9 Tips to Effectively Manage Remote Employees

Offering remote opportunities is a great way for small businesses to gain efficient and productive workers while also achieving growth. However, if you have remote workers in different locations, managing them can be a little challenging. You may feel like you can’t control some situations but as a manager, it is your role to make it work for everyone. To give you some guidance, here are some tips to effectively manage remote employees. 

Set Clear Expectations

Everyone has a different idea of a great work or a good result. You can’t expect your remote workers to guess exactly what you want, so always set clear expectations. Let them know what you expect of them so they can prepare more. If you set clear and specific expectations, they can help you better and be more motivated to improve their work. 

Treat Them as Locals

Your local workers have more access to you than your remote workers. Because you work together in the office, they can talk to you anytime if they have questions, clarifications or updates. They eat with you at lunchtime, go to business events with you and a lot more things your remote workers can’t do. To prevent them from feeling distant and out-of-place, give them as much access to you as possible. Don’t just rely on emails but also give them access to your Skype or other instant messaging apps so they can easily reach out to you. 

Communicate and Engage with Them Regularly

The problem with some managers is that they don’t communicate or engage with their remote workers often. There are times when they take too long to respond which discourages remote employees. Managers often have too much on their plate but this is not an excuse to disregard your remote workers. They are working hard from a distance and they also deserve the attention you give to your local employees. No matter how busy you are, make sure to communicate or engage with your remote workers. Attend to their questions quickly since confusion on their part can affect their productivity.

Avoid Micromanagement

If you want to effectively handle your remote workers, micromanagement should not be a part of your strategy. You may find it difficult to trust your employees because they are working remotely but this is not a reason to micromanage. One of the perks of working from home is independence so don’t refuse to give it to them. Let them have the freedom to work on their own but also give them feedback. It will help them know if they are on the right track and see what they need to improve.

Be Aware of Their Differences

If you have workers from different countries, you have to be extra sensitive about their unique differences. Take time to know about their cultures and also consider their time zones. This will prevent you from communicating at an inappropriate time and giving cues that can be a cause of culture clash. Remember that respect also plays an important role in achieving small business growth. 

Utilize Management Software

The differences in location of your employees may complicate some administration processes. Using management software can help you delegate tasks easily. These management programs also let you keep track of overall organization from different locations and make decision-making simpler. You may also use software that will help you track the productivity of your remote workers.

Offer Perks and Recognition

Like your local employees, your remote workers also deserve the perks your company is offering. If your in-house employees get certain incentives, offer them to your remote workers as well. This will not only encourage them to work harder but they will also feel like they “belong” in your company even if they are just independent contractors. Also, don’t forget to recognize them for their accomplishments. Commendations – big or small – boost their self-confidence and motivate them.

Encourage Remote Socializing

One of the things that remote workers lack is socialization. Because they don’t work with many people in an office, they tend to feel lonely and left out sometimes. Don’t ever give them these negative feelings and let them communicate with other workers. You can set up a messaging channel where all your employees can talk or even share jokes, memes, videos, and advice. This non-work related chit-chat will give them some break from work and allow them to get to know each other better.

Trust your Remote Team

The key to keeping your remote workers is to trust them fully. Put away the mentality that because they are far, they won’t be able to work as hard as your in-house employees and provide the same results. Trust all your employees and embrace remote work, both the good and the bad. Once you trust your remote workers, it will be easier for you to manage them effectively.

Final Thoughts

Your remote workers are as valuable as your in-house employees, despite being physically away from you. Always see the good in them, don’t let them feel left out, trust them and recognize all their achievements. These tips will help you manage your remote workers better and make them contribute to the growth of your small business even faster.

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