By: Susan Echard
Whether your team is in-office, remote, or somewhere in between, creating a culture for teams to thrive is incumbent upon leadership. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, each company can benefit from the guidance of an experienced finance leader who has “been there, done that” to ensure the elements for success are being executed.
For Susan Echard, CFO Partner with SeatonHill Partners, the strategies for fostering remote worker success include several factors. Since CFOs work across an organization, they have a holistic understanding of what it takes for a business to succeed, with the finance team playing a crucial role in ensuring the overall health of a company. With over 35 years of domestic and international experience, Susan’s leadership has spanned multiple sectors in public and private companies of varying sizes, with a proven track record of leading high-performing work-from-home teams. Susan fosters success through diligent management and setting clear expectations, with an understanding that highly satisfied employees are more productive.
Susan is currently an Interim CFO with a successful remote team of over 45 individuals. Here is her expert guidance for companies of any size to foster a productive work-from-home workforce.
WHAT MAKES A REMOTE TEAM SUCCESSFUL?
The collaboration between the individual employee and the manager is key to ensuring the effectiveness of remote work. A dedicated, self-motivated, and responsible employee can thrive in a remote setting; however, the manager's involvement is equally significant. Several critical elements must be in place to facilitate the success of remote workers within an organization:
Employees must adhere to the corporate office's designated working hours, irrespective of geographical time zones.
Employees should remain accessible and engage in video communication as required.
Managers are tasked with maintaining engagement with their employees through regular one-on-one meetings, check-ins, and status updates, ideally weekly (or more frequently when needed)
Make it imperative that deadlines are consistently met.
Employees must participate in quarterly department meetings via video conferencing to disseminate information and updates regarding the organization.
Additionally, it is essential to conduct annual in-person team meetings to foster relationship-building, strategizing, and team cohesion.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A WORK-FROM-HOME WORKFORCE FOR COMPANIES?
Often, remote workers exhibit increased productivity as they save time on commuting and minimize interruptions commonly associated with an office environment.
Remote employees frequently work through lunch and maintain a strong focus on their assigned tasks.
From an employer perspective, the ability to recruit top talent from across the nation is advantageous, eliminating the need for individuals to reside close to the corporate office or for the organization to incur relocation expenses.
Organizations can also benefit from reduced expenditure on rent, facilities, and provisions.
HOW DO YOU KEEP A REMOTE TEAM CONNECTED TO THE ORGANIZATION?
Within Susan’s finance and accounting team, which consists of over 45 high-performing individuals, productivity remains consistently high. Team members remain accessible as needed, often exceeding 40 hours during quarterly and annual close cycles, with some projects necessitating weekend work. The team regularly conducts video calls and travels as necessary for in-person collaboration when appropriate. The annual in-person gatherings provide an opportunity for team members to reconnect, forge new relationships, engage in team-building activities, and cultivate a vibrant organizational culture that promotes a fulfilling work environment.
Fractional and Interim CFOs successfully lead teams in remote, hybrid, or in-office environments. No matter the situation, these highly experienced leaders guide companies in fostering a culture that streamlines operations, promotes efficiency, and optimizes bottom-line results.
Susan Echard has over 35 years’ experience, both domestic and international, within Big Four and CFO roles. Susan has conducted an Initial Public Offering as well as a Private Placement Offering, playing an integral role in the development of the S-1 Registration Statement. She has successfully raised over $250 million in private equity, facilitated over $300 million in credit, and spearheaded two company exits. Susan has also led the implementation of ERP, accounting, and tax compliance platforms and created efficient processes that enhanced internal controls in the accounting functions of many organizations through the consolidation of disparate reporting systems and the establishment of effective metrics and KPI reporting. She is highly experienced in HR policy development, including recruiting and onboarding, corporate Insurance policies, employee benefits, and 401(k) programs.
ABOUT SEATONHILL PARTNERS, LP
SeatonHill provides organizations’ financial leadership with a strategic and operational focus by placing elite CFO talent to challenge the business and contribute to operational decisions to achieve results. With our curated talent, our financial leaders guide small and medium-sized businesses through complex financial problems to mitigate risk and achieve organizational goals.
We are the fastest-growing CFO services firm in the nation, offering the power of combined thought leadership and the support of the country’s top financial talent to the benefit of all our clients. SeatonHill has offices in Atlanta, Austin/San Antonio, Birmingham, Boston, Cedar Rapids, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Madison, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Princeton, Raleigh, Savannah, Tallahassee, Tampa/Sarasota, Washington DC.
For more information, please contact:
contact@SeatonHill.com | 214.702.3652 | www.Seato
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