How to manage a remote workforce

Managing a remote workforce can often require a different approach to leading an in-office team. Ensuring remote staff are managed successfully is essential to maintaining productivity, keeping employees engaged and motivated, building trust and boosting morale.

Top tips for managing remote employees

Below are some key tips to help ensure remote teams are managed effectively.

Support staff in creating a comfortable home set up

Setting employees up with everything they need to work remotely is essential to maintaining productivity and wellbeing, and ensuring the whole team is working efficiently. Here are a few points to consider when supporting remote staff:

The right remote tools

Remote work tools such as a laptop, keyboard, monitor and mouse are fundamental, so it’s crucial that managers ensure every remote employee has access to all necessary equipment.

Some staff may also need a phone, headset and webcam, if they regularly make phone calls or engage in video meetings. Plus, consider any stationery or printing requirements.

Sufficient internet access

Similarly, all remote staff will need reliable, high-speed internet access, so employers may need to provide some workers with support to enhance their broadband package.

Physical health when working from home

To ensure employees are comfortable in their home office, they will need a good desk and chair, so check staff are set up correctly, to help avoid any postural problems. If necessary, conduct a workstation risk assessment.

Train staff on new digital tools

Some employees may initially struggle knowing how to use remote work tools, so make sure everyone is familiar with any new tech or equipment.

There are a number of digital remote work tools that can help employees to work efficiently from home, such as video conferencing apps, project management tools, screen sharing software, digital brainstorming apps, whiteboard tools and team chat apps.

Some staff may already be familiar with a few of these, yet others will at the very least need some basic training of any new digital tools, to ensure they understand the technology they are using. To try and minimise frustration among employees, opt for a simple package of digital tools that meet the needs of remote teams, without going overboard, so that training is quick and straightforward.

Set expectations for different communication channels

In addition, set clear expectations from the beginning, in terms of what, how and when certain remote work tools will be used. For instance, video calls for scheduled meetings and instant chat tools for impromptu or less formal conversations.

Ensure office-based activities can be suitably replicated or replaced with remote measures

There will also be some in-office activities that can be difficult to replicate remotely, such as mentoring or onboarding new hires, business development activities or creative opportunities, so it could be a good idea to make a list of these and try to understand what these can be replaced with whilst everyone is working remotely. Although the Covid pandemic limits any face-to-face meetings for the time being, looking beyond this, it may be worth implementing a company-wide agreement for all staff to be in the office on a given day per week, to enable these personal interactions.

Improve focus time for remote staff

Working from home can make it challenging for employees to remain productive and engaged, with the temptation of distractions or interruptions pulling them away from the task at hand. Here are some measures employers can put in place to enhance staff focus and ensure they are working efficiently:

Power hours with no distractions

Encourage employees to set ‘focus’ or ‘power’ hours during the day, when they turn off notifications, silence mobile phones, avoid distractions, and concentrate on a specific task. Ensure colleagues are aware of when focus hours are taking place for each employee, so they know not to disturb.

Effective time management

Suggest staff try the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method that can help people to focus solely on the task at hand, by breaking up large projects into smaller chunks or bursts of intense activity.

Alongside this, provide employees with support to keep to a structured work schedule throughout the day, including when to take breaks.

Prioritisation of tasks

Help staff to prioritise workload or key projects by keeping lines of communication open, monitoring their output, removing non-essential tasks and being clear on expectations. Digital project or time management tools can also be useful in helping employees to prioritise tasks.

You can also promote the sharing of to-do-lists, using tools such as Asana, so staff are accountable for completing specific tasks.

Manage email distractions

One of the biggest distractions at work is email, so try to encourage employees to set a specific time to deal with their inbox. This may be at the start or end of the day, so they can avoid the distraction of checking emails during key working hours.

Maximise productivity of remote teams

The Covid pandemic has forced countless employees into working remotely, many of whom have never done so before. Productivity can therefore be impacted as teams try to adapt to this new way of working. According to research by the Society for Human Resource Management[1], 71% of organisations have been struggling to adjust to remote work, with more than a third finding employee productivity a challenge. There are, however, a number of things employers can do to boost productivity amongst remote workers.

Set clear goals

Set clear goals and expectations with each member of the team, in advance, so they can work towards a particular target within a given timeframe, and know exactly what is expected of them. This can help staff to stay on track and remain productive. Check in regularly on their progress and help resolve any issues quickly so they don’t escalate.

Assess effectiveness of calls and meetings

Working remotely often requires an increase in the number of meetings and calls, which can hamper productivity. If this happens, track how much time is spent on meetings in any given week or month, and reduce time as needed. Also, focus only on essential meetings – if it’s not vital to the business or employee, don’t do it.

To help build trust with remote workers, it’s important to avoid micromanaging; however, people can often feel isolated or ignored when they’re working from home, which in turn can impact productivity. Schedule regular check-ins, to stay in touch and keep an eye on their progress and wellbeing.

Be flexible

Allowing flexibility on when people work, and enabling them to work at the times that are most productive to them, will help ensure teams are working effectively. It doesn’t always matter what time of the day staff choose to work, as long as the quality of their work is of a high standard – so focus on output rather than being too prescriptive about how they should achieve this. Just make sure any flexible working arrangements are implemented and monitored correctly.

Encourage staff to take time out Encourage employees to take regular breaks, away from their screens, especially after they have ticked off specific tasks from their to-do list. This will help them return to their workspace with a clear head, and hopefully more motivation to complete the next task.

Maintain working relationships

Fostering meaningful working relationships when people aren’t together in the same physical space can be challenging, however it is key to ensuring morale, engagement and productivity are kept high. There are a few steps employers can take to ensure remote teams stay connected with one another.

Strike the right balance with communication and team check-ins

Provide plenty of opportunities for communication, as this is absolutely vital to a successful remote working relationship. Decide what communication tools are best for the team – email, video chat, phone calls, instant message – as well as the frequency, so that you can strike the right balance between too much and too little. Most remote teams work best with brief, daily check-ins – however some may require them less often. Either way, ensure they are kept consistent. Remember to also schedule in regular one-to-ones, to provide structured, individual support for each employee.

Factor in time to socialise remotely

Allow time for socialising, as well as work, to increase the rapport between the team and avoid any feelings of loneliness or isolation. This could take the form of a virtual lunch or virtual social event, such as a team quiz. Managers could also make time for brief, ‘non-work’ conversations at the beginning or end of an online meeting, so colleagues can catch up with each other informally.

Reward and recognition

Offer reward and recognition where it’s due and celebrate any successes. This could be a shout out during a video call, an award, or a voucher sent to an employee or team who have gone the extra mile.

Be conscious of staff wellbeing

Be acutely aware of staff wellbeing, as it may not always be obvious that someone is struggling when they’re working remotely. Set aside specific time to listen to any concerns or worries employees may have and try to find solutions together; help them set clear boundaries between their work and personal life to avoid increased stress or burnout; and point them towards any existing support, such as employee assistance programmes.

As part of this, operate a virtual ‘open-door’ policy so that managers are available to all team members to provide support, and employees feel comfortable asking for help when needed, whether with workload, wellbeing or managing working from home in general.