Ask HR: How Can We Discourage Bad Behavior Among Remote Workers?

​SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is answering HR questions as part of a series for USA Today.

Do you have an HR or work-related question you'd like him to answer? Submit it here. 

My company conducts about half of our meetings remotely, and about a third of our employees work full time remotely. We've had some recent incidents of disrespectful and unprofessional behavior. How can we best address our behavior and standards in a remote environment? –Raphael

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.: I'm sorry to hear that. Disrespectful and unprofessional behavior cannot be tolerated, regardless of where employees are physically working. First, consider creating a policy addressing employee behavior and expected conduct if you don't already have one. Make it clear to employees that the policy applies to everyone, both in-person and remote. You may even want employees to sign an acknowledgment of the policy to set a baseline for expectations.

Once that's in place, create a pathway for employees to report inappropriate behavior. They should know who to contact and the process for doing so. Employees should feel free to reach out without fear of retaliation.

Also, consider providing ongoing training. This can help employees understand behavioral and professional expectations and help people managers be aware of their responsibilities when employees exhibit unprofessional and disrespectful behavior. You could also include civility training. In fact, research shows only 1 percent to 6 percent of employees report incivility to managers. Don't just define civility, but also list your expectations and provide examples of incivility in the workplace—including remote work.

Lastly, lead by example and expect the same from your managers. Set the tone in your workplace by embodying the attitudes and behaviors that reflect your organization's values.

If remote employees continue their disrespect and unprofessionalism, have your managers document these occurrences and follow progressive discipline policies. Provide honest feedback to employees about unacceptable behavior, and give specific examples. Let your employees know what appropriate behavior looks like and the potential ramifications if they do not show improvement.

The workplace, whether in-person or virtual, is where businesses operate. It is the space where stakeholders gather and conduct commerce. It is worth protecting and preserving. Everybody who contributes should do so with dignity and respect. By holding employees accountable and taking these steps, you will be well on your way to improving your workplace culture and environment.

I work in HR for a company focused on aggressive external recruiting. However, we've recently suspended hiring in response to a decline in business. As we move to purely internal activities, what are some things we can focus on to contribute to our company's growth? –Lee

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.: Even when you can't add talent, there are several approaches available to continue enhancing your organization. I'll share four important initiatives that focus on your company's growth and help retain existing talent:

1. Internal transfers and promotions. Talent acquisition and retention specialists should be well-versed in skills assessment. They can turn their attention inward to the existing workforce and use assessments to promote and transfer qualified employees to new positions. In addition, consider restructuring your organization to address your staffing needs. 
2. Create an upskilling program. Upskilling involves expanding your current employees' knowledge, skills and abilities, which can help them advance in their current career or enable them to pursue a different career path. Employees who feel valued and engaged are more productive, which can result in your company achieving its long-term business goals. You can also use upskilling to focus on competencies critical to supporting your company's strategic plan and meeting staffing needs in a labor shortage environment.
3. Consider a job-swapping program. Job swapping allows two employees in different departments to swap or trade jobs for a defined period. A well-thought-out program will have cross-training and procedures to follow to help employees be successful. It can also help determine whether employees are in the right roles and inform decisions about permanent job changes if needed. Having employees in the right roles ultimately benefits your company by increasing productivity.
4. Establish a job-rotation program. This type of program allows promising employees to try out a variety of different jobs within the organization. The timing of each job rotation is up to you, and the program could include multiple employees among several departments. This option helps employees broaden their skills and achieve their career goals, ultimately enabling your company to meet or exceed your goals.

One essential benefit of internal mobility is its use as part of your diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging strategies to promote career advancement. The best way to address diversity concerns based on gender, race, age and other criteria is to select qualified internal candidates for advancement. This helps eliminate the diversity challenges hindering career growth for your employees if they move to other organizations. It can also help improve your company's reputation when you are ready to resume external recruiting.

These benefits may not fully resolve your staffing needs, since external recruiting can bring in new perspectives and bolster your diversity initiatives. However, as you review and work on your external recruiting plan and strategies, internal mobility does tackle some internal staffing challenges while also driving business strategies.