Managing a remote workforce? This can be a challenge for managers, especially those that do not have much experience in managing a remote team. Many businesses have continued with a remote work model or at least adopted a hybrid model in recent times, and it can work very well for companies that know how to get the most out of remote employees. Remote work can benefit all parties in a handful of ways, but there are some challenges and difficulties to overcome. This article will offer a few tips for getting the most out of your remote team that should prove to be useful and benefit all parties.
Be Wary Of Micromanaging
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to managing remote workers is micromanaging. Many managers overcompensate for not being able to see their employees by constantly checking in and seeing what they are up to, which can both frustrate staff and waste everyone’s time. Instead, be wary of micromanaging and try to encourage autonomy to get the most out of your team.
Make Yourself Available
Although you need to avoid micromanaging and encourage autonomy, you still need to make sure that you make yourself available for your team. Communication is key to success with remote work, so it needs to be easy for your team to get in touch if they have a question, idea or concern whether this is by phone, email, video call or live chat.
Allow Them To Enjoy Remote Work Perks
It is also important that you allow your staff to enjoy the perks of remote work. Many remote employees stated that they ended up working more and felt chained to their desks during COVID-19, so you want to avoid this at all costs. You should allow and encourage people to enjoy the perks of remote work whether this is going to the gym during the day, meeting someone for lunch or picking up the kids from school. Offering flexibility can provide a better work-life balance for your team, show that you trust them and boost morale.
Be Wary Of Loneliness & Isolation
You should also be wary of loneliness and isolation, especially if your team is 100% remote. Many remote workers can suffer from cabin fever and feelings of isolation, which can take their toll on mental health. This is why it is a good idea to check in from time to time and to arrange regular social events both in-person if realistic and online. This should prevent loneliness, increase engagement, keep morale high and help you to maintain a team-based mentality even if staff have never met in person before.
Provide Positive Feedback
It is also important that you make the effort to give positive feedback to your remote workers. When you do not see or speak to your team on a regular basis, it can sometimes be hard for them to know how they are performing, and they may feel disconnected from the business. Providing regular, positive and genuine feedback will help them to feel confident that they are performing to the required standard and an important part of the team. Additionally, do not shy away from constructive feedback – it is better to bring up any issues rather than let them develop further. Just be sure that you give any constructive criticism in a tactful manner and always privately.
Ask For Feedback
It is also important to ask for feedback from your team. Adjusting to remote work is a new experience for many companies, so it is important that you try to learn and improve to provide the best possible experience for your team. Ask for feedback and make positive changes that will keep your team happy and benefit the entire operation.
Use A Knowledge Management System
A major challenge that businesses have been facing while adjusting to remote work is access to information. You will want all of your team members to be able to easily find and use key information, which can include onboarding materials, company handbooks, holiday calendars, product roadmaps, marketing materials, team operating procedures, styling guidelines and any other kind of content. A knowledge management system can provide access regardless of location by centralizing knowledge in a single source of truth. This ensures that your team will always be able to find and use the information that they need to perform their role to a high standard and without having to waste time trying to find information they need. Check out a guide on knowledge management online to find out more.
Use Remote Work Tools
Following this, it is also important that you provide your team with the best and latest remote work tools. These tools can help teams to overcome some of the main challenges of remote work, such as communication and collaboration. There are many remote work tools worth investing in (as well as new ones always in development), such as:
- Cloud computing
- Group chat platforms
- Screen recording tools
- Screen sharing tools
- Videoconferencing software
Establish Expectations, Targets & Goals
It is also important that you establish expectations, targets and goals for your remote team. Issues with remote work and productivity can arise when employees do not know what is expected of them or what the overall goal they are working towards is. This is why you need to establish expectations, targets and goals and then let your team get to work and find their own best way of working. You should put trust in your team to get the job done and focus on other aspects of your own role.
Hopefully, the advice in this post will help you to get the most out of your remote workers. It is a new challenge for many managers to manage a remote team and it can be difficult. Remote work can also benefit all parties when you know how to get the most out of your team and keep them happy, so this post should benefit you, your employees and the business as a whole and boost performance.
