Remote Workforce Woes? We've Got 7 Great Tips for You.

As part of a new monthly series, Plumb will provide insights and actionable tips for how to navigate some of the current challenges being faced by businesses today. 

In Plumb’s third installment on insights and actionable tips for how to navigate some of the current challenges being faced by businesses today, we have 7 useful tips to share about managing a remote workforce.

As we discussed in our article about the labor shortage and attracting talent, offering a flexible and remote work option is paramount in today’s competitive job-hiring market. But how do businesses manage a remote team? And how can they continue to provide that same water-cooler-break bonding and office-swing-by brainstorming of days past?

First, let’s outline some of the hurdles faced by businesses in the remote-work era.

Different time zones

A benefit of the remote workforce is that you are not beholden to people within commuting distance of an office. However, when working with people on opposite coasts – or potentially different continents – it’s important to be mindful of the times meetings are scheduled. Consider creating a rotating meeting schedule so that each time zone has the opportunity for meetings at times that are best for them.

 

 

Connecting to the team and company

Understand that your employees are each unique people, with their own talents and challenges, and their own needs. Take the time to conduct one-on-one meetings with your team. Provide opportunities for continued professional education and growth and be transparent about their career path. According to a recent Gallup poll, 48% of American workers said they would switch to a new job if it offered training opportunities. Demonstrate to your employees that you care about them, and that their work makes a difference to the bottom line of the company.

Without the option to drop by an office, or grab a cup of coffee together, it might seem difficult to create a collaborative and communicative team. However, there are many great software tools that allow your team to both collaborate and communicate on the fly, just as they would if everyone was together in person. Depending upon the type of business you run, you might consider a project management tool like Basecamp or Asana. At Plumb we are big fans of Teams and Slack – two great options for teammates to chat one-on-one or to create larger groups for specific projects or routine use. 

Now that we understand some of the issues at hand – and how to deal with them – below is a list of actionable tips for managing your remote workforce.

You should schedule daily check-ins with your team. Include an agenda prior to each meeting to help keep it brief and efficient. This will keep your team aligned on their priorities and goals. In addition, ensure that you are reaching out to your team members individually at least once a week. It’s important they know they are a priority and that they can ask questions and receive guidance. You can also mix-up the types of meetings you hold – some can be on zoom with cameras on, some can be a quick Slack conversation, and others can be a traditional conference call on the phone. It’s always a good idea to change things around to prevent staleness.

If your team, or individual members of your team, is not performing up to expectations, take the time to understand the underlying cause. Is it because they don’t understand something they are supposed to be working on? Or are they overscheduled and experiencing zoom fatigue? Whatever the issue, everyone will benefit from the additional time spent trying to understand why there is an issue. Once this is understood, it will be significantly easier to establish a plan to correct it.

It’s never been more important to understand what’s going on with your team since you might not be seeing their faces every day. However, most people are not comfortable giving feedback or discussing issues that are bothering them – especially with a supervisor or boss. Set-up a process where you can collect feedback anonymously. Your employees will feel more comfortable to discuss challenges and you can gain valuable insights into what’s working and not working with your remote team. Additionally, you should ensure that you have a clear path to providing feedback to your employees. Schedule job performance check-ins and reviews at 3-month, 6-month and 12-month points. Communicate the plan to your team so they know when they can expect these meetings. You also don’t need to wait for these scheduled times to let them know if you have concerns – or if they are doing something great. In fact, a little company-wide recognition of a job well done is always appropriate and appreciated.