The increase in telecommuting and work from home arrangements over the last decade can be traced to two benefits – good economics for corporations and flexibility for employees. Companies and its management can reduce full time workers, freeing funds for business expansion. Meanwhile, workers are hired and retained, able to focus on tasks without neglecting family demands.

Virtual workers flock to the industry because of the freedom it allows them. While some new college graduates do not stay long, others have made virtual assistance a career, discovering life/work balance is possible in the profession.

Traditional workers are bound by a central place where tasks are distributed and coordinated by a manager or supervisor. In contrast, virtual workers are hired and retained because of talents they bring to the table – high self-motivation, organized, multi-tasker, adaptable – among others, all the time based in remote places. Teamed with a manager skilled at communication and relationship building, both company and employees thrive.

But how do virtual personnel flourish at their jobs? Trust, the feeling of connection established by supervisors and managers alike, together with open communication between management and staff all contribute to workers career satisfaction and growth. Staff retention, however, is the win-win result that all companies aim for.

Constant communication is the most important key to keeping staff morale and motivation high. Honoring commitments and staying engaged with staff career plans encourage employees to open up, propose alternative procedures to streamline work performance. More so with virtual staff located in several cities in different parts of the world. Employees and management alike must not overlook the long hours and isolation that virtual work entails. Burnout can easily set in which in turn cause staff turnover.

At The Help, new ideas and suggestions to improve staff productivity are welcomed. Recommendations on new apps in the market are discussed and evaluated for possible use in the company. The Help also conducts team-building activities such as community assistance for victims of natural disasters, last conducted on December 14, 2013.            (The Help’s Outreach to the Haiyan Survivors)

Several factors make an employee flourish but in the virtual world nothing beats shared core values of honest communication, empathy, and team work cultivated by both company management and staff.

Written by: Yoli P.