There are many perks to being a remote worker; you get to do the work you love on your own schedule and in your own space. But for remote management, it can feel like a distant, ungovernable mess.
Managing remote employees requires skills specific to the screen. It can be tougher to ensure communication, productivity, and cohesion from a distance. Here are tips to successfully manage your remote employees.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Establish Clear Expectations, Goals, & Deadlines 2. Communication Tools 3. Schedule Regular Check-Ins 4. Provide Adequate Resources 5. Promote Flexibility & Trust 6. Address Challenges Promptly 7. Create Opportunities to Connect 8. Everyone is Still a Student (Including You!)
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1. Establish Clear Expectations, Goals, & Deadlines
The best way to ensure respect from your employees is to provide your own. Set a solid foundation to build a confident work relationship from. Before letting your employee loose with their project, clearly communicate the following:
Work Hours
Deadlines
Deliverables
Make sure these are realistic and achievable. Establishing these early (and making them doable instead of stressful) will help remote employees stay focused and motivated.
2. Communication Tools
Not only is it important to have communication tools in place, but to establish their purpose and use them regularly. Consider implementing these tools to help projects go smoothly:
Instant Messaging (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord)
Video Conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet)
File Sharing (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive)
Internal Documentation (Google Drive, Confluence, Notion)
Time Zone Management (World Time Buddy, Timezone.io)
Employee Feedback & Event Forms (SurveyMonkey, GoogleForms)
It's essential to promote collaboration, transparency, and efficient communication among your remote team members. Once you've set up the channels that work for your business, designate which are preferred channels. How quickly should employees respond to different types of messages? What is the appropriate etiquette on a scale of formal to informal?
Establishing these will help prevent misunderstandings and keep everyone on the same page.
3. Schedule Regular Check-Ins
Consistent one-on-one and team meetings maintain open lines of communication. Check-ins can be great places to address concerns, provide updates, and foster a sense of face-to-face connection among your team members.
For full- or near full-time employees, consider scheduling weekly check-ins through a digital calendar so you both know when to regularly expect a call. For part-time employees, every other week may suffice; determine based on the communication your employee needs to best succeed.
4. Provide Adequate Resources
Depending on your business, your remote employees probably need specific software to perform their job. Go through the technology you use in a day, plus any additional software their role will entail, to make sure your employee can work efficiently from their laptop.
5. Promote Flexibility & Trust
While remote workers won't be running into traffic on their way to the office, roadblocks still inevitably come up. It's important to acknowledge that they will still need flexibility in their work. Accommodate for their personal responsibilities to promote a healthy work-life balance (In return, they'll be more likely to adapt to your schedule conflicts)!
To foster a culture of respect and understanding, encourage a healthy work environment, even though it's remote. Promote breaks, exercise, and mental well-being. Remote employees should feel supported in maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
You'll build trust by focusing on outcomes rather than micromanaging. Trusting your team members empowers them to take ownership of their work and boosts morale.
6. Address Challenges Promptly
Despite the distance, be as proactive as possible. There will inevitably be all sorts of management challenges to address, and the faster you can connect and show you're working on a resolution, the more your staff will know they can depend on you. Do your best to provide timely support, whether it's related to workload, communication issues, or any other concerns. In the case where you miss something or can't connect soon, a sincere apology can go a long way.
7. Create Opportunities to Connect
Social interaction can be hard to come by in a remote job. Organizing virtual coffee breaks, team-building activities, or casual video calls can help foster a sense of community.
Take the time to recognize and celebrate remote employee achievements. This can boost morale and create a positive atmosphere within the team. Remote work feels more meaningful when the employee knows that it's making an impact.
8. Everyone is Still a Student (Including You!)
Support your employees' professional development and continuous learning. Provide access to online courses, workshops, and resources. This helps remote employees stay engaged and enhances their skills.
Emphasize that you, the manager, are still learning too. Regularly solicit feedback from your remote employees on their experience, any challenges they may be facing, and suggestions for improvement.
Perhaps the most important part is to utilize their feedback: Make adjustments and enhance their remote work environment to make your employees feel heard and seen, even when they're miles away.
Manage Remote Employees with Consideration
By implementing these tips, you can create a supportive and effective remote work management strategy that fosters collaboration, engagement, and success among your team members.