Top 6 Tips to Effectively Manage Remote Teams

Remote working has been in an upward trend for some time. Studies show that more than 80% of employees would prefer to work remotely at least part of the time. As an employer, offering remote opportunities is an attractive way to gain a diverse and productive workforce if managed effectively.

During COVID-19 remote working has evolved from a trend to a necessity for many companies around the world. As a result, leaders suddenly find themselves managing a completely remote team. This comes with a new set of challenges, such as effectively managing remote teams.

This week we provide our 6 tips for companies to both embrace and better manage a remote workforce.

How to Manage Remote Teams Effectively

1. Set Clear Expectations

Clear expectations are vital to effective communication and success when managing remote teams. Define the scope, approach, deliverables and deadlines of a task or project your team is working on, as well as the reasons behind them so everyone is on the same page. Also, help your remote team members understand exactly how you will measure outcomes.

2. Trust Your Team

Companies may feel uncertain whether remote work will be completed at the same level as if employees were in the office. To combat this belief in working remotely, it is important to introduce a code of conduct for remote workers and appropriate consequences if those guidelines are not followed.

Examples of policies to impose when leading remote teams include setting a response window for emails, the use of alternate communication channels for urgent matters and equally, no calls between certain hours to make sure team members are not working around the clock.

3. Adopt Technology

The key role of a leader is to manage remote workers and to keep a team connected and engaged. Invest in reliable tools to make collaboration possible. Whilst email and phone are useful to get work done, building an engaged and productive team requires a more sophisticated solution that will simulate a remote environment to indicate presence in real-time and offers a smooth user experience for the employee.

Where needed, consider using project management tools and other solutions that would encourage other team members to interact with their peers to finish a project. Additionally, consider technology that simulates a virtual office to help HR professionals effectively manage remote employees as well as give employees a semblance of face-to-face interaction during weekly team meetings.

4. Engage Regularly

One of the best ways to encourage team members to be productive is by continuing to engage your staff on a daily basis through different communication channels available to your team. Arrange for the appropriate number of weekly formal "report-ins." Where possible, also plan weekly video calls, both with each individual team member as well as team group calls. Your team needs to see you, you need to see them and they need to see each other. A management style where there is constant interaction will make your remote employees feel included and connected. Be sure to set an agenda ahead of the call and take minutes when appropriate.

5. Focus on Results

It is important to keep focused on goals when managing remote employees. Don't worry as much about activity or hours worked. Instead, concentrate on what results are being accomplished and measure your team accordingly.

6. Establish Connections

Build a rapport with your employees that goes beyond work. Rapport is one of the secrets of a successful remote team management, especially in the current environment where your team may experience stress, personal issues or mental well-being challenges.

Show empathy, promote work-life balance, provide emotional support, be flexible around their needs, and assure them they can come to you if they have anything on their mind or need some help.

Qualee's customizable journeys are Cloud-powered and mobile enabled, making them ideal for onboarding/off-boarding staff remotely. Configurable actions, content libraries, secured messaging and calendaring enable powerful real-time engagement, from anywhere.

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In support of all businesses during this difficult time, Qualee is providing a rebate of 3 months for any paid plan subscribed for 12 months.