June 27, 2020

Are you ready to start managing remote employees? 

You are likely excited that you finally get a chance to manage remote employees. But do you know how to manage them? Managing a remote team is an entirely different beast from managing in-house employees. Things that usually work in the office do not necessarily translate well to the remote environment.

As a manager managing a remote team, you need to be equipped with specific strategies and tools to help you successfully manage your team.

In this post, we will be exploring some of the steps you can take to ensure that you are managing your remote team efficiently, especially if this is your first time doing so.

Clearly Define Expectations With Each Employee

To help prevent both your and the employee's anxiety is to clearly define what you expect them to do right from the start.

The process of setting expectations includes defining the parameters, procedures, and deadlines for all tasks they will be facing, as well as how you plan to evaluate the successful completion of set tasks.

You need to provide your employees with precise feedback that will validate their commitment and effort to work. Remember to set priorities for each task. Do not expect your employees to know which task has the highest priority. While yes, they may know which task to do first, you have the last call.

Use Video Chat to Connect With Your Employees

In the office, it is easy to see the nonverbal communication of others. When everyone is at a different location from each other, this can be hard.

To make communication easier, utilize video chatting as much as possible. A video will tell you way more than just a regular audio call or chat.

Let Your Employees Do Their Thing

To get the most out of remote workers, you need to let them individualize their work as much as possible. By giving everyone a chance to do their own thing in their way, you will help them feel better about their work.

While yes, some tasks have to be kept standardized, not everything has to be done precisely to a T.

Stay on Top of Everyone's Work

Usually, when everyone is in the office, it is not so hard to figure out whether or not employees are doing the work they are being paid to do. With remote work, things are a bit different.

Many remote companies and managers rely on employee monitoring software to help them stay on top of their employees' work. With the help of employee monitoring software, you can check what each of your employees is doing in real-time, as well as what apps and websites they are visiting the most.

Be Emphatic

Empathy is a crucial characteristic for all managers, not just remote ones. In the remote world, where employees have to juggle between professional and private obligations, being flexible with remote employees and focusing on their output instead of the process is what truly matters.

Be open about what is happening in their lives, and make sure to support them.

Final Thoughts

Managers and employees all across the world are challenged with working remotely. However, even if you are managing a remote team for the first time, the difficulties of remote work can be overcome by clearly defining individual expectations and using video chat to connect with employees.

It would be best if you were okay with letting your employees do their work in their way. It would help if you also stayed on top of their work. Remember to be emphatic about what is happening in their lives and help them out as much as possible.