There are numbers that show the importance and the future of remote employees– stats like 115% increase in remote jobs within a decade are no joke.
People want to work from a place where they feel productive and comfortable(mostly home). The best part? Employers are giving them their space!
In doing so, sometimes, they harm the employer-employee relation. Managing a remote employee and getting the best of them can be hectic at times. However, certain practices can help make the bond stronger, and that’s what we are here to discuss.
Effective tips for managing remote employee:
Here are the seven practical ways you can use to manage employees:
1. Use proper technology
Using the proper tools and technologies can fill many gaps that come with the comfort of remote position.
Softwares like:
- Slack and Zoom can fill the communication gap.
- Trello can help in tracking progress and directing tasks.
- Github and Invision can help digital development and designing.
- Teamviewer or Anydesk can help give a personal touch to any problem.
- Other management software like Basecamp or Monday can also come handy in filling certain holes.
All in all, invest in the right tools and technologies to get the most out of every remote employee.
2. Communicationis the key
Like with regular employees, communicating with remote employees is also essential. Engaging through multiple channels and creating a quality culture is the best way to work with and retain efficient remote employees.
- Communicate your goals.
- Give concise instructions.
- Make small talk.
- Stay updated and engaged with their social media.
- Organize meetings frequently and invite everyone to the right team meeting space
- Schedule weekly or monthly training programs to keep in touch.
- Appreciate them in person.
All these interactions will help you stay connected with every individual employee.
3. Don’t count the hours, evaluate work
Most employers come from an era where the 40-hour workweek was the standard. Meaning, for them, not productivity, but the time one spends for company matter.
If you are one, it’s time to change that mindset. Sure, you can make your remote workers use a time tracker, but they chose to work remotely because they didn’t want to follow tradition. They want to work freely.
They know their productive hours. They understand your company goal and the project goal(if you have communicated well). They know their job is at stake if they don’t give the desired results.
So, let them work by themselves, and evaluate the final results. Monthly or quarterly appraisals are enough.
4. Never micromanage
Indeed there are some pros of micromanagement, but the cons just knock it out of the park.
Micromanagement:
- Annoys employees
- Invites human errors
- Destroys trust
- Leads to burnout
- Fades the long-term goal
Therefore, for your own benefit, never micromanage your people. Steve Jobs said it best: “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do.”
They know what is up, as discussed in the third point.
Here’s a fantastic article by Insperity with Dos and Don’ts of managing without micromanaging.
5. Trust them
Don’t keep the equation of remote employee different from the in-house employee. Of course, the variables are different, but the results are the same.
Sure there is uncertainty, but rules and guidelines can easily tackle it. Develop remote-working-guidelines such as
- Reply the email within 16 hours;
- Ask for a leave two days in advance;
- Be online between 3-5 pm;
- Dress professionally when taking a client call;
- Upload the work before the deadline; Etc.
In short, disclose all the ifs and buts. This will help your belief system and keep the trust intact.
6. Treat them like regular employees:
This point is closely related to the last one. Don’t make the remote employee feel different. Manage them like you manage others.
- Grant them paid leaves.
- Provide them with other on-site opportunities.
- Give bonuses
- Support in bad times
All these sums up as a positive impact and a right set of management.
7. Hire the deserved
The final tip on managing a remote employee is ‘Hire the deserved’. This is one of the benefits of hiring a remote employee. You have options to hire the best from and across the borders.
An excellent remote employee requires minimal direction and management. They are self-motivated and self-managed. Therefore, hiring such person — with a blend of hard and soft skills — is the most effective way to manage a remote employee.
Manage the manageable!
Final Words:
Hiring the right people, communicating the goal, setting the guidelines and boundaries, keeping the human touch, offering benefits, and trusting them are some of the ways to keep a tight bond with a remote employee.
Are you a remote employee or an employer? What is your take on this subject? Let me know in the comments below. We will discuss it then and there. Until then, I bid you adieu. Goodbye!
