How Managers Can Better Help their Team Remotely

Remote working has become more than a trend; it’s now a necessity. However, with the rise of this entirely new way of working comes a new set of challenges. Managers will be faced with issues they’ve never had to consider before to do right by their team and deliver consistent results.

To know how to manage your remote team, you must be aware of the common challenges you’re likely to face, including:

• A severe lack of face-to-face supervision
• Poor access to information
• Social isolation for all employees
• Distractions at home reducing productivity
• Enhanced communication gaps, worsening current silos
• Weak culture causing lack of engagement and commitment
• Burnout
• Rapid staff cycling - employees leaving and joining the company

So how can a manager combat these issues to benefit both staff and the business as a whole?

1.Daily check-ins

It may seem overbearing and unnecessary at first, but this is key for managers and teams in remote working environments. Emails, phone calls and texts no longer suffice; employees crave connection and need the sense of accountability that comes with a face-to-face check-in. Scheduling a video meeting for 10-15 minutes with individual team members at a consistent time each week will allow in-depth communication and increased productivity.

2.Set expectations for communication

Remote work becomes more efficient and slicker once managers set expectations for communication. An example of these expectations could be video calls for meetings, emails for regular contact and non-urgent questions and instant messenger for urgent matters. This reduces anxiety within employees because they won’t feel like they have to jump immediately to every email and know they have a set time to discuss pressing matters. It’s equally as necessary to determine what time of day is best for communication to occur for each of your team members.

With remote work, a degree of flexibility is beneficial, yet too much can become detrimental. For example, if one employee consistently works a night shift, they won’t be available for communication during the day unless a consistent time is agreed upon. To get the best out of your team, establish expectations on the best times of day for team members to reach their manager and for the managers to contact each team member and inform their peers of this timeline.

3.Focus critique on the outcome, not the process

It was easy to walk around the office and see if people looked busy at their computers, but we all know that was never a sufficient judge of progression. The same goes for remote work; radio silence doesn’t mean work isn’t going on behind the scenes, and it may be difficult for employees to show evidence of this depending on the nature of the work. A screenshot can only show so much.

By trusting your employees, you provide them with accountability and autonomy, the two driving forces of a productive and healthy workplace. By leaving employees alone until they want you, or until their designated one-on-one timeslot, they’ll feel less pressure to perform all the time. This reduces the impact of the toxic 'always on' mentality that poorly managed remote teams can suffer with.

4.Make sure your employees have room to breathe

It’s easy for a manager to push and push your team, and this is great when it gets you results, but it's easy to fall into a damaging pattern. Remote work has seen a considerable rise in overworking, unpaid overtime, presenteeism and refusal to take holidays. This has led to many people constantly feeling 'on the clock' – where staff feel like they have to be always contactable because they’re only a click away, but this is no way to live.

Encourage your team to look after themselves, discuss the benefits of taking paid leave and explain that you don’t want them working when they’re unwell - even though the commute to the office is just getting out of bed to sit at their desk. It’s easy for people to feel like machines when their managers don't correctly allocate hours and ensure they feel like they can't step away from their work. Eliminate burnout and ensure your staff feels cared for through a compassionate management style.

5.Resources go a long way

Without the right resources, your team will feel pressured and like they’ve been set an impossible task. Remote work is challenging enough without added obstacles. Ensure that every team member has the correct tool, broadband, desk chairs, laptops and headsets for their work. Allow them to thrive in an environment that makes them feel valued as a staff member. Equipment isn’t the place to pare back the budget; the best resources for your team will provide the best results for your company.

6.Encourage casual communication to strengthen company culture

Casual chit-chat is something that’s easy to miss out on in a remote setting. However, this can be damaging to employees' mental health. Set aside time, lunch hours and breaks to be 'work free’, allow casual chatter, maybe creating a 'breakout room' where employees can discuss non-work-related topics would benefit your team? Whatever you decide, it’s crucial to protect your employees and allow them to feel relaxed in their working environment, which will help productivity.

A lot about managing remote employees is the same as managing on-location teams. However, it's a mistake to assume that a remote employee is entirely the same. Remote employees deal with unique challenges. To manage them effectively, you have to understand those challenges as if they were your own. By doing so, you can embrace the new rising wave of fully remote workforces.

Remote working is no longer a vague, far-off concept. It’s a reality, and it would be a missed opportunity to not encourage the new style of flexible working within any company.

Further reading:

• The Tools and Tips You’ll Need to Ensure Employee Concentration
• How to Setup a Remote Working Space
• A Manager's Guide to Successful Remote Collaboration
• How to Create a Remote Working Policy