“Remote” successes: how to evaluate the effectiveness of staff working re...

ayshakhatunasha

February 2023

COVID-19 has accelerated the shift from virtual phone number service traditional office-based to remote, hybrid, or blended work models. Part of each model is a form of remote work, “work performed in whole or in part at an alternative location other than the default location.”

Attempts to use the remote format were already made in the early eighties of the last century, but then it did not find widespread use due to the imperfect technological base and the prevalence of traditional HR approaches in personnel management. Episodic cases were practiced, but exclusively as a privilege for the employee. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent years have changed the attitude towards remote work: it has become a form of activity of organizations and a popular condition among employees. According to McKinsey surveys, 87% of respondents choose a flexible work schedule, if possible. The staff is convinced of the advantages of remote work and seeks to maintain this regime on a permanent basis. The employer also saw that the remote format has a number of positive indicators. For 88% of top managers, it is obvious that the correctly chosen work model is a factor in business success, but only 25% of them are ready to address the issue.

Organization of control over the implementation and evaluation of work results
“Remote” successes: how to evaluate the effectiveness of staff working remotely. Photo 1
The implementation of remote work requires management to create a plan for organizing remote work that is different from the office plan, control over the execution of work and evaluation of results, as well as building interaction and support for employees.



The processes of organizing remote work and building interactions with employees have evolved over time into a system of specific actions. But the process of monitoring work performance and evaluating the results of personnel activities causes difficulties. Companies are looking for solutions that are applicable to each specific model of remote work. Let's outline universal approaches.

Direct monitoring and evaluation of results is preceded by the development of an algorithm for interaction between the employer and the staff: 1) defining goals, evaluation criteria and deadlines; 2) defining performance indicators; 3) the mode and format of communication between the employee and the employer.

Managers clearly define and agree on specific goal setting, workload, and priorities, and communicate changes in performance monitoring and management methods. The key to evaluating remote employee performance is setting specific goals, from monthly to annual. For example, instead of a general goal of “Increase website traffic through SEO,” define a measurable objective of “Increase traffic through SEO by writing weekly targeted blog posts, increasing traffic by 20% over 6 months.”

Evaluate results, not time
“Remote” successes: how to evaluate the effectiveness of staff working remotely. Photo 2
It is important to focus on the results or outputs of the work and measure them accordingly. Measuring the process or time spent on specific tasks is ineffective. When managing a remote team, it is tempting to implement time monitoring. Don’t do it. Tracking the exact amount of time the team spends online is not only an ineffective form of micromanagement, but also a disrespectful, mistrustful attitude towards employees. As a result, the employee suffers from e-presenteeism*, which is negative for both the employee and the company.

*an employee's condition when they believe that they must be constantly online and respond to colleagues and management at any time, regardless of poor health or non-working hours. The desire to demonstrate to management that they work hard and deserve to keep their job. The condition occurs due to a lack of trust between the employee and management and devaluation of the specialist's work. Leads to additional stress, burnout, and decreased work efficiency.

KPI and ROI are the optimal indicators for evaluating performance
“Remote” successes: how to evaluate the effectiveness of staff working remotely. Photo 3
When evaluating remote work, quantitative work evaluation is more objective than qualitative. Evaluation of personnel efficiency cannot be done without precise measurements. Key performance indicator (KPI) is the optimal indicator of how remote employees work. Return on investment (ROI) is also a specific quantitative indicator that demonstrates to what extent a remote employee makes a sufficient contribution to the success of the business and whether his presence in the team is justified.

Regular communication is critical
Regular communication allows you to analyze work plans and understand the problems the employee is facing. Evaluation of intermediate and final results can be carried out in the form of an online meeting, where shortcomings and achievements in work are identified. Drawing up a work improvement plan is part of this process. The plan specifies shortcomings and problems in the employee's work, defines measures to eliminate deficiencies and deadlines for implementation. Successes or failures in implementing the plan are regularly recorded and discussed with the employee. The outcome of the plan is supposed to be an improvement in the employee's performance, taking into account previous problems in work. In addition to individual communication, it is necessary to invest in creating clear standards for the communication structure of the remote team. Employees are also responsible for communicating with colleagues and managers. Since the manager does not constantly monitor what remote employees are doing, it is the responsibility of team members to inform about what they are working on, about emerging problems or changes in deadlines, voice a request for support, etc. Regular communication will allow the remote team to feel involved in a single production process, be aware of changes in the company and realize their value to the company.