8 Key Actions to Help to Manage Remote Employees

If you find running a business and overseeing on-site workers challenging, you'll discover that managing remote employees presents its own set of difficulties. Remote working, which gained momentum during the pandemic, is here to stay, and so are remote employees. Remote employees or workers are those who do not work in a conventional office. Instead, they work from other locations, typically in their homes. 

At present, more and more employees show a stronger preference for remote work options, and companies are expected to offer more remote working options to meet these demands. Are you prepared to manage more remote workers in the near future? If you are yet to find the answer to that question, keep reading to discover 8 keys to managing remote employees and get yourself ready. 

Keys to Managing Remote Employees

With 71% of companies permanently allowing some amount of remote work, mastering remote staff management is undeniably beneficial. To help you hone your skills in this field, here are 8 keys to managing remote employees that you should pay attention to. 

1. Improving Remote Work Policies and Procedures

Your work policies and procedures serve as the foundation of effective remote team management. The policies provide a comprehensive guide to the behavior and performance standards expected from both employees and employers. Meanwhile, the procedures communicate how the policies are to be implemented and processes or tasks are to be carried out. Essentially, they provide employees with a clear understanding of their role and the workplace they are in. If your company hasn’t reviewed and updated its work policies and procedures to accommodate remote workers, you may have issues with management. 

2. Comprehensive Onboarding and Training

As an HR professional or business owner, you know that onboarding and training can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of workers. Conducting comprehensive onboarding training and orientation helps ensure that each worker is properly informed of the company’s expectations of them and the overall work processes. These are also good avenues to showcase company values and mission and foster a sense of purpose and belonging.

When implemented effectively, onboarding and training can increase engagement, job satisfaction, and retention rates. According to a report, 70% of employees who have exceptional onboarding experiences tend to have very positive job experiences. These employees are also 2.6 times more likely to be highly satisfied with their workplace, which often results in increased retention rates.

3. Patience 

Just like on-site workers, remote workers face unique difficulties in their careers. For instance, remote workers can have more distractions at home and struggle with time management and work-life balance. As employers, it is vital to acknowledge these challenges and stay patient with your remote staff. You may also encourage your remote workers to reach out to you or other team members whenever they need assistance. By doing so, you can build trust and maintain a sense of community, even when employees are working off-site.

4. Investing in the Right Tools 

In case you missed it, many companies are now investing in and utilizing various digital tools that support remote work. For instance, 60% of companies use monitoring software to track remote employees, as highlighted in a report by Forbes Advisor. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of workers use digital collaboration tools for work. These are just some of the tools currently utilized today for work purposes.

Whether your employees are working off-site full-time or for just a few days a week, it certainly pays to have the right tools to manage them. Similarly, it is beneficial to invest in the tools that can help staff in completing their tasks. Some of the useful tools for remote work include chat and collaboration tools such as Slack and video conferencing platforms like Google Meets or Zoom. When it comes to managing remote staff and automating business processes, you should also check out business management software. 

Workplaces are all different and have varying needs for tools. When searching for tools to use in your remote work setup, it is essential to evaluate your business requirements first and choose the tools that align with your processes and workflows. For example, if you need to manage projects with multiple stakeholders, you may require a project management tool like StaffConnect that allows team members to collaborate and track project development seamlessly. 

In addition to digital tools, it is also essential to consider hardware. Consider providing your remote workers with the necessary equipment to carry out their jobs effectively. These equipment include laptops, monitors, and other accessories that can help boost productivity. 

By providing the right digital tools and hardware to your remote staff, you can demonstrate your care toward their well-being and ensure that they have access to the tools and resources they need. This can also help minimize the risk of technical issues and other challenges that come with using mainstream digital tools or personal devices.

5. Streamlined Workday Calendars 

A workday calendar details information about shifts, days off, and scheduled downtimes. By streamlining it, you can have more organized work processes, track ongoing projects, and complete tasks on time. A streamlined calendar can also help remote workers manage their work time and important tasks as well as balance their responsibilities. Moreover, it can help promote accountability for workers, maximize productivity, and reduce stress.

6. Healthy Communication

Communication plays a significant role in the success of a business. Hence, it doesn't come as a surprise that the majority of business leaders (72%) report that effective communication has boosted their team's productivity. 

When it comes to remote work, one of the best ways to ensure healthy communication is through regular discussion and follow-ups. Depending on the workload or an employee’s role, regular communication may occur daily, weekly, or whenever needed. Apart from regular follow-ups, it is also essential to actively listen, understand your worker’s communication style, and give positive or constructive feedback. 

7. Support and Work Benefits

Remote workers, just like on-site workers, are highly motivated by benefits and perks. By offering support and benefits to your remote workforce, you can encourage them to stay competitive and productive in your organization. This also sends a message of your appreciation for their hard work, which can help improve job satisfaction and retention rates. 

8. Trust

Trust is essential for remote employees to feel more motivated and committed to their work, regardless of their physical location. When you show your remote employees that you trust them, they can feel more comfortable communicating openly, enabling better understanding and collaboration within the workforce. Trusting employees can also help you let go of negative management habits such as micromanaging. 

Enhance Your Staff Management Anywhere You Are With StaffConnect

Are you looking for user-friendly solutions to manage your staff management wherever you are? Search no more, this app is for you. 

Introducing StaffConnect, a business and staff management software engineered to boost remote work management. StaffConnect is a platform accessible on many devices connected to the internet, enabling managing workers and tasks anywhere. We take pride in our software’s powerful tools that support off-site work, such as GPS Check-In and Out, SMS capabilities, push notifications, communications hub, live chat, automatic notifications, calendar integration, and payroll. 

For more details about StaffConnect, make sure to book your free demo today here to experience our app yourself.