Your development team doesn’t need to return to the office full-time: Here are four alternatives

Some development leaders are giving staff the option to work remotely a certain number of days each week, while requiring them to report to the office on the opposing days. The leader of one mid-sized development team at a specialty hospital is implementing a flex schedule in which all their staff is required to be in the office Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday and given the option to work remotely on Monday and Friday. Another development leader chose a remote day midweek to give their team flexibility and allow them to focus on independent work.

We recommend that development leaders who choose this flexible in-person model collaborate with their team to designate specific days when most people will work remotely. Developing a set schedule will enable teams to maximize time working together in the office and time working remotely. Read more tips for clarifying expectations to support effective remote work.

Development leaders who choose this approach are offering remote work only to employees in specific roles. Many leaders have determined that major gift officers (MGOs) do not need to work in the office because most of their time is spent meeting with donors outside the building. The leader of one large development team within a specialty hospital is transitioning their MGOs to permanent remote work status so they can be more efficient with their time. In contrast, administrative staff will be stationed in the office. Another health system’s development team is also moving their MGOs to permanent remote work status, while providing them with shared “hoteling” office space that can be reserved.

We recommend that development leaders considering this role-dependent model proceed thoughtfully. The past year has shown that almost any task in philanthropy can be done remotely when required, so a decision to designate only a subset of roles as eligible for remote work may feel arbitrary to staff.

Some development leaders are giving all employees the option of permanent remote work. The leader of a large development team at an academic health system is offering each employee the flexibility to choose whether their regular work schedule is in-person or remote. They recognize they will need to pay extra attention to creating a strong sense of team, regardless of any individual’s physical location.

We recommend that development leaders who choose this approach take steps to help those who work remotely feel connected to and supported by their in-person colleagues. For example, continue using best practices for virtual meetings even when you have a mix of in-person and remote attendees. Small tweaks to the way you run the meeting will ensure everyone can fully participate.

Some development leaders are shifting away from the traditional workplace altogether and transitioning their full team to a permanent remote work environment. A driving consideration for leadership was the ability to downsize their office space, keeping only a limited amount of space to touch down as necessary. The foundation at an academic health system conducted an employee engagement survey during the pandemic and found their team’s communication and productivity had improved in a remote work environment. They decided to go permanently remote and retain only a small office space for occasional in-person meetings.

A fully remote work model may be easier to manage in some ways than an opt-in model. The consistency of having a fully remote workforce yields an opportunity to streamline team management and enhance collegiality. We recommend that development leaders who choose to go fully remote remember the lessons we’ve learned this year about “zoom fatigue” and encourage team members to (re)build sustainable remote work habits.