Communicating with a virtual workforce

Where is everybody?

Communicating with a virtual workforce:

Margaret Botney and Debra Tortora

June 13, 2013

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Virtual workforce

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Virtual workforce

Defining the virtual workforce

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Virtual workforce


A. Telecommuters who work

part- or full-time from home

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Virtual workforce


A. Telecommuters who work

part- or full-time from home

B. Any employee not at the geographical

location of senior management

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Source: RW3 CultureWizard. The Challenges of Working in Virtual Teams (2012).

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88%

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88% 75%

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88% 75%

70%

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88% 75%

47% 70%

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Traditional tools

• Boring

• Boring

• Boring

• Boring

• Boring

• Boring

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Traditional vs. forward-thinking

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Effectiveness of emerging technology tools

Gamification Mobile

Technology

Social

Networking

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Gamification Mobile

Technology

Social

Networking

63%


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Gamification Mobile

Technology

Social

Networking

63% 36%


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Gamification Mobile

Technology

Social

Networking

63% 36% 50%


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Face-to-face

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Tell us what you think

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Barriers

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Barriers

• Competition for budget with too many

other high-priority issues

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Barriers

• Lack of buy-in and support from senior

management



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Barriers

• Lack of buy-in and support from senior

management



• Lack of guaranteed ROI or a good way to

measure effectiveness

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Advantages

• A feature of retention

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Advantages • Increases productivity

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Advantages

• Of traditional

employees, 78% who

call in sick really

aren’t, adding up to

$300 billion in lost

revenue

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Advantages

• Saves the company overhead costs

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Virtual workforce environment

The two keys to doing this are:

1. Build a virtual culture

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Virtual workforce environment

The two keys to doing this are:

1. Build a virtual culture

2. Create virtual connections

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Challenges to building a virtual culture

1. Companies don’t have a culture for this

workforce, don’t know how to create one, or

even what it is

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Challenges to building a virtual culture

1. Companies don’t have a culture for this

workforce, don’t know how to create one, or

even what it is

2. Buy-in: a virtual culture needs support

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Solutions to building a virtual culture

1. Build it by living it

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2. Train managers and employees

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2. Train managers and employees

3. Ensure your employees have the resources

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Challenges to creating virtual connections

1. Employees overwhelmed by emails

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2. Employees multi-tasking during

web-based meetings

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web-based meetings

3. Tools aren’t in place

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web-based meetings

3. Tools aren’t in place

4. Fear of disconnect

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Solutions to creating virtual connections

Better communication

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• Be selective with messaging

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• Be selective with messaging

• Increase the “wow” factor

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CVS

Commercial

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CVS

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Online beneficiary reminder postcards

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Better tools

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Better tools

• Use a variety of ways to get the information

across

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Better tools

• Use a variety of ways to get the information

across

• Provide these tools through an all-inclusive

environment

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Tell us what you think

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Case study

• Build a virtual culture

• Create better connections

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Case study: Wayne Farms

Situation and Solution

• Shifting to a single consumer-driven

health plan (CDHP) for 2013

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Situation and Solution

• Shifting to a single consumer-driven

health plan (CDHP) for 2013

• Social media site (“the Roost”)

launched in June 2012 along with

traditional supporting education

materials

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• Pre- and post-campaign survey results:

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– Understand why company is changing

plans (38% to 55%)

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plans (38% to 55%)

– Understand HSA (35% to 62%)

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plans (38% to 55%)


– What is considered preventive (13% to

44%)

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plans (38% to 55%)


– What is considered preventive (13% to

44%)

– How plan differs from PPO (32% to 59%)

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“We want our employees

to know that we know

who they are, we know

how they like to

communicate and

socialize, and we really

care about their well-

being.”

Results

• 149 maternity leaves since September 2011

• 66% enrolled in AeroBabies; 100 virtual baby showers

• C-section rates dropped from 44% to 33%

Case study: Aeropostale

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Any questions?

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Thank you

for joining

Stay

connected!

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Contact information

Debra Tortora

Director, Communication

Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company

485 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor

New York, NY 10017-2630

Office: 212.330.1113Cell: 917.359.1723

[email protected]

www.buckconsultants.com

Margaret Botney

Senior Consultant, Communication

Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company

500 Plaza Drive

Secaucus, NJ 07096

Office: 201.902.2384Cell: 201.951.7126

[email protected]

www.buckconsultants.com

mailto:�[email protected]

http://www.buckconsultants.com/




http://www.buckconsultants.com/

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Communicating with a virtual workforce