg]. ‘We’re also working on organizing larger division level retreats.’ In-office bonding and get-togethers translate to out-of-office productivity, engagement – and trust.”
Read more: Here’s how to show you’re productive at home via Bloomberg
Proving value starts with productivity
More and more government processes are moving online, as Rob noted in the aforementioned piece he contributed to Government Executive. From websites and apps to videos and chatbots, citizens are engaging an increasingly greater number of services through digital channels. As such, it makes sense to have a significant part of the federal workforce dedicated to facilitating that digital experience, but we need to foster, measure and report on the productively we gain.
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