Tips for Managing Remote Employees

Managing remote employees is no easy task. It requires a mental leap, especially for those supervising a remote team for the first time. Without the ability to physically monitor employees in a shared office space, remote managers may find it challenging to gauge productivity and efficiency. The lack of face-to-face interaction can leave employees feeling isolated — affecting engagement, focus, and teamwork.

Working remotely benefits all stakeholders, but it requires an abundance of communication and trust from everyone. In a healthy remote work environment, employees thrive, productivity increases, and managers achieve their KPIs.

5 Tips To Effectively Manage Remote Employees

Supporting your remote team means more than just providing them with necessary tools. Managers may need to pivot their mindset and understand that what works in a traditional setting doesn’t necessarily apply to a remote environment. To get you started, here are some tips you can implement to manage your remote team effectively.

1. Set Expectations and Productivity Standards

When building a remote team, providing guidelines, setting communication expectations, and establishing productivity metrics are vital. Set tangible milestones and goals for each job role and document them so that everyone is on the same page. For example, say that a medical biller working from home should process a given number of claims per week. If the employee foresees missing a deadline, they should update you at least 24 hours in advance. With this process, the employee knows what is expected of them, and the manager knows when to follow up.

A successful remote team has constant, reliable communication. Ask for each team member's availability to ensure you can reach them when needed. Encourage everyone to reach out if they have any questions or concerns, but remember to set communication boundaries to ensure work-life balance.

2. Trust Your Remote Employees

A recent study by Harvard Business Review shows that remote managers significantly distrust their employees. When doubt arises, managers start micromanaging and creating unnecessary stress for their direct reports. A manager’s close monitoring can cause employees anxiety and distract them from completing their jobs. Expectations of always "being online" interfere with an employee's home and family life. The more employees feel micromanaged, the more they feel they are not doing their tasks well enough.

Micromanagement is not the smartest way to bring out the best in your employees. Instead, managers must learn to delegate tasks, empower employees with the right tools, and trust their employees to deliver. As long as your team is meeting deadlines, try not to get caught up in the specifics of what they do every hour on the job.

3. Establish Structured Daily Check-Ins

When everyone on your team works in the same location, it's easy to walk to an employee's desk to pitch an idea, inquire about something, or discuss a project. When working remotely, you might not easily "find" a person at a given time. Instead of having your employees guess when you'll be available, set brief daily check-ins where they can communicate any concerns. A pre-arranged time helps employees prepare their questions and issues. Daily check-ins also allow managers to monitor projects without micromanaging.

If daily meetings are too much, you can change it to once a week. Set expectations for agenda, deliverables, and meeting length to make meetings more efficient.

4. Show Flexibility

Each member of your team will have a different home environment. Some will have a quiet private office, while some may work from the kitchen or bedroom. Some will have children to take care of while others don't. Some are more productive outside the typical working hours than others. As a manager, understanding each employee's circumstances can help you successfully manage a remote team. Providing your team with flexibility empowers them to complete tasks their way. Rather than focusing on the amount of time a person spends at their desk, focus on the output and what it takes to get things done.

5. Hire the Right People

While everyone loves the flexibility of working remotely, only a few have the discipline to work productively in a remote setting. Aside from hiring based on the job's technical requirements, hire employees who can work independently and communicate well. WeWorkRemotely lists down general skills to look for in a remote worker, namely:

• Strong writing skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Self-starter
• Emotional intelligence and self-awareness
• Growth mentality

Ensure you can capture the traits above by preparing well-framed interview questions.

Simplify Remote Team Management with Nexus HR

Managing remote workers is easier with a full-service human resource partner. Nexus HR handles all the tedious HR administrative tasks for you so that you can focus on providing leadership and managing your remote team. We can help you hire remote workers that best fit your organization and directly deal with all the necessary paperwork. We take full ownership of any HR-related duties, from recruitment to onboarding, and directly answer your employee's concerns. Contact Nexus HR today and see your remote team thrive.