Overview:
The recent global pandemic accelerated the shift towards remote work for many organisations which has prompted business managers across sectors to deliberately think about how to measure performance in an environment where the employees are working either remotely with limited time of physical presence at the office, a self-choice between remote and office working, or on rotational basis between homes and office.
Several employee opinion surveys conducted in the past two years indicates that majority of the employees are reluctant to return to the office on a full-time arrangement. Many prefer a hybrid work model. With this model, employees have the freedom to choose where they get their best work done, whether that’s in the office, at home or a combination of the two.
Some organisations have gone ahead with updating their policies and procedures to embed a hybrid workplace model. Other organisations have opted to establish pre-defined schedules coordinated by business unit managers, whereby there are specific days an employee is expected to work remotely, and days required to be physically present in the office. This change has necessitated a dialogue to rethink on how to fairly measure an employee’s performance in a hybrid work model.
Approaches:
As organisations move to a hybrid work model, a higher degree of trust between managers and their teams is required with a change of performance monitoring. Some of the approaches for considerations for a hybrid work model includes:
- Set clear expectations: Employees and the managers need to have a precise and shared understanding of the exact results expected to be achieved and expected timelines. Hence performance objectives need to be crystal clear. This clarity is mostly important for employees who have limited face to face interaction with their managers and team members, to foster strong alignment to each other and work being done together as a team, contrary it can leave them feeling detached from their managers and teams and the work they are doing together.
- Employee self-evaluations:An employee self-evaluation is essential for the manager to understand employees’ strengths areas and opportunities for improvement that might not otherwise be known by management due to limited face to face interactions.
- Regular performance feedback: Employees working in a hybrid environment benefits from frequent updates on their performance, instead of waiting for mid-year and annual performance reviews. A consideration for a monthly feedback session will enable both the organisation and the employees to track performance improvements and identify areas that needs more attention and guidance. The notes from the monthly performance check in sessions can be used as reference points during the performance evaluations.
- Address systemic challenges: Remote working environment may be associated with various challenges that could impact performance in unpredictable ways. These challenges may vary from connectivity to resources availability. It is essential for the organisation to identify the common challenges from the engagement with the employees and provide the necessary support so that work performance is not affected.
- Provide equal opportunities – ‘As usually stated, ‘out of sight- out of mind’, managers may tend to forget the employees working remotely, especially in a scenario where there are multiple resources at the same job level. Managers should educate all team members in the organisation on best ways to collaborate with remote co-workers so that the hybrid teams become visible and practical by ensuring, that opportunities are provided to all employees depending on the nature of the organisation’ business model.
- Appreciate where it is due.
In hybrid workforce model, employees working remotely may sometimes loose credit for their hard work where it is due. For example, a remote worker may conduct research and prepare a presentation and another employee working in the office delivers it to the intended audience. It is more likely all praises for the good work will go to the presenter. It is the role of the leader to keep note of everyone’s contribution so that a note of appreciation is provided to all team members based on their level of contributions.
- Deploy a 360-feedback approach.
With limited interactions between employees and managers, a hybrid working model will benefit with 360 feedback approach, whereby the manager seeks and receive feedback from colleagues, juniors, other managers, and clients (where feasible) on the performance and conducts of the employee in relation to the work performed. Such feedback will enable the reviewer to have supplementary information during performance evaluation, which minimises bias of rating an employee, relying on the limited engagements during the performance year.
- Evaluate performance fairly.
Lastly, it is important to avoid inequalities in the way performance reviews are conducted and delivered. Where possible, a leader should consider conducting a face-to-face appraisal to all employees, and if not feasible, a consideration for video call to each employee to be deployed.
The Benefits:
When effectively deployed, a hybrid working model is essential in managing performance due to the convenience it promotes to both employees and organisations. Some of the notable benefits includes flexibility and comfort, the choice for the employees to work where they are most comfortable and productive; and improves work-life balance. Other critical benefits for this model in view of performance is on setting a foundation for a dispersed workforce within an organisation, with a flexibility of hiring the best talents without the need to have them in a specific geographical location.
Furthermore, the model is essential in spearheading talent attraction and retention initiatives, most especially for the millennials and generation z, whom according to various employee’s opinion surveys conducted, suggest for a flex arrangement between remote working and being physically present in the office.
Considerations:
In a hybrid working model, hours worked by an employee should not carry weight in managing performance, as the focus is not about the time the employees spend at work, rather it’s what they are doing with that time that matters most, in alignment with expected levels of productivity and results.
To effectively manage performance in a hybrid working model, organisations have to invest in systems to enable continuous flow of communication and accessibility of organisations information resources in remote working. Such investment should include automation of the performance management system for ease of tracking and documentation of performance progress, seeking feedback and appraisals.