Vista is using clear objectives and direct communication to maintain productivity amid its remote working first approach.
“We’ve been able to track how we’re meeting our goals and it’s less about how and where you’re doing the work and more about ensuring we’re meeting quarterly and annual milestones and delivering on business objectives,” says Maureen Carroll, the marketing company’s senior director of global talent and diversity, equity and inclusion.
In August 2020, Vista decided to maintain its remote working arrangement after an employee survey revealed employees felt productive and preferred the flexibility, she notes. “The decision was made before [the coronavirus pandemic] was anywhere near ending, but it was made because it’s what employees said they wanted. So we focused on how to make that experience really positive and ensure we’re meeting our business objectives.”
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While some employees are required to work onsite in a production facility, adds Carroll, the company is focused on creating an environment where employees can successfully work remotely, while those who have to work onsite have a supportive environment as well.
In the first year since implementing the remote working first approach, Vista saw a 300 per cent increase in job applications. “Because we were so decisive [and] because we had a plan so early on, we were able to quickly attract and convert talents who were uneasy about what their future work situation or requirements would be,” says Carroll.
This quick response also helped the company to create a globally distributed leadership team in a short period of time, she says, noting Vista’s leaders are located everywhere from San Francisco to Ireland to Australia.
The company also sends out a monthly engagement survey to gauge how employees feel about this approach, she adds, and the results have shown an increase in employee engagement and retention due to the successful implementation of remote work.
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