With much of the world going into lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, employers around the world have to adjust to a work-from-home framework. In the U.S., nearly 45% of workers worked remotely last year.
While this is important for the safety of all employees, it poses a serious challenge for managers trying to look over their workers. How do you effectively manage remote employees?
That’s what we’re here to look at today. Read on to find out seven effective tips for managing employees who are working remotely.
1. Know Common Remote Work Challenges
While every workplace is different, there are common remote work challenges that managers need to be aware of. The first is that there will be less face-to-face time with all of your coworkers.
This is inherent in the remote work paradigm, and there are ways to ameliorate this. There are, however, more opportunities for communication to break down. Managers need to account for these issues beforehand.
Finally, there are more distractions when working from home. Understanding this tendency is key if you want to maintain proper worker morale.
2. Create Work Standards
A great way to handle common remote work challenges is to set clear work standards. This goes beyond just clocking in at 9 and out at 5 every day.
This is about making sure employees know what they must do each day and that they’re meeting certain quality standards. Managers can do this without having to hound their employees.
3. Give Employees the Right Tools
A great way to maintain morale while keeping working standards high is by providing the right tools to employees to get their work done. This includes equipment like laptops and online channels to communicate with.
Whether it’s Microsoft Teams, Slack, or other tools, workers will be more productive if they have what they need. Find ways to keep your employees happy through the right tools and anything else they need.
4. Set Aside Times for Interactions
To combat the issue of lacking social interactions stated earlier, you can set up ad hoc meetings to talk with your peers and employees each week. This doesn’t have to be exhaustive either, as once a week is plenty.
5. Always Follow Up
Whenever some documents need revision or if you haven’t received a deliverable after the due date, it’s always good to follow up via email or through other channels. This makes sure the workflow remains chugging.
6. Solicit Feedback
Keep talking with your employees about how they think the remote work system is panning out. The best way to keep improving this system and making it sustainable is by soliciting feedback from all employees.
7. Remain Flexible
Finally, don’t be stuck in your ways if you encounter a lot of resistance. Being flexible is key to making sure your remote work system not only functions in the present but remains a viable system as time goes on.
Understanding How to Manage Remote Employees
Knowing how to manage remote employees is a challenge for most, but it’s not impossible. Use this guide to help you understand what you need to do to make sure your employees stay happy and productive.
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