In the spring of 2020, the world changed. Many companies that hadn’t considered working from home switched gears entirely to allow for remote work. Today, some still like the flexibility that a remote workforce has to offer. Whether your company is working remotely on a temporary basis or you offer positions with options to WFH, you understand that your remote workers face unique challenges. Here are a few things you can do as a manager to overcome the most common hurdles you’ll find while managing remote teams.
Communicate Your Expectations
For a lot of employees, the office environment provides structure. So people aren’t always great at self-managing while working at home. As a manager, you need to set your expectations and communicate them to your team. Check-in regularly so you can see the process and how they work is leading to the results.
Be Organized
Managers should also spend time on organization. This includes your remote workspace as well as your ability to manage your calendar. Lead by example, create a dedicated office space. Encourage your team to do the same and avoid working in high-traffic areas with many distractions from others in the home.
Practice Flexibility
For so many people, the chance to work from home this past year has been an entirely new experience. There’s a learning curve for employees and managers. It’s essential to be flexible to know that there will be challenges to working remotely, especially if parents and children are all at home trying to figure out how to work together.
Be Reachable
With this new normal comes a need for you to be as accessible as possible during business hours. You can set boundaries regarding your availability, but be reachable when your employees need you via phone, text or chat, and email. You can also use other remote networking tools such as video conferencing and collaboration.
Encourage Collaboration
To manage remote teams, you also need to provide access for your teams to work collaboratively. Zoom has become ubiquitous for remote workers, but other tools such as Slack or groups on social media can help your team stay connected while working from home.
Do you want to manage a great remote workforce? Contact CornerStone Staffing to learn more today.
