See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/335058327

Embracing and Assessing Remote Work

Article · August 2019

CITATIONS READS
0 531

1 author:

Roberta Sawatzky
Okanagan College
2 PUBLICATIONS   0 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Remote work View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Roberta Sawatzky on 08 August 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

peopletech
Embracing
and Assessing
Remote Work
By Roberta Sawatzky and Nathan Sawatzky
Is remote work right for every organization? Some people will
state unequivocally that all organizations should embrace
the practice of employing remote workers; in fact, literature
suggests that remote is the future of work.
That said, what exactly is remote work, and what does it
mean in your context?
Work-Space Continuum in Context
The term “remote” refers to work conducted by “individuals
and teams who are not required to show up at a specific physical
location on a regular basis.” The degree to which this happens can
vary greatly; we have identified five classifications that span the
remote work continuum:
1. All work is performed during working hours within the
walls of the organization’s work-space. Employees work
from a colocated space 100 per cent of the time with tradi-
tional hours. Some choose to operate in this manner because
they regularly create, access, or process sensitive data and the
physical space is a core part of the security strategy. This is
often the case for government organizations and security
firms that need to take extraordinary measures to ensure
protection of data.
2. Employees have a physical office managed by their
employer, as well as the freedom to work outside of the
office one or two days per week or a few times per month.
From our experience, these sorts of organizations view work-
ing from home periodically as a “perk” and not necessarily
as a strategic advantage. Some of the people we met in this
classification felt their managers were skeptical of what level
of productivity could actually happen from home. However,
we also saw that many organizations were undergoing a tran-
sition and allowing their employees the opportunity to work
remotely on occasion, which in turn gave the organizations
more flexibility for things like job sharing and office space.
3. While there is still a building or home base, employees
have a higher level of flexibility in where they work.
This classification is growing in popularity, especially in
more tech-centric organizations. Some employees might be
42 PeopleTalk | S u m m e r 2019 “Technology is best when it brings people together.”—Matt Mullenweg, Social Media Entrepreneur
required to spend most, or all, of their time in the office due
to the nature of their job, while others are free to work from
wherever, so long as they continue to meet expectations.
Certain organizations we met with viewed such flexibility as
a significant advantage in attaining difficult-to-hire talent.
For example, a relatively small organization in Kelowna,
BC needed to hire a technical engineer with a specific skill
set. Potential candidates were unwilling to relocate to small
town Canada, but they were able to find someone located in
Norway to build and lead a remote team in China.)
4. These organizations are fully distributed with a
building(s) somewhere from which employees can work,
have retreats, conduct client meetings—but there is no
requirement for them to ever be there. These companies
are still relatively rare, but are more popular in tech, perhaps
because these companies’ core processes are embedded in
location-agnostic technology. US-based Rimon Law Firm is
an impressive example of this remote working form with at
distributed staff of 110, including 80 attorneys.
5. These organizations have no physical building, any-
where. If face-to-face client meetings or gatherings are
called for, a third-party space is required. Co-working spaces,
hotel lobbies or even coffee shops can provide such spaces.
In this context, workers determine where they work and are
completely location independent with most communication
happening virtually.
Questions to Clarify
Wherever you are on the remote work continuum, it is important
to establish a baseline to ensure employee success—both
colocated and remote. These questions will help you identify
what’s currently in place, what needs to be developed in order to
move forward in supporting a remote workforce, and where you
may find room for further flexibility.
1. What functions of each role are dependent on being in the
office? (Think job analysis.)
2. Is technology in place to support this role, remote or
colocated?
3. Are appropriate virtual communication tools used?
4. Is a communication protocol in place? (The how, what, when
of communication.)
5. Are there appropriate cyber-security protocols in place?
6. Are supports in place for setting up a home office?
(Ergonomics, tech, budget)
7. Are current onboarding processes in place to ensure remote
workers are incorporated into the the company culture?
8. Is servant leadership encouraged at all levels of the
organization?
9. Has the organization developed a meaningful way to talk
about progress and performance relevant to specific contexts
(colocated or remote)?
Performance Management in the Remote Era
Let’s take a moment to focus on that final question. What does
performance management look like in a remote context? In our
research, 250+ remote workers reported desiring meaningful
work; they want to know it is connected to work done by their
co-workers, as well as to organizational goals and mission.
Therefore, use of data to drive metrics helps employees know:
• How productive they were;
• What that productivity means to the team/organization; and
• How the work they did related to the work others are doing.
Clarity around deliverables and timelines removes ambiguity
for all employees. Our research determined remote workers want
two-way feedback to happen on an “as needed” basis to identify
their successes and potential growth areas, and to provide
managers with feedback on how they might remove barriers for
individual and team success.
However, this does not replace a formal annual discussion
around accomplishments, goals, challenges and contributions.
Well-applied metrics—combined with mutually agreed
upon goals and evidence of ongoing growth within relevant
competencies—can serve well as the foundation for effective,
respectful performance measurement.
An Expanded Employee Experience
Summing up, remote work is a growing reality that is moving
us toward a more open, global and flexible marketplace. When
done well, remote working allows for humans to experience a
greater cadence of meaningful experiences both in work and their
personal lives. Still, it’s hard to imagine a world where every job
becomes remote. While we hope more organizations give thought
to opening up their proverbial walls, we don’t want to see good
organizations caught in trying to change something that’s just
not right for them.
Roberta Sawatzky, CPHR is a professor at the Okanagan
School of Business, consultant, and researcher focusing on
remote work. Nathan Sawatzky is a sociologist and remote
business leader.

Professional Development IT PAYS TO KNOW

Earn Professional Development

Hours with our Seminars
Madura S., PCP, CPHR - Member, The Canadian Payroll Association

There are more than 200 CPHR members receive Canadian Payroll Association
federal and provincial member pricing on one-day seminars and webinars.
regulations and changes In-class seminars are offered year-round across British Columbia. Over 20
each year. Reduce the risk topics are available, including Employment Standards, Taxable Benefits &
of being non-compliant Allowances, Learning Payroll, and many others suitable for those working
in human resources or overseeing payroll.
and facing fines by staying
Can’t make an in-class seminar? Online seminars and webinars are
up-to-date.
available live or on-demand. Visit our online calendar for all of our
upcoming options.
Register online at payroll.ca with promo code CPHRBC to receive
Stay Current Stay Compliant
special member pricing and earn CPD hours.

payroll.ca

 PeopleTalk | Summer 2019 43

View publication stats