Today, you probably have more employees working remotely than you ever have had in the past. One of the biggest challenges of having a remote workforce is that people may have a difficult time staying in touch with one another. Even though it can be a challenge to manage a remote workforce, this is not necessarily something you need to do on your own. You can look for performance management packages to ensure performance stays high as well as morale.
1. Be Empathetic About Remote Working Challenges
First, you need to be empathetic with your employees. Understand that there are going to be challenges that you encounter from time to time. Not everyone has the strongest internet connection in the world, and there are some factors that are completely outside of the control of your employees. Even though it is important for you to provide your employees with tips and tricks they can use to stay connected, nobody is perfect. Try not to blame your employees for things that are out of their control, and make sure you thank them when they overcome certain challenges. If you are empathetic, your employees will appreciate you that much more.
2. Set Clear Standards for Productivity
Next, you need to be clear about what you expect from your employees. Of course, your employees are going to enjoy working remotely, and you need to make it clear that they need to hit certain productivity standards if they want that arrangement to persist in the future. Make it clear that you still have deadlines that need to be met, and you depend on your employees to make that happen. If your employees are clear about what they are supposed to do every day, they will be more likely to hit that target. Then, everyone is happy, and your employees can continue working remotely.
3. Offer the Right Tools To Your Employees
Furthermore, if you want your employees to be productive, you need to give them the right tools. One of the biggest advantages of having remote employees is that companies do not necessarily need to provide everything; however, if you do not give your employees the right tools to be successful, you cannot expect them to hit the right goals. Even though your employees may have their own computers and cell phones, they might not have the right software programs. You need to provide your employees with the software packages you want them to use. This can go a long way toward helping them improve their productivity.
4. Designate Times for Team Interaction
One of the biggest challenges you will need to overcome with the remote workforce is people who do not necessarily know each other as well as they did when they worked in the office. Therefore, if you want your team members to get to know one another, you need to set aside time for specific team interactions. If your team members all tend to live in the local area, you might be able to get together outside of work. If your team members are on opposite sides of the country, you may want to schedule times for a virtual hang-out session.
5. Draw Lines Between the Personal and the Professional
Finally, you need to show respect for the personal time of your employees. Another significant challenge of having remote employees is that you do not necessarily know when someone is working and one someone is not. Therefore, you may mistakenly give someone a task when they are scheduled to be off. There is a way to deal with this situation. Make it clear that you expect lines to be drawn between personal worlds and professional worlds. You might even want to use a software program that helps you set this demarcation. If your employees know that you are not going to infringe on their personal time, they will have more respect for you, and they will be more likely to work hard during business hours.
Build a Strong Remote Team
Ultimately, these are a few of the most important points you need to keep in mind if you are looking for a way to build a more effective workforce that can work remotely. The reality is that remote work is something that is here to stay, and it is important for you to identify these challenges ahead of time. If you are clear about what you expect from a remote workforce, your team will have an easier time being productive. On the other hand, if you do not set clear goals and expectations, your team members will have a difficult time meeting those specific expectations.
