Organizational Culture for Remote Work

Bonnie Brown, Chief Data Officer at Wake County

Bonnie Brown, Chief Data Officer at Wake County

The pandemic was the first time in many government agencies that remote and hybrid working environments became the norm instead of the exception pushing remote work into new sectors and roles. After more than two years of experience with this model, agencies are tasked with building policies that support remotehybrid work fairly without compromising public service and maintaining employee satisfaction. It is a delicate balance to achieve, especially in government agencies where not every job has the potential to take advantage of these new opportunities due to the public-facing nature of their jobs. We can all recognize the benefits of remote working in providing work-life balance, geographically wider applicant pools, and many other benefits. Still, there are also disadvantages like tension and inequity. You must consider whether your organization is prepared to support hybrid working environments and whether your employees are also prepared to manage and work in these environments.

Remotehybrid work environments bring up questions about inequity, bias, and inclusion for those who do and do not participate in the program. Organizational cultural readiness plays a big factor in the success of remote working. How do you create a culture of inclusion for remote employees without creating tension with those in-person employees who are ineligible for remote work? There is no magical solution, but here are a few things to consider when making these important decisions.

“Remotehybrid work environments bring up questions about inequity, bias, and inclusion for those who do and do not participate in the program.”

Tension can be derived from remote work being seen as a benefit that not everyone can participate in. Determining who is eligible for remotehybrid work should be based on the responsibilities of the role. By centering your policy around this tenant, you are helping to minimize issues on eligibility being based on biased factors like relationships and seniority, making the decision about the work and not the individual. Another benefit is the financial support provided to remote employees who need equipment, internet, and potentially furniture to set up remote operations. How much is the organization's responsibility compared to the employee who works remotely? In their work-from-home policy, organizations should clearly state what will and will not be covered for remote employees. Establishing a role-based work-from-home kit and stipend for office set-up will further assist in defining financial responsibilities and allow for accurate budgeting.

After establishing who and how employees can work remotely, you need to consider if your organization is ready to be inclusive to remote workers. Does your supervisory staff have the skills and training to manage a hybrid workforce? Do your performance management and other human resource management policies support a hybrid workforce? How do we ensure our hybrid employees are not left behind in organizational commitment, promotion opportunities, and general connection to the organization? The best way to address these questions is through awareness and measurement.

Awareness begins with simple tasks like making sure there is a hybrid option for meetings, as there may be people who do not live within a commutable distance. Measurement needs to include both the sentiment of employees and the quantitative measures of performance and attrition. Establishing a scheduled measure of employee sentiment on remote work through surveys, focus groups, or interviews can baseline then measure changes in your remote work policies. It is also important to analyze employee data for turnover, performance management, and promotion by employee type (in-person, hybrid, remote) to look for trends and biases within these measurements.

Overall, your organizational culture needs to support all employees leaving no in-person, hybrid, or remote employee behind.