How you manage your remote workers will have a long-term impact on your company’s potential for growth. Morale and productivity will suffer if you perform poorly, but if you succeed, a remote staff may foster loyalty and increase engagement.
In this post, we’re discussing 5 different ways for businesses to embrace and better manage their remote workforces in 2022.
Set Clear Productivity Standards
When talking with your remote workforce about productivity standards, it’s crucial to establish clear expectations. Some productivity requirements will change depending on the position while others might be uniform throughout the business.
Individual standards must be evaluated and recorded. You and your remote team may stipulate, for instance, that any developer assigned to a project must provide code ready for testing in five working days and that there needs to be a 48-hour warning if a deadline is going to be missed.
Even though keeping track of such standards might seem like an unnecessary effort, it can assist in identifying patterns and issues that require attention. For instance, it might help you identify burnout or the need for more training to remove a production barrier.
Understand Common Remote Work Challenges
When managing a remote workforce, managers and business owners typically face three basic difficulties:
- Breakdowns and bottlenecks in communication. When working remotely, we are unable to peek over our desks or sneak down the hall to check on a colleague or supervisor who might be available to respond to an urgent query. In addition, despite their convenience, Slack messages and emails occasionally get missed.
- Video fatigue. Utilizing Zoom constantly to help with connectivity can also have negative effects. Give your employees the opportunity to decide whether or not they wish to appear on camera during internal meetings and as a team. Unless client-facing, requiring all cameras at all times can lower morale and is just another pointless attempt to micromanage your staff.
- Distractions from the environment. Whether it’s a fellow coffee shop patron unintentionally dropping sugar on a remote worker or a happy baby shouting loudly during a Zoom conversation from the living room, distractions seem to be a part of the remote work experience.
Invest in Remote Working Software
Employee productivity tracking plays a critical role in overall business productivity and growth. Although tracking your remote team members might appear that you don’t trust them, it is a completely false assumption.
A remote working software solution has a wide range of advantages that can be implemented in your office setting to change your work culture. The most crucial ones include efficient project management, increased staff productivity, efficient time monitoring (with a free time tracking website) and resource planning, simple evaluation, real-time comprehension of employee performance, and so on.
Pay Attention to the Onboarding Process
When it comes to onboarding, remote team members have distinct needs from those working in the office. In order to become familiar with the business and get to know their bosses and coworkers, they will need the appropriate resources, technology, and tools. Companies run the risk of losing top talent if the onboarding process is not up to par.
Focus on the fundamentals of the onboarding process, including appropriately setting expectations with new employees early on, availability to respond to inquiries, prompt follow-ups, and making investments in technology that help create an immersive experience for new hires. This will free up the new employee to work dynamically and experience the corporate culture without having to physically visit the workplace.
You should also consider sending a welcome package, organizing a virtual lunch on the first day and asking new hires what would make them most successful in their new position, or assigning a peer mentor to them as a friend at work on the first day.
Communicate Often
Communication bottlenecks are one of the major issues for remote workers. When employees work remotely, good communication becomes even more crucial. Everyone must be aware of the nature of the job, the deliverables, and the timeframes for remote work to be successful—there should be no room for doubt. A great way to enhance co-worker communication is to include fun activities in meetings. For example, you can play online trivia or virtual escape rooms, allowing employees to bond and create positive work relationships.
If employees have any queries or concerns, managers should encourage them to contact them via instant messaging, video conferencing, or a phone call. Additionally, regular feedback needs to be provided; conduct conference calls, one-on-one conversations, and meetings as needed.
Final Thoughts
Utilizing technology in a way that enhances being in the office is essential for managing remote workers. Start with powerful tools that make it as simple for team members and company owners to communicate as if they were just passing each other in the hallway. Set a high standard for the kind of visibility and collaboration that enables close working relationships to emerge, then adhere to best practices for managing remote workers.