If your business is welcoming remote workers, you’re not alone. More Americans are working remotely than ever before. In fact, Gallup found that 43% of the workforce works off-site at least part of the time. That means leaders need to learn how to manage remote employees and teams.
A hands-on approach is harder to maintain when you have a geographically diverse team. You can’t just pop over to Karen’s desk to ask her how her project is going when Karen’s desk is 300 miles away in a completely different city. Yet, managing remote teams doesn’t have to be difficult. These four tips will help you manage remote employees and teams.
Set expectations for remote workers
First and most importantly, set clear expectations for remote workers. In a traditional in-house setting, employees learn a lot from each other. Meanwhile, remote employees rely on you the manager to tell them how to behave, what deadlines to meet, and how to communicate with the rest of the organization. Setting clear expectations from the beginning, lets everyone work more effectively.
Trust them to do the work
Remote workers are not lounging on the couch watching Netflix. They’re working, just like the rest of your team. You can tell because they’re meeting deadlines and keeping appointments. They’re just doing it in a different location. Trust them to get the work done. As long as you’ve been clear about deadlines and expectations, there’s no need to micromanage. Measure performance based on deliverables and progress.
Check in regularly
Of course, you still need to check in regularly. Remember that you can’t rely on water cooler talk to spread the word to remote workers, if something is happening that they should know about, email or call them directly. Schedule a weekly or monthly check-in call to help remote workers stay connected without being overwhelmed by constant emails and messages.
Find a place for them
You might think a remote worker is the same as someone who works from home, but that’s not necessarily true. Many remote workers still want a physical office away from home, and many turn to coworking spaces to fill that need. Help make a place for your remote workers by connecting them with a coworking space like College Park Executive Suites.
At CPES, we have the workspace, high speed internet, and support to help your remote workers and teams thrive. Whether you need an office for one employee or a whole remote team, contact Jackie today to get started.
