Remote workers have become something of a necessity in recent years, and with the COVID-19 pandemic not looking set to retreat just yet, the trend may well continue for many years to come. However, while such a way of working does have its benefits for both employers and employees, it can present a number of challenges for those managing remote workers.
With this in mind, here are 5 tips to help employers better manage their remote working teams:
- Set clear expectations, right from the outset
Your employees need to know exactly what you expect from them when working from home – or any other remote location – and they should be clear on just what it is they need to do in order to be able to fulfil their role adequately, while meeting all of your expectations in terms of frequency of communication and workload, among other things.
- Have a communication strategy that everyone can refer to
It’s one thing to tell your employees how and when you expect them to communicate with you, but it’s another thing for them to remember, or take notice of. Document your communication process and share it with all of your staff so that they know when they should contact you or their colleagues, and by which preferred method.
- Engage directly with remote employees, regularly
Engaging directly with each individual employee on a regular basis will not only help them to feel as if their efforts are being valued, but will give you an opportunity to assess their progress, and give any feedback as appropriate. The less you communicate with them, the likelier they are to disengage and begin performing to a lower standard.
- Schedule regular meetings between the entire team
Group meetings, where every member of your team – no matter where they are in the country, or the world, for that matter – can see and talk to each other, is vital for unifying and helping them to feel as if they’re working towards the same goals, even if they don’t share an office space.
These meetings also give employees a chance to share ideas and collaborate with each other for the benefit of the business.
- Avoid micromanaging wherever possible!
For the majority of remote workers, a sense of autonomy is what makes it such an appealing way of working, but there’s a fine line for employers between letting employees work alone and uninterrupted, and communicating with them to make sure they’re fulfilling their role as you expect of them.
Not being in the same office as your employees can make you feel as if they’re not doing what you’ve asked of them, but if you’re not careful, this could lead you to begin micromanaging them, and there are rarely any positive consequences of this kind of behavior. Instead, try to focus on outcomes and goals rather than what you can physically see them doing, and provided they complete their work in a timely manner, you should try giving them the benefit of the doubt, and trust them to carry out their work with minimal input or supervision. If they aren’t meeting deadlines or completing the work to a required standard, then naturally this will require further intervention.
Remote workers can be of huge benefit to a business, but it’s important to keep track of their progress without breathing down their necks, and to engage positively with them on a regular basis. If you need help with any aspect of managing your remote workers, you can reach out to a professional company offering a range of payroll services.