5 Dos and Don’ts of Managing Remote Employees

Managing remote employees can be a challenge, especially for those who are used to managing people on-site. In this article we look at 5 essential dos and don’ts of managing remote workers.

Whether you are new to managing a remote team or you’ve spent years managing remote workers, you’ll be sure to learn something that will improve your role as a manager. After all, the best managers know the most important person to manage is themselves.

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1. DO talk about communication expectations very clearly

Make sure there is clear and effective communication among all team members regardless of their location and time zone.

Define clearly and from the start of any project:

• When you expect employees to be available during the day
• How fast replies are expected
• The preferred method of communication and the preferred backup method in case that system is down
• What communication method should be used in emergencies

Clearly defining these points and other important matters of communication may not seem so important at the start. However, you will find that communication is the lifeblood of remote work and it impacts the effectiveness and efficiency of everything you do.

If you have an existing communication plan in place, make sure it is complete and everyone on your team is aware of it.

2. DO hire ambitious and independent self-starters

Finding the right candidates is of utmost importance whether you are hiring for on-site or remote roles. However, when hiring remote team members, you’ll need to be 100% sure that the candidate possesses the qualities of self-initiative, responsibility, reliability, good work ethic, independence, and self-discipline. 

Prolong the recruitment process if needed; just make sure that you hire someone who will not only possess the right job skills, but even more importantly, find people who are self-starters that will thrive in a remote working environment.

3. DO Acknowledge and reward employees

Showing that you trust, value and recognize your employees’ efforts, work and performance, will surely increase productivity, motivation, accountability and engagement. Make sure that everyone feels appreciated if you want to create a thriving work culture and a strong bond between you and each team member.

When you are too focused on the work at hand and meeting deadlines, it can often be easy to forget to celebrate the team members that made the work possible. Even when you haven’t hit any major milestones lately, be sure to share your appreciation for employees who have been putting in consistent effort to keep momentum going forward.

4. DO involve the team with virtual team-building activities

Engaging a virtual team and creating a bond between employees is a challenge for many managers of remote teams. However, even though virtual team-building activities might be executed in a different way, the results are often the same. A more engaged team, improved communication and team cohesion, increased cooperation and motivation, and a greater sense of belonging are just some of the benefits of organizing virtual team-building activities. 

Virtual team building doesn’t require an app or complex planning. You can implement some fun games, small team competitions, start a book club or simply have each employee show off their favorite meal, their kids or their pets. Everyone will get a chance to know each other better and team cohesion and productivity will increase as a result!

5. DO encourage work-life balance when working remotely

When working at home personal lives can easily blend into the professional aspect. One of the biggest benefits of remote work is that employees have the ability to create a flexible work schedule within the hours most suited to them. 

While this may cause some concern that employees will not work enough, the real challenge with talented teams is to make sure they don’t work too much.

As a leader, when managing remote employees, you should focus on the results and encourage the team to “switch off” in order to avoid burnout. Maintaining work-life balance will have a positive impact on your team’s performance and productivity in the long run.

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1. DON’T apply a micromanagement style when managing remote employees

In a remote work environment trust is essential. When managing remote employees don’t let your team feel like you distrust them, constantly “looking over their shoulder,” and going overboard with controlling the decisions they make or tracking the progress they make. 

Provide your employees with all the guidance and support they may need, but make it clear that they have the ability to implement what they think is best to achieve the set goals and expectations.

2. DON’T hold meetings too frequently

Meetings are important to keep everyone on the same page. They can be especially helpful when a conversation in realtime is needed to brainstorm ideas, when a new product or procedure needs to be clarified, or when you want to provide feedback or review work. 

However, when managing remote employees, as a manager, you must take into account that having too many meetings might prevent your team from completing their tasks on time. Each meeting should have clear objectives and measurable outcomes. If meetings are beginning to become unproductive, it’s best to reduce the frequency.

3. DON’T set unrealistic deadlines or unachievable goals

Define deadlines together with everyone involved in achieving them. Allow your team members to openly speak about how much time is needed to deliver high quality work. When there is an urgent need to get a project done, speak openly with everyone on your team and ask for extra effort from their side. Making sure your deadlines are realistic and including your team in planning will reduce stress and increase engagement.

4. DON’T expect from your team to be constantly online and available

Having a remote team doesn’t mean that the working hours are 24/7. When managing remote employees be considerate of differences in time zones, and also allow your team to maintain a healthy work-life balance. You can avoid concerns about responsiveness by following the first “do” above and setting clear expectations for communications. Understanding each person’s geography and personal work habits will help you better set requirements that will keep each team member engaged and accountable.

5. DON’T track employees’ screen without asking 

This can be one of the greatest mistakes. It’s important that you establish trust with remote team members. If you have very good reasons behind your decision to monitor an employee’s screen while they work, explain that to the team. If you don’t have permission or don’t make it clear that you are monitoring a team member’s screen, then you will undermine the work relationship and ultimately the quality of work will suffer.

Following these 5 dos and don’ts of managing remote employees will lead to better results from your team. If you fall into the mistakes of the “don’ts” we outlined, your team will be unhappy and your remote work results will suffer. On the other hand,  setting clear expectations, uplifting employees, forming stronger teams and celebrating work-life balance, will create a motivated and energized team that delivers exceptional results while working remotely. If you want to learn more about how to gain the best results when managing remote employees read this article.