High performers are those staff members that you don’t have to worry about, that get the job done and most of the time are exceeding your expectations. In the virtual and hybrid environment, these individuals can get forgotten about. Since they are getting the work done and don’t need supervision, many times, they are neglected, left to just work and not always top of mind. As a leader it is important that you devote your time and energy to this group of employees as well to help ensure growth, reduce burnout and ensure that you retain these high performers.

1. Give them special projects: You may be more likely to think of an on-campus employee for a new project, task or other opportunity. However, it is important to consider all employees for these roles, especially the high performer. You may want to approach how you delegate new work and projects differently. For example, inform all of your staff members about the new project or opportunity and share these details at the same time, in an email or virtual meeting. Then allow the staff members to express their interest and capacity for the new work. This will also allow your high performers to contribute in ways that will keep them engaged.
2. Provide flexibility in how they work: Not only allowing flexibility with remote and hybrid environments, being flexible in how the work gets done can also be beneficial when managing a high performer.
3. Encourage them to decompress: High performers will continue to work until they are burnt out. It is important as the leader to keep a pulse on the wellbeing of the high performer. Encourage them to use their PTO and take time for themselves. Check in on their workload and help them to keep a work/life balance. It is also important for you to do your share by avoiding sending late night, weekend or holiday emails. The high performer will most likely feel the need to read and respond.

Middle Performers make up the majority of an organization's workforce. A Middle Performer can be described as an employee who meets the expectations of their role, understands, and knows the job  well, and is likely promotable.

Set Expectations and Goals

When transitioning employees to a remote or hybrid model, it is important to take time to conduct a meeting to clarify expectations on both ends (employee and leader). If you do not already know, use this time to understand their values and motivations.

• Setting Expectations: Formalizing these standards, including any changes after someone transitions to remote/hybrid work, should be an open and fluid conversation between managers and employee.
• Communication: Research suggests that remote employees tend to prefer either once daily or weekly check-ins with their direct supervisor. You can work with the employee to understand their preferences and manage appropriately.
  1. Do not assume "no news is good news." A lack of regular communication can lead to confusion when it comes to how a staff member is performing, for you and for them.
  2. Choose the best tool to communicate. While sending an IM is quick and easy, their does not include the nuances of spoken communication that ensure both good and bad messages are being received correctly.
  3. If someone is struggling with effectively using a collaboration tool, share free training and tips to help them learn.
  4. Goal Setting: There are many resources available to managers to help them create realistic and productive work plans with employees so that both parties focus on achieving goals rather than putting in time. By shifting the focus to outcomes, the manager and employee can focus on accomplishments and getting the work done, as opposed to focus on time in the unit.
     1. Make sure to be specific when giving praise and constructive feedback. Saying, "Good job", is appropriate in some cases, but providing specific details will have more meaning and show the staff member what they can continue to do to be successful.

Build Trust

• Manage outcomes instead of face time
• Allow employees the opportunity to determine how to accomplish a goal themselves
• Making sure to have two-way communication and be transparent
• Remaining calm when reacting to situations both when responding verbally or through written communication. 
• Recognizing and respecting the unique differences of team members and respect them as a "whole person"
• Demonstrating you care about the staff members as people by asking about how they are doing and things that matter to them personally
• Giving staff the benefit of the doubt and trusting that every staff member is working to the best of their ability
• When you make a mistake, apologize, and indicate what you will do differently next time

Keep Connected

• Make sure the remote employees know that while they are "out of sight," they are not "out of mind."
• Meet individually with direct reports regularly. Use this time to understand how they are doing, discuss workload, goals, and deliverables, and remind them of self-care.
• Use video conferencing meetings for short check-ins or for meaningful discussions. Routine updates can be shared asynchronously through email or instant messengers.

If you need any guidance or further clarification, please remember to reach out to your department's HR Consultant.

How to address performance issues for remote/hybrid employees 

Vanderbilt University aims for excellence in all of its operations and the employment experience it provides. Remote/hybrid work contributes to this effort by providing the opportunity for employees to perform consistently at the highest levels, work together efficiently and effectively to meet the University’s academic and business objectives, and remain flexible during periods of disruption.  

Expectations for timely completion of work, meeting attendance (remote or in person), responsiveness, and other performance criteria are the same for remote, hybrid, and on-campus staff members. Departments are expected to apply the same performance standards to staff members regardless of work location in accordance with Vanderbilt’s performance management process. 

Measuring Success 

Remote and hybrid work is successful when leaders manage productivity by setting goals and deadlines, making sure that deliverables are clearly defined, and providing consistent feedback. When measuring performance for remote and hybrid workers, managers should consider whether: 

• The quantity, quality, and timeliness of work has been maintained, enhanced, or diminished. 
• The remote or hybrid work arrangement has affected, either positively or adversely, relations with the staff member’s coworkers, university partners, and/or students. 

How to Discuss and Manage Performance  

• If there are performance concerns, the manager should discuss the concerns with the employee to make them aware and allow for two-way communication to understand what may be causing any performance issues. 
• Determine if the remote or hybrid work arrangement is the reason for the performance issue. If so, how is it impacting the work. 
• If performance is not meeting expectations, provide feedback and coaching to allow the employee the opportunity to improve. 
• If performance is still not meeting expectations after coaching has been provided, or if the severity of the performance issues may warrant moving to the next step in the performance management process, a Written Performance Accountability and Commitment Plan (PACP) may be needed. 
• Contact your HR Consultant if needing to take any action beyond coaching to address performance. Your HR Consultant can work with you to help determine appropriate actions to be taken based on the circumstances involved.
• For more information on Vanderbilt’s performance management process, please contact your HR Consultant or refer to Vanderbilt’s Performance Accountability and Commitment policy: https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/policies/performance-accountability-commitment.php 

What is career development?

Career development is the ongoing acquisition or refinement of skills and knowledge, including job mastery and professional development, coupled with career planning activities. Although the primary responsibility for employees’ development rests with them, the manager has an important role in encouraging, supporting, removing obstacles and providing resources for employee development.

Why is career development important?

Career development provides opportunities that can be mutually beneficial for both employees and employers. Supporting the growth and development of your staff is vitally important to helping them be as productive and successful as possible in their current role, encouraging motivation and retention, and setting them up for future career opportunities. Managers are in a key position to provide valuable feedback, learning activities, and resources. Career development can also:

• Create a greater sense of responsibility for managing one’s own career and, therefore, contribute to self-confidence
• Create cost-effective opportunities within your department by using your own staff talent to provide career development
• Increase employee motivation and productivity

How can you support your employees?

As a manager, you are responsible for developing people, which includes developing talent in your direct reports. In the "Managing Employee Development" Oracle Learn course (OLC963024), you'll learn about the benefits of developing employees and assessing how their development needs can be addressed through organizational learning. You'll then learn how to prepare for and conduct a development meeting that includes the necessary development plan characteristics and support for your employees. Additional ways to support your employees include:

• Help employees identify strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values by maintaining open, effective communication and outgoing encouragement
• Help employees develop realistic career goals based on your department’s needs and the employee’s individual development plans
• Help by providing frequent feedback in a way that fosters development
• Provide current information about the organization and future trends so employees can create more realistic career development goals

Why take part in your direct report’s career management?
Managers can be key to an employee’s career management process. Taking an interest in your direct report’s professional life can encourage a positive and uplifting relationship. That relationship can, in turn, positively influence the employee’s perception of their work, inspiring them to take it more seriously and invest more into the job. In addition, you may learn about skills or aspirations of your direct report that will help you with current and upcoming projects. By simply asking about their goals and aspirations, you can align their goals with yours.

Be clear about expectations

Make sure to discuss with your direct report that while you will encourage and help them to seek out new experiences, you expect them to keep up with their current responsibilities and deadlines first. This is also a good time to go over the goals of the University so that your direct report(s) can keep that in mind as they start their career management process.

Be flexible

Working with direct reports to create time for career development can show them that you are supportive of their career aspirations. Be open to allowing them to participate in training, especially if the training can benefit your department in the short term. You could also allow task swapping between direct reports, which can show trust and create a more willing and knowledgeable team.

Stay in contact and up-to-date with them

Research shows that goals with periodic check-ins are more effective and make more of an impact than one-time pep talks. Touching base periodically with your direct reports can open the door for questions and advice. It’s also another way to simply show that you care about seeing your direct reports develop. All in all, you have a higher chance of making sure that the goals you’ve set are achieved when you check in on occasion.

Document. Document. Document.

Memorizing most of your direct reports’ individual career management plans is almost certainly an overwhelming task. Do yourself a favor and take notes on what you discuss.

As an institution, we are always striving to make things better. No organization or work unit is perfect, and all organizations can be better next year than they were last year. This is no different in the remote and hybrid environment. Utilizing Vanderbilt University’s Feed Forward review process is a great way to continue this work. This process is designed to facilitate conversations between team members and their leaders that enhance organizational and individual success through reflection, planning goal setting, problem solving, and honest constructive feedback. Each step of this process can be done either in a virtual meeting or through electronic communications. Please follow the link below for the Feed Forward Process: https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/feed-forward/