Schedule collaboration at a mutually agreeable time, and lean on virtual tools wherever possible. Flexibility empowers teams to complete their assignments in their own way. “The best thing you can do as a manager is to put utmost trust and confidence in your employees that they will do the right thing — which they will if employers provide a supportive structure,” says Kropp. Managers may be concerned and even frustrated about losing the constant visibility of their employees they once had, but don’t respond by micromanaging. Don’t fixate on perceived performance problems; lean on established performance management systems if need be.

Some may need daily contact, while others only need to connect once a week or when a particular issue arises. Satisfied employees are more likely to stay with their organization longer, reducing attrition rates and saving the organization money overall. The flexibility of remote work also increases employee engagement, with engaged workplaces enjoying 41% lower absenteeism and 21% higher profitability. It’s a common misconception that remote workers are less productive than those on site. Remote workers are generally happier due to the greater freedom, flexibility, and autonomy they have.

Tips for Successfully Managing Remote Workers

Check out our comprehensive list of ways to build rapport with anyone. While you may plan to apply all the lessons we wrote here today to be a successful manager of remote employees, it’s still on the employee to do their part. Since you don’t have all those moments in the office to build rapport and talk about issues ad hoc, make up for it by setting aside more time for your one on ones with your remote employees. In the next section, I’ll talk about many of the lessons I’ve learned and advice I’ve collected along the way that helped me better manage, motivate, and retain remote employees given these unique challenges. Today, we’re here to guide you through the challenges of leading remote teams.

• „That way, managers can keep a pulse on what each employee needs to be productive while working from home.“
• Be clear about timeframes, priorities, and milestones, and make sure you’re available to answer any questions your employees may have.
• So far, we’ve touched on nearly a dozen tips you can use to better manage your remote employees.
• Best of all, it lets them evaluate your company and their future coworkers, too.
• Let your team know when you will be available and the best way to approach you.

Some people dread their commute because of the traffic; others hate the risk of illness from public transportation. Communication should be frequent as well; regularly hold meetings, one-on-one chats and conference calls. Matt Gavin is a member of the marketing team at Harvard Business School how to manage a remote team Online. Prior to returning to his home state of Massachusetts and joining HBS Online, he lived in North Carolina, where he held roles in news and content marketing. He has a background in video production and previously worked on several documentary films for Boston’s PBS station, WGBH.

How to Manage Remote Employees

Clockify is a time tracker and timesheet app that lets you track work hours across projects. Common time management problems (+ how to solve them) Learn about the most common time management signs, causes, problems, and how to solve them…. As we mentioned earlier, you should always leave some time open for unexpected tasks or personal emergencies.

A survey of remote employees by job search site Indeed found that 37% of those surveyed believe that working remotely can lead to reduced visibility and less access to company leadership. Adapt traditional team-building exercises for virtual use, or come up with unique virtual team building activities designed just for your team. Give team members the chance to suggest ideas to improve employee engagement. They are key to promoting employee happiness and increasing their productivity. Here are some inexpensive virtual team building activities you can try right away.

Free time tracker

To gain this time, they must trust the work being done by their team is on target and only course-correct when it’s not. Small-scale projects may be easily managed with collaborative tools, but more robust project management tools will better support global teams tackling large and long-term projects. Some managers might find it a challenge to track employee productivity and oversee accountability when teams are working in different places and at different times. Let’s explore how global employers can overcome challenges and manage a remote workforce effectively. Collaborate with employees on planning and setting their goals with this template Frequently give your feedback on employee performance.

These check-ins are a good source of feedback for developing and refining your approach to managing your remote team. From time to time, you can also circulate a short survey to employees so they can provide anonymous feedback on the work-from-home experience. A recent report by software company Buffer shows that 19 percent of remote employees report loneliness as their biggest challenge.

In your 1 on 1s you’ll find out how they’re really doing, can keep them up to date on changes happening in your company, and answer their questions. There is A LOT going on right now that can cause stress, anxiety, and frustration for you and your team. Your 1 on 1s are the best place to help support your team through all of this. These are unusual times, so „done beats perfect“ when it comes to work spaces. Encourage your team members to try a variety of things and keep what works. Whether you have budget for them to purchase anything, they could take some of their equipment home from the office, or they need to get creative at home, make sure they set up a dedicated place to get work done.

In other words, don’t fixate on how many hours employees are online each day or how often they check in. Budgets play an important side note when talking about remote workers. Some business leaders may assume that instituting remote work and cutting office space by 50% equals a 50% reduction in the expense of housing employees in a traditional office. It may seem artificial or cumbersome at first, but encourage your remote workers to contact you and other team members regularly – and vice versa.

Important Benefits of Bite Sized Learning in Management Training (aka – microlearning)

In a survey by cloud services provider CoSo Cloud, it was found that more than half of remote employees feel disconnected from their in-office colleagues. Providing a shared document that tracks work activities is one way managers can stay apprised of what their teams are doing. „It’s a good exercise, even when teams are in the office,“ Pellman said, „and it will help managers refine their expectations and responsibilities of employees in this uncertain period.“ „If you’re used to seeing your colleagues or customers every day, feelings of isolation can creep in remarkably quickly,“ Sparrow said in a news release. In the remote landscape, where many people are juggling work and family commitments in their own homes, enable employees to complete their work however is easiest and most productive for them. Team meeting may have to go or you may have to forgo a lengthy approval process.

If they show signs that they’re dependable right out of the gate, there’s a much higher likelihood that you’ll be able to trust them with remote work. There are a few things you can do to gauge how fit for remote work someone is, or to establish the kind of culture where remote work is more dependable. Similarly, you could try a synchronous pizza party or similar celebration where each person joins from their computer at the same time and gives a toast.

Blanket “camera-on” policies can also make employees feel like they’re being watched, creating a sense of distrust. Managing remote employees, however, requires a different approach to traditional, office-based strategies. In this article, we take a look at the challenges and opportunities presented by the remote work model and how to manage remote workers and offsite employees. Managing remote workers requires finesse from employers, as companies face unique challenges when employees are not together in a physical office.

Modern software from TeamViewer has bridged the gap between office managers and remote workers. Team leaders must have the skills and know-how to manage remote employees in order to keep everything running smoothly, regardless of someone’s physical location. The way you manage a remote workforce will have long-term implications for your business and its growth potential. If you do a poor job, morale and productivity will suffer; if you’re successful, a remote workforce can build loyalty and boost engagement. Here are some tips to help you tackle the challenges of managing remote employees, plus the pros and cons of having a remote workforce. „The transition to remote communication removes the personal context that helps us interact with each other.“

Encourage work-life balance.

When you find talented candidates in countries where your company doesn’t have a business entity, however, that can be tricky—especially when it comes to HR and payroll compliance. Offer virtual tours so employees can experience them from anywhere around the globe. You can also allow employees to show off their workspaces if they’d like. Tracking progress will keep employees accountable and help ensure everyone is contributing to the completion of projects and the overall goals of the organization.

Building better remote team connections

Remote workers can be just as productive, if not more so, than in-office employees. Staff members or trusted industry peers who have traveled the remote road before may have advice to share, including what software is most helpful or what’s required to set up a home office. Depending upon the employee and the nature of their job, more or less routine interaction may be required.

When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. Join your peer CHROs and senior HR executives from leading organizations to discuss specific HR challenges and learn top HR trends and priorities. “As a manager, you have to stop paying attention to the process and pay more attention to what things are getting done. Just talk to your team about what you want them to accomplish,” says Kropp. Your team members should also know how to reach you if they have questions or concerns.

Get Your Free E-Book: 10 Steps to Having Amazing One on Ones with Your Team

It is also crucial to educate team members on best practices for maintaining security while working remotely. As a bonus, consider offering online training and professional development opportunities. Providing your team with opportunities to learn and grow together can help them stay motivated and engaged while working from afar.