Allowing your employees to work remotely helps to conserve company resources, improve efficiency and open up a much wider hiring pool. However, working with remote employees also comes with challenges. Below are seven tips to help you manage your remote employees effectively.
- Engage with them on a regular basis.
Remote employees may not be able to meet with you in person regularly, but that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain open lines of communication with them. Use technology, such as video chat and instant messaging, to remain in contact with your employees on a daily basis. - Develop a solid on-boarding process.
When bringing a new remote employee onto your team, help the employee to adjust to your company’s culture and values through onboarding. The onboarding process also gives you the opportunity to make sure employees understand their responsibilities. - Be inclusive.
It is tempting to think of remote workers as secondary to other employees, or to view them in an impersonal manner. Help your remote employees to feel more like a part of your company by including them in virtual meetings with non-remote employees and encouraging them to build relationships with one another. - Make sure they have the tools they need.
Remote employees need certain tools to perform their duties successfully. It is up to you as the employer to make sure your remote employees have the information and guidance they need to complete all of their tasks. It is also important to ensure that remote employees have easy access to someone who can answer any questions or address any problems they may have as they work. - Be clear about deadlines and expectations.
When working with remote employees, it is especially important that you be clear about performance expectations and deadlines for completing projects. Because you won’t be able to walk by their desks and remind them to complete specific tasks, send reminders in the form of emails or other electronic notifications. - Be respectful.
When dealing with any employee, most employers know that it is important to be respectful. However, disrespect is easier with remote employees because you aren’t speaking with them face-to-face. Make sure that all of your communications with remote employees are respectful, and be aware of miscommunications that may occur when using technology to talk. If you feel that a miscommunication has occurred, clear it up as soon as possible. - Invite feedback.
Remote employees have a unique view of your company and its operations, especially with regard to employee management. Invite remote employees to provide feedback, and use this feedback to make changes as needed.
If you have remote employees, keeping them productive and happy is essential to the success of your business. These tips will help you to improve your remote employee management style.