There is a new challenge to tackle as the pandemic and remote working linger on. How do organizations successfully attract, train, and/or retain talented employees who work from home? The issue affects all departments and operations, including Commercial Card programs. According to research by AP Now, roughly half of all the accounts payable groups they regularly survey are still working from home all of the time. Another 25% or so are working from home most of the time, but going into the office one or two days a week. The majority have no firm return to work date. With so much uncertainty, organizations should be discussing what they can do now to keep remote workers satisfied and morale up. Following are some viewpoints from both veteran workers and young professionals, followed by what you can do as a card program manager/administrator.
Impact of Working from Home
Mary Schaeffer, founder of AP Now, shares, “While many report they are thrilled to be able to have an extra hour or two to sleep in or home school their children or whatever, quite a few report missing their co-workers. We all need some socialization. A number of professionals who were certain they would love working from home, found it difficult due to the lack of human interaction. It's been a real adjustment.”
Others have expressed to me that, without regular in-person interactions, camaraderie declines and organization culture fades. In the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking author Susan Cain notes, “Indeed, studies show that face-to-face interactions create trust in a way that online interactions can’t.” Further, one manager with more than 25 years of experience described to me how employers are starting to look more alike: “We go from one Zoom call to the next, jumping into the business at hand. There is little to differentiate our company from another, so employee retention weighs on my mind, especially since my company is cutting costs and does not plan to replace anyone who leaves.”
For new hires with a work-from-home arrangement, it is more difficult to feel part of the team. From a training perspective, virtual options have always been a great tool to include within the mix, especially when supplemented with human interaction. Now, however, virtual training is the only option for many organizations, which can further isolate new people.
Considerations for Organizations
I wondered what new college graduates think of the pandemic’s impact on the workplace. To address remote working woes and retain young talent, Andre Fortin, who graduates in May with a communications-related degree, cites cohorts as a solution. “People in my age group have already felt the mental health effects of social isolation on campus. As we go into the workforce, we would benefit from cohorts—being part of a group that trains together and continues to have regular communication separate from business meetings, even if we are each in a different department. We would be able to share experiences and support each other through our transitions.” Ironically, I remember a friend of mine having this type of experience in the 1990s when starting a new career with a new company. Perhaps what is old will become new again.
Kayla Robertson, who works for a big box retailer, pointed out that it is not just traditional office jobs that have been thrown a curveball by the pandemic. She observes, “With social distancing, customer service is not what it used to be. Curbside pickup is great, but employees barely see guests’ faces. We need new ways of enhancing the guest experience.”
Mary Schaeffer sums up the broad issue with some recommendations. “Employers who want to retain their top performers are going to have to find a way to address the working needs of all different types of employees—those who never want to go back to the office, as well as those who can't wait to get back. I suspect most would prefer a hybrid situation. I see this not only as a challenge for employers, but also a real opportunity. Accounts payable and procurement teams have shown they are capable of working remotely. The winners will be those who find ways to match a hybrid situation with their employees' needs.” In fact, Microsoft recently announced its intention to adopt a hybrid plan to give employees more flexibility.
What You Can Do
While you may not be able to influence your organization’s hiring/training approach, as a card program manager you can build and maintain relationships by:
virtually introducing new cardholders to each other through a short group call and sharing key points concerning their role (basically, create a cardholder cohort)
separately following up with a new cardholder after they complete training and again after they start using their card
establishing a mentor program, pairing a seasoned cardholder with each new one
communicating with all cardholders and their managers in various ways—not just email; see examples
Overall, creating a sense of community among card program participants benefits everyone—them, you, and your organization.
Finally, now is also a good time to promote electronic/card payments to take some pressure off accounts payable teams working from home. This is something I mentioned during a recent 10-minute podcast with AP Now on P-Cards and the pandemic.
Related Resources
Business continuity planning, including blog posts related to the 2020 pandemic
Card program training and communications, including tips on doing internal surveys to gauge how your cardholders are doing
Work-from-home employees can feel isolated unless organizations find ways to tackle the issue.
Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash
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About the Author
Blog post author Lynn Larson, CPCP, launched Recharged Education in 2014. With 20 years of Commercial Card experience, her mission is to make industry education readily accessible to all. Learn more…