One year on from the widespread introduction of teleworking, what are the best practices for keeping yourself and your teams in balance over the long term? Isabelle Morin, a trainer and coach specialising in teleworking, interviewed managers and HR for ORSYS. What lessons have they learned from this experience? We take a look at teleworking over the long term...
Teleworking is first and foremost a way of organising work that is governed by law and whose implementation is defined within the company. But was leaving the office in a hurry on 17 March 2020 a way of organising work? Rather than a carefully thought-out and organised form of teleworking, it was a 'co-working' arrangement that was put in place as a matter of urgency and under duress, in a 'half childcare, half work' mode. This experience may have created confusion for many employees, who now need a clearer framework. A year of teleworking is also an opportunity to take stock of the good practices that have emerged within the teams. It's also an opportunity to measure the training needs of managers and staff to enable them to take full advantage of all the features of the new tools.
Teleworking is not childcare
To put an end to the confusion and clarify the telework framework, it is important to remember that, legally :
- Teleworking is a form of work organisation in which work that could also have been carried out on the employer's premises is carried out by an employee away from those premises;
- This type of work is carried out voluntarily. It involves the use of information and communication technologies;
- when employees carry out their duties outside the company's premises, their rights and obligations remain unaffected.
Teleworking is not a form of childcare. It is important for managers to specify to their teams the time slots during which they must be contactable.
Establishing a relationship of trust
The first confinement revealed and accelerated the development of this approach in companies. Employees proved to their managers that they could trust them.
"That's one of the positive things about this period".says a delighted Elodie Reis, head of works for a general building contractor. For her, teleworking, which became the norm in March 2020, has made it possible to "to remove some of the obstacles"by reassuring his management.
Maintaining the link from a distance
In practice, teleworking patterns vary. In the long term, the right balance might be around two days' teleworking a week, or almost half the working time.
If you telework at 100 %, the link with the company and the team spirit are likely to fray over the months. The lack of contact with colleagues can lead to a feeling of isolation. However, there are ways of maintaining links between teams working remotely.
Recreating informal exchanges
"As manager of a Franco-Finnish team, I'm used to working remotely, whether from the office or from home".explains Marc Revalor, Software Development Manager for Metso Outotec. "I don't think in terms of teleworking, I think in terms of remote working. For example, we have informal discussion groups to recreate the office atmosphere. I've set up an informal sharing time in the form of a half-hour video chat every Friday evening, before I leave for the weekend. It's a chance to get to know the members of the team in a different way: we talk about music, animals, sport, hobbies... but above all not work"..
Saying hello in the morning and staying in touch throughout the day... it's possible! Some teams have set up a WhatsApp or Teams group to keep in touch with colleagues. Employees can also use their break time to call a colleague with whom they haven't been in touch for a while. These simple solutions, which make everyday life more pleasant, also help to maintain a sense of belonging over the long term.
Take a step back
Paradoxically, working remotely addresses one of the recurring problems faced by managers: taking a step back. Working remotely offers a privileged space to take stock of your team, your organisation, your structuring projects... without being interrupted by a colleague passing through the office. Elodie Reis agrees: "Working from home has the disadvantage of taking me away from the field. But it also allows me to take a step back from production. For me, working undisturbed is an undeniable advantage!.
Using video wisely
Remote meetings are effective when used appropriately. "Participants are on time, there are none of the distractions of face-to-face meetings, you don't have to whisper to the person next to you, and you're more focused on the subjects on the agenda... For short, recurring meetings, it's very effective"., judge Marc Revalor. On the other hand, "for a large number of hearings or long working sessions (two hours or more), it's more complicated to work remotely"..
How do you deal with large numbers of participants? How do you manage long distance working sessions? For example, it's better to schedule three one-hour sessions rather than a half-day videoconference. It's also a good idea to incorporate a fun, participative approach. In this case, you need to develop your skills, as Anne Maréchal, "Access to Healthcare" manager at CPAM de l'Ain, points out. "We use Zoom regularly. By taking part in an ORSYS management training course [editor's note: organised in-house]. which took place remotely via With this tool, I realised that we still have some way to go if we are to make the most of all its features and make our meetings more dynamic".
Getting back on track with training
In 2020, employees have learnt the tools and methods of teleworking on the job. In 2021, it's time to equip them with more professional tools. Companies are gradually getting to grips with this, as Delphine Pourtier, head of human relations at Eramet, a French mining and metallurgy group, can testify. "We have launched an internal service to support teleworkers in their use of tools such as Teams. We are also setting up regular workshops to embed good practice and create a community despite the distance"..
Teleworking training courses are now taking a new turn. For participants, it's no longer a question of learning the basics, but of going further in their practices. They are often surprised: even if they have been teleworking for a year, they haven't thought of everything! The course Making a successful transition to teleworking enables them to readjust certain ways of working: organisation, planning, distribution of tasks, management of priorities, breaks, connection/disconnection, etc.
"When I was advised in training to take my work equipment away during personal time, I was sceptical., relates Marc Revalor. I tried it out anyway and I'm delighted with the change. It makes it much easier for me to separate my work time from my personal time".. Like others, Marc has gained serenity in both his work and his personal life.
Read or reread: Teleworking: an asset for productivity
