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How to Effectively Manage a Remote Team

on May 22, 2020 in Engineering Clients

 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of employers became remote-only workplaces overnight. That instant and drastic change posed challenges for many companies, and some leaders are still dealing with a few growing pains as they transition to remote-only. If you are still navigating challenges, use these tips to effectively manage a remote team.  

Remote Team Management Tips

Be Flexible 

There will be some non-negotiable deadlines for tasks and projects, but it’s important to be flexible with people who are working from home. They may have children, spouses, roommates or elderly parents in the house, which can make a strict 9-5 schedule impossible to adhere to. As long as work is getting completed and quality remains high, don’t get too hung up on your employees’ hours.  

Be Clear about Processes  

While you want to remain flexible, you also don’t want to lose workflow processes. Make sure employees are clear on processes and the non-negotiable aspects of each method. This will require you to keep an eye on the way things are going so be careful not to micromanage, but do instill in your team that just because they aren’t in the office doesn’t mean they can cut corners on processes 

Choose Great Tools  

When people work remotely, they need great tools to facilitate collaboration. Have a variety of tools in place, including chat platforms, video conferencing, screen sharing, project management tools and cloud-based document collaboration tools. The easier you make it for remote employees to communicate, the more connected they will feel.  

Hold One-On-One Meetings 

Remote employees can’t just pop into your office whenever they have a question or concern they need to discuss. It’s important to stay connected to remote teammates, so schedule weekly, 10-minute one-on-ones with your employees. Check-in on their workload, ask for feedback and go over their goals and performance. These meetings will be good for you, good for the employees and good for productivity.  

Have Fun  

Remote teams can feel isolated from their colleagues. Don’t be afraid to have fun and to make time for team building. Laugh and joke during meetings as appropriate, send out uplifting emails and messages, and host virtual lunches and happy hours using company video conferencing tools. 

Recruit Great People  

Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out for remote work. If you need to hire new employees for remote jobs, it’s important to identify the right type of candidate who will be poised to succeed. If you are in need of highly skilled engineers or technical staff, PEAK can help you fill job openings quickly, access skilled short-term employees and help you hire remote, full-time employees. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you build an effective remote team. 

 

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