As extra corporations ponder the way forward for distant work, it’s going to be vital to maintain distant groups engaged with your small business and model. For the previous 6 years, I’ve been part of BKA Content, a award-winning firm primarily based in Utah, that has maintained a very good popularity amongst its writers for creating a wonderful distant working atmosphere and identified for its excessive requirements.
In line with Matt Secrist, co-founder and COO, BKA has over 600 impartial contractors and 20 workers, all of whom work remotely. Over 200 of these writers have been with the corporate for 2 or extra years. About 30 writers have been with the corporate for greater than 6 years. It’s not straightforward to maintain freelancers on board that lengthy with out some robust ties to the corporate.
Communication
Secrist states, “I believe frequent communication…(makes) an enormous distinction.” I concur with this assertion. BKA sends out a weekly e-newsletter to all its writers. After six years, I nonetheless take pleasure in studying it as a result of it all the time offers related data. Their tradition comes by within the e-newsletter. It’s not preachy. Typically, they’ve enjoyable video games and contests that create camaraderie and provides us enjoyable issues past writing. The e-newsletter additionally retains us updated with AP grammar and different trade gadgets. However it’s by no means a newspaper, so it’s fast to learn. We even have a Fb group wherein we are able to work together. The leaders are dedicated to retaining the distant groups engaged.
Organized processes
Beginning with the coaching modules, BKA creates a powerful tradition by group and clear objectives. Their robust onboarding course of set requirements straight away. Their writers weren’t left to their very own system. I labored intently with one individual for the primary few items I turned in, which is core to their success in retaining glorious writers. Their enterprise has grown a lot that they’ve created groups for sure accounts. Secrist estimates that they’ve greater than 150 particular person groups. I take care of one account supervisor for every staff, which strengthens the bonds between individuals. We aren’t simply electronic mail accounts, however actual individuals working collectively.
Clear objectives and requirements
I imagine one of many keys to BKA’s success is that it’s clear with its objectives and requirements. Writers are required to show in a specific amount each week, which implies it must be a part of our routine. Each account has a method information with detailed directions for writing for that model. We’re inspired to contact the account supervisor with questions. The account managers all the time reply in a well timed method with professionalism. The tradition of BKA is positivity. Despite the fact that missed deadlines can have penalties, there’s grace and adaptability. In six years, I can say that they’ve all the time handled me pretty, which is a core worth of the corporate.
Transparency
The management is all the time clear with the writers. After we’ve had a hiccup with payroll, the CFO has all the time addressed it head-on and never prevaricated. It’s all the time been fastened as fast as attainable. I had misplaced over $200 over a interval of 4 months as a result of one fee quantity had gotten modified to $0 within the system. Once I found it, the account supervisor had it corrected that day and added the quantity to my subsequent deposit. Coping with points, particularly monetary points, rapidly is vital to retaining distant employees engaged.
Distant work is right here to remain
Secrist helps my very own insights by saying, (BKA has) “labored to construct a web based neighborhood the place individuals really feel valued and heard. Being sort to, invested in, and within the individuals we rub shoulders with in a digital setting has created an environment of mutual respect.”
We could also be seeing an finish to the pandemic, however employees need distant work. No matter how that appears in your organization, it’s important to deal with easy methods to preserve your distant groups engaged whereas giving them flexibility. Taking a look at different corporations and the way they do it may possibly provide help to create a stable staff who’re on the identical web page.