4 Effective Ways to Manage a Remote Team
Managing a team – in any setting is difficult! But with remote work, it can be a complete blessing, where you don’t have to care about looking at your workers’ attire and seeing if it fits your company culture! However, there are definitely tips that are important which are both remote work specific and general tips for making your employees happy 🙂 It’s important to recognise that remote work environments are super useful and flexible for those opting for it but also require some work in order to make it a great experience for everyone :).
1. Supervise your employees’ performance.
Checking up on your employees doesn’t necessarily always have to be about work. If your purpose is to check their progress on a particular project, make sure to do it asynchronously if possible and perhaps set up frequent catch-ups. It’s important to show that you care and whilst small talk is not fun for everyone, it might make the conversation lighter, to begin with, and warm up the team member with the call! For some people, bringing up concerns or issues is often uncomfortable for them to take action and so it’s up to the person managing to identify it or become a manager that makes them feel comfortable enough to open up.
Here are some of the questions that you can begin within a weekly or biweekly call:
- Do you need anything to help with your work?
- Are you doing well with your work condition?
- Are you happy working on your new project?
- Do you have any thoughts or ideas that you can share with us to make your work easier?
- Are you okay with your workload?
Other than asking questions about their well-being, it is also great to give them compliments to show your support and appreciation. And aside from setting up meetings, you can also look at their tasks occasionally and ensure that they are not overworked. Most of them would probably never tell if they are struggling, so it is your responsibility to make sure that they don’t spend all day working. Perhaps, you can check their activities and see if they work odd hours based on their timezone. Some people prefer working eccentric hours, but it is best to know their situation. You can also enforce breaks to give them the time to rest and go back to work with a clear mindset. Nothing comes good with a team that is too burned out to perform well. So, it is best to ensure that they are not overworked and have enough breaks away from worries. A good manager would know their employees struggle if they are approachable enough for their workers to communicate with them. So, make sure to always keep your lines open, make time for each one of them, and monitor their report actively.
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2. Encourage open communication to establish better workplace connections.
Communicating with your team on a public communication channel is one of the best ways to build connections in the workplace. That will increase their productivity, knowing that each company member is working altogether and collaborating effectively. Digiworks lets their workers create a daily to-do list where everyone can input all the expected works and finished assignments they have. Setting up a communication channel and asking your team members to send you daily messages when they log in and out is helpful. You can understand their capacity and monitor what is going on – by asking them to post each day on: (a) what they are currently working on (b) what they worked on yesterday (c) what they’re planning to progress to next (d) whether they have any questions. You can also praise the works of your team publicly so that other employees can support them as well. However, private or personal matters, on the other hand, should be discussed privately. If you have any personal feedback, make sure to do it in a private chat as no one wants to be criticised publicly.
As a manager, it is also great to make yourself available all the time. We understand that your schedule is packed, but setting up a time to consult with your team and respond to their DMs is a great way to show that you are present or active. Don’t make them feel like they are a burden by ignoring messages, but rather, make them feel heard and prioritised. That will increase their motivation to work more as they know you support them. We find that when a manager isn’t available, it builds up frustration and stress for the team member, as it makes them feel unheard and left alone to figure everything out – this isn’t productive for anyone and in the long-term it will foster too much stress in the workplace.
When working remotely, you want to ensure that your employees are getting along together. By this, you can create platforms and events that will bring them closer together. When hiring new employees, it is best to set up meetings or give them a warm welcome, and as their employer, you should always take the lead. Make sure to introduce your workers to one another and let them publicly communicate with each other in designated channels to bring them closer. You can also hop in some fun conversations to let them know that you are congenial. DigiWorks has platforms like Slack with channels created to help their employees get together. They can host interactive meetings during their day-offs and share stories and laughter with everyone.
3. Be specific in setting your expectations.
In a remote work environment, confusion is a big deal. It is hard to communicate your thoughts, while it is easy to make assumptions. Setting clear expectations will provide better results as your employees are aware of what you need and expect them to do. That will also avoid wasted time as they can focus on the expected outcome rather than putting too much unnecessary effort.
Afterwards, you can provide feedback that will point out all the good parts and the areas that need improvements. When discussing the negative points in their work, you should be able to provide resources, links, and information that will help them excel in their job. Apart from leading them, you should also guide them by providing necessary materials that will help for improvements. Don’t expect your employees to be perfect! Instead, help them improve by mentoring them or by giving examples. And most importantly, always end the conversation with positive feedback to show your support and appreciation.
4. Consider applicants’ skills and shared principles alongside their experience
When choosing an applicant, some companies tend to rely on their work experience when defining the ability of the worker. That is because their theory is that when you have more years of professional experience, you are an expert in your job. However, in remote work, skill is a more important factor in determining their capabilities rather than the years of experience that they have. In DigiWorks, we use a skill-based approach for our applicants. We send numerous tests and assessments that will help us gauge their skill and logical ability to learn and understand their responsibilities and duties. That is why our team relies on documentation, training, and standard operating procedure (SOP) to help demonstrate how a certain project or task should be accomplished by our team members. We want to give those who might not have many years of experience to work in a remote work environment, as long as they have the skills and ability to understand how they should do their job.
Lastly, it is best to hire trustworthy members and always assume that they will do their best. People can sense if they are not being supported or trusted, so if you have any hesitations, always communicate and let them prove themselves. Don’t make conclusions that your employees are underworking or performing poorly. Instead, lead them by making your documentation and letting them report as well. In that way, you can track their progress and easily build up the trust that you need. If they have issues with their performance, set up a meeting and let them know your thoughts. In exchange, give them a voice and let them be heard!
Ready to build your remote team?
Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.
Manage Your DigiWorks Remote Team!
Managing remote teams is never easy but not with the help of the DigiWorks Team! Make the most out of your talented remote workers and let DigiWorks help you train and manage your remote teams. We will provide you with the best tools and platforms that will make remote team management more effortless and fun! If you haven’t switched to a remote work setting, what are you waiting for? Visit https://www.teamdigiworks.com/meet-our-talent and meet our talented candidates from around the world!
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About DigiWorks
DigiWorks is an easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and start ups hire amazing remote talent from around the world. DigiWorks offers a way for you to hire, manage and pay people from all countries. If you find an amazing virtual assistant from Philippines, a content writer from Nigeria, or operations manager from South Africa – manage and pay your entire team from one platform with no hassle.
If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed remote workers that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well.