Remote work has become more common across many businesses, and many companies are examining the benefits and challenges of working with remote employees. While there are numerous challenges to managing remote employees, there are solutions to ensure productivity stays high and expectations are met.
The following tips can help ensure remote workers remain productive:
Communication is key. Establishing open, consistent communication channels is essential to ensure aligned objectives between remote employees and in-office colleagues. There should be clear expectations of what telecommuters are responsible for, metrics to measure performance, and feedback dynamics. Choose communication tools enabling your team to stay connected, such as video conferencing software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, messaging platforms like Slack, or project management databases like Trello or Asana. Establish regular video meetings to ensure remote employees feel included and have updates about the company’s strategic direction.
Establish clear expectations and guidelines.
Remote employees will be more productive if there are clear expectations of what’s required from them. Set meaningful KPIs, Daily/Weekly/Monthly goals that measure their productivity, and track progress towards accomplishing objectives and benchmarks. This grants flexibility while setting expectations for responsiveness, output levels, and workflow management.
Ensure workers have adequate hardware.
Technology is essential to creating a thriving remote work environment by ensuring that all hardware, software, and applications required to do the job are updated and ready to perform. Ensure that remote workers have all the hardware, software, tools, and applications needed to perform their duties; continually monitor updates and maintenance of all tools. This helps to reduce frustration and increase productivity.
Encourage remote employees to gain feedback.
Giving and receiving feedback is an integral part of improving skills and productivity. Regularly scheduled feedback sessions help employees stay engaged in the company’s direction and better understand the impact of their work. It also helps employees avoid feeling isolated and has the added benefit of building trust with in-office staff.
Encourage socialization.
Imagine experiences that foster a sense of community through online activities introducing ideas or team-building activities catering to the remote employee group. Any activity that encourages relaxation or rejuvenation is healthy and wellness-promoting.
Remote work productivity is about maintaining open communication, setting clear expectations, ensuring up-to-date technology, providing feedback, and encouraging socialization among remote employees. Utilizing communication tools, developing centralized project management applications, and developing logs or task tracking systems to establish transparency creates the proper structure. By understanding the value of supporting remote employees, employers can sustain productivity, improve employee satisfaction, and enhance the overall health of their organization.