University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Virtual Manager
Book

The Virtual Manager

Cutting-Edge Solutions to Hiring, Managing, Motivating, and Engaging Mobile Employees

Kevin Sheridan
Career Press, 2012
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Online networking, video conferencing, file sharing, collaborative work websites, email and other technological advances now enable employees to work from remote locations instead of commuting to offices where supervisors await. Human resources expert Kevin Sheridan details numerous best practices for managing remote, virtual employees. Most of his ideas reflect his deep expertise and prove sensible and actionable. getAbstract recommends many of Sheridan’s concepts and his approach to managing virtual workers. Distance is tough on any relationship, especially managing or working for people you rarely see. This makes it easier.

Summary

Home As Office, Office As Home

For today’s virtual employees, work is what you do, not where you go. Of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” 82 have formal policies for virtual work. In the years to come, expect to see more virtual staffers: people who work full time or part time from remote locations, away from managers and colleagues. And virtual employees require virtual managers.

Offering remote work makes firms more attractive to prospective employees and reduces turnover. In one survey, 72% of employees indicated that the availability of flextime work would prompt them to prefer one employer to another. Of this majority, 37% specifically referred to virtual work.

Another survey showed that virtual workers report a “60% higher intent to stay than employees in a traditional office setting.” The virtual option cuts absenteeism and increases workers’ productivity. Increasing your number of virtual workers – which may mean having fewer office workers – can cut your overhead costs and reduce your firm’s carbon footprint.

Remote workers benefit from flexible workdays and hours, which increases their job satisfaction and reduces burnout...

About the Author

Kevin Sheridan is “chief engagement officer” of HR Solutions, which conducts workforce surveys and offers self-surveys related to employee engagement.

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