Remote work is defined as working outside of a traditional office setting. Whether it’s numerous employees working at multiple office locations, or periodically working from home, remote work has become increasingly popular in the United States. In 2016, 43 percent of the workforce said they spent at least some time working remotely. As the number of remote employees continues to rise, so do the challenges associated with this trend. Lack of communication, difficulty creating teamwork, and lower efficiency are often concerns amongst executives. Let’s take a look at four ways leadership can better manage their remote workforce.
Create expectations early
When employees are working from multiple locations, expectations need to be clear, concise, and consistent. In addition, they should be set early, so everyone understands all required procedures. Great managers provide direction to their workforce which creates clarity, in turn leading to better productivity and results. A recent study showed that nearly half of managers don’t set individual employee goals. This lack of individual attention lowers productivity because employees don’t have any goals to work towards. By taking the time to discuss these with every member of your remote workforce, employees will be more likely to produce positive results.
Foster inclusion
Teamwork is an important part of every business environment. So how do you foster teamwork and inclusion with employees scattered across the country? The key is to keep your employees connected. Leveraging available technologies like video calls, social media, and internal chat channels are all tools that can be used to keep employees interacting with one another. In order to further provide inclusion efforts, plan a team building trip once a year to bring everyone together in person.
Encourage communication
Utilizing the tools mentioned above and taking them to the next level with a business focus will help create effective communication amongst your workforce. Misunderstandings and other problems can often arise when employees are not interacting in a face to face environment. Encouraging the use of video chat, or even the old school phone call, can help clear up any potential issues remote work may cause. By creating a consistent and effective communication strategy, your workforce will experience less misunderstandings, transparency, a healthy remote culture, and increased accountability.
Schedule routine visits
While there are plenty of virtual tools available to help manage your remote workforce, in person visits should be scheduled on a routine basis. On-site visits should help make sure everything is running efficiently and also provide employees with the opportunity to voice any concerns or issues they may have. Visiting your workforce on a regular basis will show that you care about their growth and productivity and that they’re still important to the success of the business — no matter where they’re located.
Remote workers may not be in the office on a daily basis, but they are still vitally important to the success of your business. For more tips on how to manage employees and foster a healthy, inclusive culture check out the WorkSmart blog!
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