Work Wonders
Back in late 2021, we decided that instead of chatting to each other about the challenges and triumphs of people management in small businesses, we should invite you to join the conversation. And the Work Wonders podcast was born! Managing people is serious business. We bring you all the latest, practical advice without the pain. The podcast is brought to you by Aster HR https://www.asterhr.com.au/ and your hosts are Angela Gauci and Susan Rochester
Work Wonders
How Hybrid and Remote Work Models are changing Engagement and Retention Strategies
In this episode we discuss a topic that’s more relevant than ever—how hybrid and remote work models are reshaping engagement and retention strategies. With more companies embracing flexible work models, it’s crucial to understand how these changes are impacting employee engagement and how we can retain top talent in a virtual or hybrid world.
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote and hybrid work, and with this shift comes new challenges—and opportunities—for organizations to engage and retain their workforce.
We explore:
- the impact of these work models on traditional engagement strategies
- the evolving expectations of employees
- the importance of trust and autonomy in remote environments
- how to create retention strategies that work for a dispersed workforce
You can find the show notes for this episode here
Would you like to submit a question to the show? Let us know on our website or via LinkedIn.
Brought to you by Aster HR, the Work Wonders Podcast is hosted by Angela Gauci & Susan Rochester and is recorded at Launch Pad at Western Sydney University.
All information or advice included in this podcast is general, has been developed as a starting point for your business, and should be tailored to your specific requirements. It should not be considered legal advice. We have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and currency of this information at the time of recording. However, references to things like employment laws are subject to change. For specific advice relating to your business, please get in touch with us.
Welcome to the Work Wonders podcast brought to you by Asta HR, where we simplify the human side of business.
Speaker 2:I'm Angela and I'm Susan, let's dive into today's episode and find out what you've been wondering about.
Speaker 1:In today's episode, we're going to discuss a topic that's more relevant than ever hybrid and remote work models but we're going to talk about how it's reshaping the engagement and retention strategies within an organisation. So, with more companies embracing flexible work models, it's crucial to understand how these changes might be impacting how engaged your employees are and how to retain top talent in a virtual and hybrid world.
Speaker 2:And so we need to think about how that impacts on traditional work models of engagement and also the challenges that companies face, and give you some actionable tips for keeping your employees engaged and committed in this new era of work.
Speaker 1:So we'll cover the evolving expectations of your employees, the importance of trust and autonomy, and how to create those retention strategies that work with a dispersed workforce. So let's dive in. This is the Work Wonders podcast. This is the Work Wonders Podcast. Hi Susan, hi Angela. Hybrid and remote work look nothing new. We've talked about this quite a bit, especially in the podcast too, but let's talk about why work models are changing for a bit. So we know COVID, the pandemic, has forced us. We've talked about it before, about how, practically overnight, we all had to shift into something different, or, for the most part, most industries did. What started, though, as a necessity, has definitely become a preference for most employees, or for some workplaces, to stay. Hybrid, hybrid and remote work offer that flexibility and autonomy, things that employees, having experienced that, are really, really valuing today.
Speaker 2:That's correct, and in fact, there's a recent study by Upwork that estimated that by 2025, 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely, which is an increase of 87% on pre-pandemic levels. And that's not just about convenience. It's about getting better work-life balance, but it also increased productivity and having access to a broader global talent pool. One more thing I wanted to say about that, too, is that there are many organisations that have taken their business completely online now. Yeah, Interesting so you know they've got 100% working remote.
Speaker 1:It's an interesting thought. You know how it's changed business and saving on rent and all those sorts of practical things and some people really like the work from home or working remotely option.
Speaker 1:Some don't. They prefer the office or whatever it may be. But with any shift comes challenges. So, for example, communications can be more difficult. In that scenario. Some employees they might struggle with those feelings of isolation. They don't like to always work remotely or that lack of team cohesion. There's something different when you're in the same physical space as each other. So businesses need to rethink about their engagement strategies to accommodate for those employees that are working in a dispersed way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think the first step in that really is being more intentional about maintaining communication, especially where there's hybrid models where you might have part of the team that's in the office while others are working remotely and that might be changing day to day. So you're going to need a strong digital infrastructure and tools to support collaboration and engagement in that situation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you might already have those in place and that's wonderful, but now might be the right time to stop and think about it and go. It might have served us well in the pandemic, but is it still serving us well today? Is it still fit for purpose in terms of employee engagement? So how does this shift then affect employee engagement? The lack of spontaneous interactions make it really harder to sort of build relationships. I've heard it said by, I think, brené Brown, that that's when relationships build. You know, in the small moments that you can't just create, they just happen. You know, when you encounter each other in the hallway or you're talking on the way out to the car at the end of the day or things like that, those things that you just can't manufacture online, those things can affect the overall engagement.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they can, and so that means that if your team's working virtually, a part of it's working virtually, then there needs to be new ways to engage in that realm, I guess. So that might be virtual team building activities, regular check-ins and even virtual coffee breaks to replicate those casual office interactions. You know you can all be having coffee on Zoom together and having a chat about things that aren't work. So tools like Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams are all key ways to keep the lines of communication open, and we use those in our business, yeah we do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, look, one of the most important elements of engaging a remote or hybrid sort of team is trust and autonomy. So in a remote work environment, a leader would have to trust that their employees are going to manage their time and deliver on results without constantly looking over their shoulder.
Speaker 1:You can't physically do that Well, exactly, you know, yeah, that's probably not a new concept. People would have had to encounter that, certainly if your business has been working in that way since COVID or for some time. But micromanagement, as I'm putting it to you there, you know that simply doesn't work in this setting and it really will lead to the opposite effect of disengagement.
Speaker 2:Sorry, I'm just hesitating because I'm thinking how would you do micromanagement when you've got remote workers? The constant checking in, yeah, the constant checking in too, many emails or text messages. Have you done this, yet.
Speaker 1:Exactly If you're enjoying the content on our podcast. Did you know that we delve a little bit deeper in some webinars that we host? You can access the replay of these webinars on our website right now. Some recent ones we did were around the right to disconnect legislation and the changes to casual employment. To check those out, go to astorhrcomau. For now, let's go back to the episode.
Speaker 2:Despite what we've been saying about people being forced to go back to the office and you know you're hearing it in the news I really think that at least hybrid is with us.
Speaker 1:To stay, To stay, exactly. Yeah, so we are singling out the hybrid and remote work, but fundamentally these strategies is to keep people engaged in exactly the same purpose. You know we want to keep them happy in the workplace and performing well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think you know, in the context of talking about remote work, what would that look like? Obviously, I was about to say you can't have free snacks, but there's no reason why you can't. I'd be quite happy if I was working remotely, if a box turned up the door with snacks for me to nibble on while I'm working. But really what's needed is a focus more on the culture than those physical aspects of keeping people engaged. So, yeah, having a strong company culture that goes across the board.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and look, in previous episodes we've talked about those elements of trust and you know all of that. It's no different here. We're just pointing out that I think it requires a little more intention and adaptability to using other ways. You know, like you said, there might not be Tim Tams in the kitchen, I might have to actually post it to you. Is that a promise? You know that sort of thing, but being creative and being open and, as we've talked about before, I think it's important to think about keeping it consistent and fair. Yeah, thank you Around making sure that everybody you know if you've got a hybrid workplace, you've got some in the office or wherever you are workplace and some at home, potentially, you know, making it the same for everybody.
Speaker 2:So the same feeling happens this everyone's experiencing the same culture yeah, um, professional development is another thing that's going to be important. Um, just because someone's not in the office doesn't mean they don't want to grow their careers, so you need to be aware of that and give them the same opportunities as you would to someone who's in the office every day. Yeah, and that might even mean that you're offering things like a virtual mentorship program.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And upskilling opportunities that are going to keep them engaged and committed.
Speaker 2:And if you're interested in mentorship, we interviewed Selina Jeffrey back in season four about the mentoring movement that might give you some ideas if you go back and listen to that one and flexible work arrangements and the potential to be able to work wherever you want to in the world or the hours that you want to work your own schedule, whatever they're really now a key driver of engagement and we're finding more and more employees are expecting to have that flexibility Absolutely and having that available to them is going to lead to higher satisfaction and productivity Absolutely, whether you like it or not. It might be time to take a deep breath and embrace that that is happening if you want better engagement and retention.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and a manager that's feeling a little unsure about. Oh gosh, how do I lead this is so uncomfortable. How do I lead people in this space? There's ways that you can do that. You can be coached to support and learn those sort of skills and adjust the way that you're monitoring work and outcomes and things like that? Yeah, because, like you say, it is here to stay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think you know the thing is. We've just said that it gives employers the option to access talent globally. Well, guess what? It gives employees the option to seek opportunities globally. So that means that you know, if anything, you need to step up your retention efforts.
Speaker 1:Another thing is thinking about tailoring benefits you might offer to fit remote work. So my idea of the Tim Tams in the kitchen.
Speaker 2:Not so silly.
Speaker 1:But, you know, thinking about a way that it's going to work for you. If you have a wellness program, you know there might be things that you're offering to people that are in the workplace with you, but is it also accessible for people that are working remotely? Can they use it in the same way? You know, and I guess it comes down to that idea of keeping it fair and equitable amongst everybody we keep coming back to that point, don't we? But I think that's what it's all about. Recognition and feedback are even more critical in a remote environment, I would argue. So employees need to, just like anybody else, feel seen, valued and heard, even when they're not physically in the same workspace as you. So that virtual recognition that we're talking about, so regularly checking in with them or having a one-on-one meeting which you're probably doing anyway, but doing that with intention, in the same way you would if they were physically in front of you is really important.
Speaker 2:I'm thinking also about the right to disconnect, you know, just because someone's in the home with their computer and able to access the network at any hour of the day. Yeah, if that's not the case for the people who work in your office, then it shouldn't be the case for people who are working remotely either, that's true.
Speaker 2:So mental health support is going to be crucial too. As we said earlier, remote workers might sometimes feel isolated, which could lead to burnout. There is a temptation, I feel, for some remote workers to do more than what they would normally do in their hours.
Speaker 1:I would agree with you. You know I'm not getting in my car to go to work. I'm going to the next room to turn my computer on and work.
Speaker 2:So I can start at 7am, because that's the time I would have hopped on the train, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so there's a skill there to being able to switch off and some employees may need help in shaping that skill.
Speaker 2:Yeah definitely so. Things like offering them mental health days, access to virtual counselling services or getting them involved with team wellness activities could help mitigate that and really show them that their wellbeing is your priority too. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And if you do something I just had a thought, susan like an annual conference, let's say, you maybe bring people across the state together once a year and you know you've always done it in person, but now everyone's hybrid. You may still make the choice to go. No, it's only once a year. We still want to bring people in person for that one day. And that may be a strategy where you think, no, that's a really important way for people to get that benefit of being together.
Speaker 1:And I would actually argue that you could spend more on your annual conference, because you're not providing facilities, office facilities for those people who are working remotely.
Speaker 2:So you go all out and have a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:Lots of Tim Tams. Look, yeah, look what we're talking about. It's nothing new. We've talked about it in previous episodes. Before you know around the hybrid and remote work, but it would be remiss of us not to include them in the engagement and retention piece as well. As we've explained to you, you know there are differences in looking after teams in this way as opposed to just people in front of you physically, and it's important to be aware of that and think about the differences as you consider your strategies around engagement.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so have a look at what you're doing now and think about how that aligns with the needs of your hybrid or remote team, if you have one. If you've listened this far and you don't have one, well, congratulations Well done. But you know, whether it's about building trust or offering flexibility, or tailoring the perks for remote employees, it's the small changes that can make a big difference. That's so true.
Speaker 1:Look, thanks for joining us today. We hope that the content from today's episode has been helpful. As we continue to talk about engagement and retention, as always, don't forget to hit subscribe, leave us a review and tell us what you thought about today and let someone know if you think that it could help them as well.
Speaker 2:And make sure you turn in next time when we're building on this and discussing employee wellbeing and mental health and how that's linked to retention.
Speaker 1:So take care of you and your employees and keep evolving with the changing work landscape. We look forward to talking to you soon. Thanks for listening to the Work Wonders podcast brought to you by Asta HR. Hit the subscribe button now to never miss an episode, and if you'd like to continue the conversation with us, you can find us over at astahrcomau. See you in the next episode.
