Before the COVID-19 public health emergency, some employers allowed their workers to telecommute or work remotely. During the pandemic, however, remote work became far more common. It turns out that some employees prefer to work at home. In some situations, the new workplace paradigm is advantageous to employers as well. However, one problem remains for many business owners: how to manage their remote team members.
This article provides some tips and ideas for doing just that.
How Common Is Remote Work?
As the economy opens back up, you might expect that workers would all flock back to the office. However, some companies are allowing employees to continue telecommuting in varying degrees. For example, Twitter announced that its employees could work from home indefinitely. Other companies plan to phase employees back in gradually or combine in-office and at-home jobs.
Some experts estimate that up to 70% of the workforce will work from home at least five days a month.
That’s not to say there are no disadvantages to working from home. Professional accomplishments are far more challenging to acknowledge. Team building exercises don’t always work well when half the team is not present in person. In fact, keeping the team on the same page can make managing remote team members a new and daunting task for managers.
Here are a few tips on how you can manage your remote team members.
Understand the Challenges of Working from Home
Lack of in-person encounters can leave employees feeling isolated. At the same time, managers may lose opportunities to assess a worker’s engagement and address any morale issues immediately.
Frequent contact could help, as long as the employee doesn’t feel you are just checking up on them. Touching base with a worker can help reduce feelings of isolation. Managers can also get a feel for any problems the employee is facing.
Also, ensure that managers and workers have several methods of communication. Relying only on email could be a problem if systems go down.
Make Your Expectations Clear to Your Remote Team Members
Workers might like the freedom and comfort of working from home. However, managers need to make sure productivity levels remain high. How you juggle expectations can vary depending on your industry.
However, it’s possible to maintain performance accountability. Make sure your goals are clear. Set benchmarks and milestones for long-term projects. Finally, consider setting regular times or days for employees to provide updates or to just check in with managers.
Ensuring Your Remote Team Members Have the Right Tools Can Be Challenging
However, it is necessary. Most of your workers have Internet connections, but are they secure and high speed? Consider providing desktop computers or laptops loaded with your software that are to be used only for work-related tasks.
Provide Regular Opportunities for Team Interactions
Some people might find meetings – especially Zoom meetings – a snooze. However, video conferencing can help, particularly when in-person meetings are impossible.
Also, let employees know you are open to suggestions for how to make the process run more smoothly. Workers who are motivated to work from home might be more interested in helping you make it work.
Running Your Business While Managing Your Remote Team Members
Of course, managing remote employees is not the sole focus of your business operations. For assistance with contracts, disputes, and litigation, give us a call.
Attorney Richard Sierra at the Florida Small Business Center assists clients like you with business and litigation matters. As always, Our Goal Is to Help You Succeed™. For an appointment, you may call us at 1-866-842-5202 or use the contact form on our website. We represent clients throughout the State of Florida, including Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Deerfield Beach, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Orlando, Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, and surrounding communities.