Lauren Vanderkam, a well-known author of time management books and contributor for Fast Company, explains that allowing employees and freelancers to work remotely promotes both flexibility and a greater balance between work and home life. Remote work also offers perks to the employing firm, including a reduction in office space costs and lasting worker morale. While the new wave of telecommuting offers a multitude of benefits, it often presents challenges to individuals tasked with managing remote workers.
To ensure productivity, collaboration, and worker satisfaction are at optimal levels within your organization, consider these five best practices for managing remote workers.
Offer Clarity on Assignments and Goals
One of the simplest ways to lose control over a remote or freelance workforce is providing less than transparent expectations for assigned tasks and organizational goals. To keep employees on the same page, whether they frequent the office or work from home, take the time to detail what is needed to get the job done, and done well. Set hard deadlines for each assigned task, and communicate with remote employees and freelancers how their work fits into the big picture for the company. Utilize online tools to manage assignments and encourage remote workers to share their progress throughout.Make Yourself Available
Remote workers are no different than on-site employees in that they need and want an open door policy with management. It can be difficult, however, to effectively promote an open dialogue between mangers and remote workers when communication seems limited. To encourage a culture of collaboration and trust, management and team leaders should make themselves available for discussion with remote workers on a regular basis.Integrate the Right Tools
The option to telecommute is only beneficial to organizations when the technology made available to remote workers is strong enough to meet ongoing needs. A variety of online tools assist in the daily management of employees or freelancers who work outside the office, including task and assignment management, intuitive calendar and scheduling applications, messaging software, and benefits and compensation tracking. For instance, companies can make life easier by integrating this payroll tool to manage hours worked and compensation paid to both remote employees and freelance workers. Using the right technology tools allows for ease of management, no matter where employees complete their work.Create Face-time Opportunities
Despite communication through e-mails or instant messaging, workers may feel disconnected from the work they perform for an organization when face-to-face interactions are non-existent. Management and team leads can combat a diminishing morale among remote workers by scheduling more personal, one-on-one meetings with employees or freelancers who work from remote locations. Utilizing video conferencing or chats are a great way to connect with remote workers and mitigate the feeling of being separated from the team or office.Have a Strategy for Continued Motivation
Not having a finger on what remote workers are doing each hour of each day can be challenging for some managers, but the purpose behind offering remote work is to provide more flexibility in how employees get work completed. Effective management of remote employees and freelancers relies heavily on continuous engagement to ensure that work is indeed being done, but that does not equate to micromanaging. Instead of hovering over remote workers, use cash bonuses or creative company perks to incentivize the early completion of work, or on-time delivery of critical assignments. When combined with open communication and clear expectations, additional motivation to stay engaged with the work keeps remote workers and freelancers on task, and on time.Managing a remote workforce does not have to pose a threat to business operations, but instead can be lucrative for both your organization and your employees or freelancers. To do so effectively, establish clear objectives and deadlines for work assigned, and make yourself available for interactions with off-site workers regularly. It is also crucial to utilize smart technology tools that allow for smooth communication and work completion among all members of the team. Face-time meetings are also necessary in keeping remote workers connected to each other and management, and ongoing engagement through incentives helps keep motivation high. These five best practices for managing remote workers are pertinent to the ongoing success of you as a manager, your teams, and your business.
