During the pandemic, the global business landscape has undergone a significant change to survive the test of time. Many small enterprises opted for a remote team as a survival strategy in crisis. This turned out to be a profitable proposition for several small-scale companies, facing economic woes or shutdowns. Remote teams not only enhance the brand awareness of the company but their employee productivity too.
However, there is a stark difference between a work-from-office and work from home mode of working. It is important for new entrepreneurs to understand how the business functions in a remote setting workplace compared to the traditional setup. Business owners of small enterprises face several hurdles while operating a remote team, some of the common mistakes they make are as follows.?
- Lack of Effective Communication in a Remote Setup: Communication is the key to the success of a remote team. While managing a remote team, it is imperative for the company to stay in constant touch with its remote employees. The business owner should clearly communicate his expectations and corporate goals with his team. When the employer fails to share their guidelines, weekly expectations and company needs with their employees, this affects the overall team’s productivity. Make sure the employees are well aware of their job descriptions, weekly deadlines, and company policies. Entrepreneurs should ensure to reach out to their employees and give them adequate clarification on queries. An encouraging team discussion can keep the team motivated toward the company goal. A company failing to include its remote team or instill team spirit in them can affect the effectiveness of the overall team.?
- Unfamiliarity with Remote Work: Small organizations need to be careful when hiring new employees to their company. Not all employees can function well in a remote setup, despite their great qualifications and experience. Unlike an on-site job, the interaction with remote employees is virtual, not many are comfortable with it. So, an enterprise must hire candidates who understand the basic nuances of the remote job and quickly adapt to the prevalent work culture. They should be flexible enough to work in a different time zone and shape their schedule as per the company’s requirements from any other part of the world.??
- Micromanagement Issues: The problem starts creeping into an organization when the employer acts as a micromanager in handling a remote team. An employee usually opts for remote work because it gives them the freedom to work independently with little supervision. However, the situation gets tense, when the employer constantly intervenes in the remote employee’s daily work. Employers should stay away from bothering their employees with frequent emails and persistent follow-ups. Ideally, they should check on their employees twice or thrice a week. It is important to trust remote workers, a bossy attitude can frustrate employees that can impact their work.?
- Inability to Choose the Right Communication Tools: Another mistake on the part of the employer is using the wrong communication tools. Since communication is crucial in running a remote team, things can easily go wrong if the employer chooses the wrong communication tool. All official communication is usually done through email, Google Meet, or Skype. However, for informal conversations, they can use Slack, Hangout, or Zoom. It is a popular practice to use the company intranet to have more secure communication with remote workers. One needs to use discretion while choosing communication software and making it official for their employees to build a healthy equation.?
- Insufficient Perks Offered to Remote Workers: Remote workers can feel isolated and disappointed if their efforts at work are not well appreciated. In conventional onsite jobs, employees get rewarded for attaining a specific goal or getting a performance reward for consistency at work. However, small enterprises tend to avoid felicitating their employees with any rewards or perks at work. The lack of initiative on the part of the company can demoralize their remote employees, which can affect their quality of work. Remote teams should not feel neglected and their work for the company should always be acknowledged. A well-respected team will enhance employee engagement and keep the performance metric high.?
Organizing and collaborating with a remote team from different time zones can be challenging for a small enterprise at first. However, small changes in the company policy can bring positive changes in operating a remote team. Establishing a cooperative work culture is important for the empowerment of remote workers and making them feel valued in a diversified company. An ideal company makes an effort to create a remote-friendly environment, where remote workers can grow with the organization and feel totally attuned to the company’s goals. A valued remote worker can do wonders for the company, eventually bringing more profit for them.??
