The advent of technology has impacted the way we work, sourcing for remote employees is now on the rise. Technology has really changed the face of tradition work life. We no longer need physical staffs in other to get jobs done. There are lots of talent in the world today and they can be sourced through the internet.Advancements in technology and the demand for quality has made it possible for individuals and business organizations to hire skilled persons from other states and countries to be a part of their team.These individuals are known as remote employees, and the process of delegating tasks and coordinating them is referred to as remote personnel management.
Remote employee management is entirely different when compared to side by side human management and can be a lot more challenging. However, when a remote team is efficiently and successfully managed, the advantages of remote management supersedes its drawbacks. This article offers you some essential tips for effective management of your remote employees
1. Effective Communication
Communicate clearly with them through emails, texts, voice notes and video conferencing. Visual communication techniques are always better while managing a remote team. When sending e-mails, use descriptive elements such as pictures, plots, and screenshots to explain your requirements and specifications better. In the event of a group work, create a chat room, and discuss what the project entails in clear terms.
2. Provide them with the required tools
Equipping a virtual team with the appropriate tools will ensure that they work efficiently and satisfactorily. For document sharing and archiving, create a document management system. Ensure that every member of your remote employee are all aware of it and know how to use.Instead of relying on emails for file sharing, use tools like Dropbox or Google Drive. These file management tools offer easy tracking of submissions by a remote employee and the changes made to them.
3. Make clear notes on expectations
Make it a habit to set-up weekly meetings with your remote employees with the objective of discussing the status of the team or individuals. Give a clear statement of their set targets and the estimated timelines.
There must be a formal process for evaluating the performance of your employees. If none exists, try as much as possible to put one in place. It is one of the only means through which they can know of their performance, and by so doing they might be willing to do more is performance is far below par. Give constructive criticisms and positive feedbacks where necessary.
4. Track your remote employee’s activities
In more recent times, time tracking software has become a commonly utilized tool for monitoring the activities of employees. Implement similar tracking systems and if you pay your remote employees on an hourly basis. Request that they submit their time sheets. Time-sheets and time tracking software will help you detect if any member of your remote employee is working or just surfing the internet during these periods. Time tracking software go as far as taking screenshots and uploading them to the cloud for team manager(s) to have a look.
5. Make your remote employee feel like members of the team
Set aside time to discuss with each of member of your remote employee and take your relationship with them to a whole new level. It is never too much to dedicate an hour in a week to your remote employees.Take them as an important member of your team .Show that you care about their goals, developments, and aspirations. In short, when managing a team, it is much easier to discuss work than having a little chit-chat.
Ensure that you build rapport with every single member of your team and get to know them as a person. Send them newsletters about happening in the company and let them feel remembered. Send your remote staffs gift items during holidays. Whenever possible, invite them over to the main office building once in a year.
