Your accounting team is working remotely. How can you ensure they’re performing at their best?

1 Set clear expectations

One of the most important steps to ensure your remote accounting team's performance is to set clear and realistic expectations for their work. This includes defining the scope, deadlines, deliverables, and quality standards for each project or task. You should also communicate the goals and objectives of your team and how they align with the organization's vision and strategy. By setting clear expectations, you can help your team understand what is expected of them and how they will be measured.

2 Use the right tools

Another key factor to ensure your remote accounting team's performance is to use the right tools and technology to facilitate their work. This includes using cloud-based accounting software, secure file-sharing platforms, online collaboration tools, and video conferencing software. These tools can help your team access, share, and update information easily, collaborate with each other and with clients, and communicate effectively. You should also provide your team with the necessary training and support to use these tools efficiently and securely.

3 Provide regular feedback

Feedback is essential for any accounting team, but especially for a remote one. Feedback can help your team improve their skills, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and address any issues or concerns. You should provide your team with regular and constructive feedback, both individually and as a group. You can use various methods to provide feedback, such as phone calls, emails, instant messages, or video calls. You should also encourage your team to give feedback to each other and to you, as this can foster a culture of learning and improvement.

4 Conduct periodic evaluations

In addition to regular feedback, you should also conduct periodic evaluations of your remote accounting team's performance. Evaluations can help you measure your team's progress, achievements, and challenges, and provide them with recognition and rewards. You can use various criteria to evaluate your team, such as quality, accuracy, timeliness, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. You should also involve your team in the evaluation process, by asking them to self-assess their performance, set their own goals, and suggest areas for improvement.

5 Build trust and rapport

Finally, to ensure your remote accounting team's performance, you need to build trust and rapport with them. Trust and rapport can help your team feel valued, motivated, and engaged, and reduce the risk of isolation, burnout, or conflict. You can build trust and rapport with your team by being transparent, honest, and supportive, by showing empathy and appreciation, by celebrating their successes and learning from their failures, and by creating opportunities for social interaction and fun.