Page 180 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

hiring and preparing great mobile talent � 159

know how to motivate people whom they seldom see, and can they
resolve conflict, communicate clear objectives, build teamwork,
and hold them accountable? Do they know how find the right bal-
ance between face-to-face discussions and virtual meetings?
6. How does your company train employees for the mobile work en-
vironment? What are the safety and health issues, for example,
that people on the road need to know about and to prepare for?

Hiring is difficult; for many companies it’s the biggest investment
and most important decision they will make. Think about the cost to
recruit, hire, train, motivate, retain, maintain, promote, and eventu-
ally retire someone. What if that person is a total dud? Or what if he
or she is a constant grain of sand in the teleworks? As John Gentry
shared with us, he hires only A players. You don’t want to be hand-
4
holding or putting out unnecessary fires; if you hire right you can rely
on your own A players to solve issues.
Our best advice is to make sure you have top-notch human re-
sources professionals helping you. They’ll need to support the learn-
ing curve your organization will go through, to identify the pertinent
policies and legal issues affected. You’ll need them to add their best
organizational development expertise to the mix in order to position
and execute the successful change management process for moving to
mobility, customized to the needs of your organization.
The most important consideration will be to know the purpose
and roles of your mobile team. Executive support, organizational in-
vestment, and your own personal commitment must be all aligned
with the culture and direction of the company and with what you ex-
pect behaviorally from a remote employee. You need this close match
to mitigate your risk and increase your odds of success. You’ll start
things on the right foot by knowing what is expected of your mobile employ-
ees and then managing to those expectations.
The work–life balance equation is real; people are eager for it. Em-
ployees are likely to give their loyalty and commitment to organiza-
tions that provide it. Hiring people who fit your culture and understand
your expectations—with the skills and abilities to produce—makes