Adapting HR to a Remote Workforce

It’s been a busy year for HR professionals attempting to negotiate the coronavirus pandemic on behalf of their employers. Many organizations shifted their employees from in-office to remote operations overnight. What was once supposed to be a short-term response to the epidemic is now becoming a long-term answer for enterprises, as they see the benefits of a remote workforce.

This move places a great deal of responsibility on HR. To support a remote workforce, the recruiting, onboarding, and employee separation processes must be modified. To set expectations for remote workers, company rules must be modified. HR must verify that state and local employment laws are followed in the areas where employees work. Finally, programs for sustaining company culture and employee engagement across a remote workforce must be implemented.

Recruiting, onboarding, and detachment

Recruiting

Access to a bigger pool of competent individuals with various backgrounds is one of the most significant advantages of a remote workforce. Remote employment opportunities entice candidates. It promotes work-life balance, eliminates variables such as commuting, and resulting in cost savings because they will spend less money on eating out for lunch or purchasing work clothing.

Onboarding

When bringing on a remote employee, keep in mind the location where they will be working.

Separations

When a workforce is remote, the method involuntary employee separations take place alters because meetings are unlikely to take place in person.

Revision of company policies

When shifting to a partially or entirely remote workforce, many policies will become obsolete or require modifications.

Observance of state and local employment legislation

For all places where remote employees operate, organizations must comply with state and municipal employment laws and policy requirements.

Keep the culture and employee engagement going

As remote workforces become the norm, onsite incentives such as company-provided coffee and snacks, bring your dog to work day, and Ping-Pong tables and lounges will no longer benefit business culture and employee engagement. Employee engagement and a strong business culture can be maintained by remote workforces through leadership openness, encouragement of a healthy work/life balance, and adherence to the organization’s basic principles.

It’s time to reconsider human resources

As you can see, a remote workforce has an influence on the delivery of HR services in a variety of ways. It is an excellent moment to reconsider HR as you begin to contemplate what your company architecture will look like in the future. We advocate an HR strategy that is technologically advanced, agile in responding to rapid changes, scalable as your organization grows and contracts, and capable of providing the level of expertise required to ensure tight compliance with rapidly changing employment laws.