How a Fortune 15 Technology Company Benefits from a Well Managed Remote Work Program
Introduction
JDA TSG is working with a Fortune 15 Global Tech Company to augment its staff of engineers responsible for providing support to the company’s customers. The client was looking for a partner with experience managing remote teams.
Whether working onsite at our client’s customers’ locations or from their homes, JDA TSG engineers have always operated remotely with a broad geographic spread, bringing with it the challenges of managing a remote workforce. Historically, 70-80% of engineer work hours were spent on the road, in the offices of our client’s customers, or working and interacting face-to-face with IT staff. As COVID-19 ramped up and the business climate shifted, the demand for on-site engagement evaporated and today 98% of the engineers work remotely.
The Challenge
The client’s key challenge was maximizing the effectiveness of a remote workforce. They wanted a partner to manage a remote workforce so that it provided the same high-level support as those engineers who consistently work on location and with direct in-person oversight by their management.
The Solution
JDA TSG engineers have always worked remotely and we have developed management processes and procedures that ensure our engineers operate at levels equal to or exceeding engineers who are managed onsite.
This structure also positioned us well for the upheaval of COVID-19. When many companies were scrambling to adapt, we accelerated—distinguishing ourselves by taking our innovation to the next level, seamlessly adapting to the new business climate, and providing an even higher level of value to our client and its customers.
- We focus on hiring the right people and managing them effectively, which can be a challenge for companies without extensive remote management experience. We take remote management to the next level by: Hiring top-level, seasoned, and successful senior management with diverse skill sets and experience to oversee both tactical and strategic operations.
- Hiring engineers who not only meet or exceed our stringent technical standards, but also have the corporate maturity to work successfully in a remote environment.
- Establishing and maintaining clear and effective communications.
- Establishing and maintaining an inclusive team structure in an inherently “individual contributor” environment so that everyone feels like part of the team.
- Establishing and enforcing clear guidelines and metrics for holding the remote workers accountable.
Hiring the Right Management
While many companies are content to limit the role of their managers to merely shepherd it’s remote staff, we view our senior management as productivity and performance multipliers. We employ exceptionally skilled and experienced senior management to oversee both tactical and strategic operations. As a result, they can also provide senior level support to our clients.
Hiring the Right Engineers
During the recruiting process JDA TSG not only holds candidates to a stringent technical bar, but we also look carefully at corporate maturity and candidates who take ownership of, and accountability for, their work. During the interview process, JDA TSG emphasizes:
- The candidate’s role
- The metrics they will be held accountable for
- How success will be measured
- The need for the candidate to take ownership of their work and interactions with clients and their customers
JDA TSG looks for people who are self-motivated, have excellent time management skills, and who can work autonomously.
Communications
JDA TSG communicates regularly with team members via video calls, email, IM/Chat, text messaging, phone, and sometimes even LinkedIn. Communication with team members has a regular cadence, with no long lapses between contacts. Team channels are set up so that all engineers can tap into the overall engineer network. Engineers use these channels to share ideas and discuss issues affecting all of them. Engineers communicate with each other regularly to build relationships and ensure that each team member feels comfortable talking to others on their team. They get to know the strengths and weaknesses of their team’s members and they can help each other with professional development.
Inclusivity
JDA TSG teams are structured under managers and technical leads based on skill set. New employees are assigned a mentor, who they meet—along with their leadership—on day one. New employees are first trained in their role in the organization and who they can reach out to with questions. The second round of training, which also begins in the first few days of employment, teaches them the specifics of the job.
Twice a month, JDA TSG holds all-engineer meetings, with smaller team-focused meetings held throughout the month. JDA TSG’s CEO also gets the team members together for Town Hall meetings and virtual social events. The CEO is heavily committed to his staff and truly takes the time to engage with every one of his team members at JDA TSG.
Accountability
JDA TSG trusts that employees will perform well and thrive. Rather than micromanaging team members, JDA TSG tracks their performance through well documented and communicated metrics and accountabilities. We celebrate the success of our team members when accountabilities are achieved, and metrics are exceeded by highlighting notable performance or feedback throughout the organization, including executive level management and our teams of engineers.
If a team member is not meeting their accountabilities, our seasoned senior management collaborates with staff to discuss options, focus on performance improvement, and coach the individual to maximize their performance.
The Results
JDA TSG employs its extensive experience managing remote teams to bring a number of benefits to its technology client:
- Increased Client Management Support. Our managers combine tactical and strategic expertise, which provides senior executive-level support and value to our client. This support also enhances the overall partnership relationship and is a key contributor to the continued success of the program.
- Consistency. Our client’s customers do not notice a difference between working with the client’s team members and those supplied by JDA TSG.
- Meeting Performance Standards. JDA TSG’s management approach ensures that performance standards are met, and that productivity levels are as expected.
- Highly Experienced Teams. Our well-honed recruiting approach allows us to attract the most qualified employees, even when specialists in some skill areas are difficult to find.
- Stable Teams. Our hiring, onboarding, and management strategies lead to hiring the right people the first time and retaining them. This eliminates the negative effects of high turnover for the client.
JDA TSG can help you solve your problems and accelerate your business. Contact us today for more information.