Is It Remote?
Is it remote? It’s a question we often hear when we meet with candidates and leaders across the higher education, health care, and nonprofit world. It’s an important question for sure at this time, given the changes in where and how we work. There is no doubt that how and where we work has changed forever.
At the heart of the question, “Is it remote?” is the core desire to know the employer’s flexibility in how and where the employee does their work. Or, as Mark Antonucci, Vice President of Rutgers University Foundation, put it, “…to work where a person can be the best version of themselves.” For the leaders and job seekers, I will share a few points and tips.
“Is it remote?” may not be the real question nor the heart of what is actually being asked. I recently visited with Dr. Tod A. Burnett, President of the University of Alaska Foundation. Tod and I came to the conclusion that the heart of the question is employees want to know that organizations are willing to be flexible more than if the employees can work from anywhere in the world. Professionals want to know an organization is going to embrace and provide a flexible work environment. The question on remote work does seem to be the first question asked in many recruitment discussions, but the critical question is one only the individual can answer, “Am I a good fit for hybrid/remote work?” While many jobs can be done from nearly anywhere, is it the best scenario for the individual? Again, a question to ask oneself in looking at new roles or thinking about your current work, and one that leaders can encourage their team members or potential hires to consider.
Strengthening the effort and success of flexible and hybrid work environments will require more focus on culture and the norms that lead to strong community and results. It is already clear that the inflexible organizations are losing talent to those who are flexible. And flexibility seems to be the key ingredient here. Clearly, productivity and results are paramount, but without flexibility talented people will go elsewhere to get what they need and want. In considering the path for the future, Matthew Ewing, Vice President of University Advancement at Boise State University, said it well, “…talented team members want freedom and responsibility.” Team members want to be trusted with the freedom to make the best decisions for their organization and the responsibility to achieve great results. The highest performers thrive when both exist. The emphasis here will ensure great talent and optimized results.
As leaders and teams work to embrace and build for the future, it will be important to establish community norms and culture building efforts. Some are as simple as having the video on in Zoom meetings to the more complex like regularity or expectation for when to be in the office, on campus, or engaging with the work team in person. When it comes to working for a university, a lot occurs on campus and that experience translates to stories and experiences that alumni want to hear and share. “As a residential campus, we have to have ways for our teams to stay connected to our mission,” said Shawn Scoville, President & CEO at Oregon State University Foundation. Connecting to the mission in a physical way came up often in discussions I had recently. The idea that it’s healthy and necessary to be proximal to what we represent and with the people remains true. Or as shared by Peter Wilch, Senior Vice President with University Advancement at Loyola Marymount University, “…building community builds trust.”
Workspace and workspace quality will be an important topic as organizations and individuals continue to improve on the flexible work environment. When we first started our remote journey, some of us were relegated to unusual parts of our homes. One colleague had to utilize his garage complete with his kid’s boxing dummy in close view. It worked and made for some fun jokes, but with fully embracing this model many are creating workspace quality expectations including setting up for optimal office and productivity. Some leaders have made important investments and changes to their technology. At the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, President & CEO, Lynette Marshall and team are utilizing Microsoft Teams to accelerate collaboration and other technology that improves the experience when working outside the office to ensure ideal collaboration and communication. Technology, lighting, backdrops, and productive space helps ensure success and optimal results for all.
As individuals and organizations discuss and decide on their own flexible, remote, or hybrid work environment it will be important to remain attentive to employee expectations and organizational needs. Keys to a successful flexible environment will have some unique variability according to the organization and nature of its purpose. Here are a few things every organization and leader should be addressing:
Intentionally focus on and create opportunities for building a collaborative culture. Building culture is never easy and in a hybrid/remote environment organizations that learn together with their teams will find new ways to develop and grow. Don’t give up on in-person gatherings and build them into the natural cadence of the year’s meetings.
Be willing to ask the question shared by Jeff Todd, President & CEO of the University of New Mexico Foundation, “What will we lose and what do we need to be intentional about?” Hybrid and remote work are not going away. We will gain and we will lose. Ask the questions to understand what’s at stake, hear from others in the organization, and develop strategies to overcome.
Simplify goals and double down on mission clarity including revisiting your core values that lead to success. You may need to do some adapting to values to best align with a hybrid work environment where the work is completed in new and different ways.
Remember not seeing a person every day in an office is quite ok (yes, some still think that’s required).
Healthy things grow and growing things change. Be prepared to adapt and adjust.
Overall, the leaders I connected with on this topic report an overall net positive as it relates to culture, talent recruitment, and employee satisfaction. All are critical to success and reaching goals. My gratitude and respect to all advancement leaders and a special thanks for sharing their time and wisdom to: Jane Barghothi, Vice Chancellor for Advancement of Appalachian State; Matthew Ewing, Vice President for University Advancement at Boise State University; Shawn Scoville, President & CEO of Oregon State University Foundation; Jeff Todd, President & CEO of the University of New Mexico Foundation; Dr. Tod Burnett, President of the University of Alaska Foundation; Mark Antonucci Vice President of Rutgers University Foundation; Lynette Marshall President & CEO of University of Iowa Center for Advancement; Peter Wilch, Senior Vice President with University Advancement at Loyola Marymount University; Mike Connell, Vice President of Advancement at the Washington State University Foundation; and John Morris, Senior Vice President for Advancement and President of the Auburn University Foundation.
