Feb 9, 2023 • 5 min
Being creative and communicative is a major factor in effectively managing remote workers. Remember that supervising remote teams and in-office employees requires different approaches. Although it is normal to make mistakes during your transition period to a remote work environment, it is better to have a head for what to avoid. DigiWorks provided you with a helpful list of things you should look out for and consider when managing a remote workforce.
Having the world as your talent pool comes with a great amount of benefits since you can easily find aspiring remote workers everywhere. However, there are many things to consider before hiring one, including the differences in timezone. Remote teams usually came from other locations and countries, so being conscious about their work hours is a huge factor. Not because a certain time works for you doesn’t mean that it is the same for your employees. Even if it seems too early for you, it might be late for your workers. That is why being cognizant of everyone’s working schedule and timezone is important to avoid scheduling an event and emailing at uncertain hours. Additionally, knowing their time will let you monitor which employees are underworking and overworking.
Alongside giving importance to employees’ timezone is knowing their respective work schedule. The main purpose of remote jobs is to give workers the flexibility in their schedule and create an excellent work life balance. So, clocking in a certain time defeats the purpose of having a remote worker status. If you need employees to work for a specific time, find one that is well-suited with your schedule based on their availability and timezone. In that way, they can work on a time convenient for them and beneficial for you.
Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.
It is easy to make a remote employee feel isolated and disconnected from their workplace without the physical presence of their co-workers. You might think that it is not a huge factor, but it makes employees unproductive and unmotivated. Remote teams would appreciate it if you can lead virtual meetings and events where they can celebrate and be connected to each other. Even by making an active group chat that allows them to casually talk to each other and send funny contents is helpful. Moreover, this practice is important in building an inclusive workplace!
In the office, supervisors and managers can easily see the work of their employees and guide them in times that they need help. However, that is not the usual case with remote settings. We understand that managers usually have a hectic schedule but taking a little time to check on your employees’ works and well-being is a significant factor to increase their productivity. Even by just sending a simple ‘hi’ or ‘how is everything going on?’ will easily make their day special, knowing that someone overlooks them.
On the contrary, there are also some managers who feel like they need to check-in on their remote teams all the time. We know that not being able to oversee your employees physically might give you extra-sense of control. However, this strategy might cause frustration and stress on your workers. You team members might feel like you don’t trust them when it comes to passing their work or making quality outputs. If you have doubts, try monitoring their performances indirectly through timesheets and submitted outputs. If the employees are passing on time, then it might be all right to check in on them occasionally. But, if you think that they have problems submitting their outputs, then try to communicate these issues.
As much as you want to act professional and manage your teams effectively, being a proactive communicator that allows employees to express their personal lives is also a great way to build a strong workplace connection. Do you know any personal information about your employee other than their names and locations? If not, then maybe it is great to take a step back and send a little personal message, as simple as ‘Hi, how are you doing?’. Your employee’s best interest is to like you and impress their higher ups. They will only feel appreciated and supported when managers willingly bond with them, even with non-work related issues.
Have you ever heard your employees’ voices and seen their faces? If yes, when was the last time you did? And if not, then maybe try to contemplate how you address work-related issues. Virtual meetings shouldn’t be imposed on workers as they might have different situations and time zones unless necessary. However, having a brief discussion through meetings will allow you and your employees to express their thoughts and ideas effectively. Feeling their emotions and dedications through video conferences is incomparable to using emojis and chat messages. Plus, that is a great way to increase connections among remote teams.
Just like requiring your employees to send updates about their work, employees should also give an overview of what’s coming to their workers. This doesn’t mean disclosing important or confidential information, but a simple update on the activities, changes, and new additions to the field they are working on. With your teams being located from different locations, forgetting to update might usually be an issue. Remember, this action might make employees feel disconnected with the company and dissatisfied. In the end, this will lead to poor quality outputs, possible termination, and uncollaborative teams. Therefore, ensuring that your employees are well-informed of the company’s activities and agendas will make them feel included and valued.
Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.
DigiWorks understands that transitioning to a remote setting and maintaining a healthy work environment is challenging. However, there are many ways to avoid issues within the workplace and help everyone benefit from the remote setup. Hopefully, this blog allows you to understand the things you should avoid doing when working with virtual teams. Are you planning to switch to a remote setting? Contact the DigiWorks team and meet some of the most aspiring remote workers around the world!
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.