According to Flexjobs, 66% of employees said that they are more productive while working remotely and 76% of them feel that they are less distracted when not in the office. Nowadays, organizations are openly embracing remote employees into their work culture. Having said that, it not as simple as it sounds to be. And that is why we here to help you make it a seamless process!
Whether it’s a personal or professional relationship, you must communicate and stay connected. It doesn’t matter how many remote employees your organization has; it is very important that you value them and not let them feel left out.
Therefore, the managers should be responsible and be vigilant enough so that the remote employees are more involved and engaged. Hence, they should be aware of how to do it! Here are some tips to enhance your remote employee management process:
1. Set Clear and Right Expectations
Every organization has it’s own needs and expectations from the various roles in it. The employee stepping into that role, irrespective of working remotely or virtually, has to be clear about what is expected from him/her.
Managers should be precise and transparent while setting up the goals for the remote employees. Whether it’s about meetings, deadlines, working hours, responding to emails or setting up ETA’s (Estimated Time of Delivery), managers should clearly define and ensure that they are focused and aligned towards the goals.
2. Ensure That Their Career Growth Matters to You.
Always remember that remote employees are not freelancers or contractors. They are just like the other employees working in the office. The only difference is that they are not physically present in the workplace. Just as you have discussions with your employees regarding their growth, ensure that you don’t miss out on having a small talk about the same with your remote employees.
Because remote employees too, aspire to grow and learn new things in their career. Having frequent one-on-one discussions with them will help you discover their interests and goals, which will enable you to develop a growth path for them.
This will make them feel valued and inclusive towards the organization.
3. Facilitate Video based Meetings and Coaching
It’s always better to have direct communication with your employees over a video call rather than reaching out to them on a chat, which may sometimes take a little more time to respond. This will not just establish transparency but will also help you in analyzing the reaction of your employees, which otherwise is not possible over a chat or a phone call.
Moreover, it makes it easy for you to talk to them and figure out the problems if any. You can immediately fix it before it’s too late to address.
Schedule regular one-on-one meetings with them and make sure that you don’t cancel it. Reschedule it but never cancel, as it may negatively affect the employee morale. If you find it difficult to keep a track of it, make use of various HRMS software that help you streamline these functions.
4. Catch up Often!
Yes, video calls play a key role to connect, co-ordinate and execute things on time with your remote employees. This will no doubt make sure that you get things done smoothly. But is that all? Will this also help you in building a good rapport with them?
This is when you need to go that extra mile and make an effort to know your employees beyond work, an effort to know them as a person! Catch up with them just to have a casual and friendly conversation. Make them feel comfortable and develop trust so that they can freely reach out to you whenever required.
5. Arrange for Face-to-Face Get Together Once or Twice A Year
Ever wondered how the people you work with digitally be when you meet them in person? Although you have worked with them remotely and seem familiar to you, when you meet them in person it easier for you to bond.
You can also plan to travel together once a year so that you get an ample amount of time to connect and bond with your employees. This may seem like a big investment now but will have a positive impact in the long term.
