How to Manage Remote Staff effectively?

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Let’s face it, remote work is here to stay.

According to a report by FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, remote work had grown by 44% over the previous five years in the United States alone.

Therefore, managing remote staff effectively is a crucial skill for modern leaders. By adopting a goal-oriented approach, providing the right framework, and leveraging collaboration tools, managers can empower remote employees to work independently while still achieving desired outcomes.

Additionally, fostering team camaraderie through virtual team-building activities can help build strong relationships and enhance collaboration among remote teams. In this Newsletter, we will explore these strategies and their importance in managing remote staff effectively.

Adopt a Goal-Oriented Approach

Set ambitious yet achievable goals for remote employees and empower them to meet deadlines independently. Use a company-wide framework like OKRs (objectives and key results) to promote transparency, ambition, and goal achievement. Trust your remote staff to use their time effectively for company growth.

Ensure goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound). Monitor progress periodically without micromanaging day-to-day activities. Evaluate remote staff based on their ability to deliver quality work on schedule.

Encourage self-motivation by praising goal attainment. Recognise that remote employees thrive on autonomy and provide the framework to align their talents with organisational objectives. When remote staff feel trusted to work independently, they become more motivated to excel.

“This topic comes up a lot, and I have always felt confident that the value creation is within trust between team members. If I trust you, I will hold you accountable for delivering, and if we are both working toward the same goal and outcome, we will avoid micromanagement.” Cameron Smith , COO at Ivy Tech

Leverage Collaboration Tools

Using collaboration tools can optimise workflows and promote effective teamwork among remote teams. Platforms like Slack, Trello, and Asana offer valuable features:

• Slack enables seamless communication through chat, video calls, and file sharing. It allows for public and private channels to facilitate discussions based on topics, projects, or teams.

• Trello utilises kanban-style boards to visualise and manage workflows and tasks. Teams can collaborate easily using its card system.

• Asana is a powerful project management tool that tracks projects, assigns tasks, sets deadlines, and provides progress reporting. It simplifies collaboration on complex projects and clarifies responsibilities.

• People Force is an essential HR tool, covering onboarding, offboarding, employee engagement, surveys, and documentation processes. It ensures a smooth transition for new hires, facilitates employee engagement, and maintains compliance with HR policies and regulations.

By utilising these collaboration tools, remote teams can enhance communication, task management, and project coordination. They enable oversight, accountability, and efficient collaboration, bridging the gap between remote and co-located teams.

Encourage Virtual Team Building

Fostering team bonding is essential for fully remote staff to build strong relationships and enhance team dynamics. With employees working in dispersed locations, managers should make concerted efforts to bring remote teams together through virtual team-building activities.

Encouraging social interaction allows remote employees to get to know each other on a more personal level. For example, icebreaker sessions where team members introduce themselves and share details about their personal lives can be a good starting point. Group challenges or games facilitated over video chat can encourage building. Enable the use of gifs, memes, and emojis to add fun.

Conduct in-person team meetups when possible. Annual or quarterly offsite meetings allow fully remote staff to collaborate face-to-face and strengthen interpersonal bonds. Even informal team dinners or activities during conferences can offer valuable relationship-building opportunities.

For example, in 2023, our team had an enjoyable offsite in Warsaw, Poland, where we went on a city quest and even had a team photoshoot that highlighted our community spirit. In Lviv, Ukraine, we had a delightful cocktail workshop that symbolised our ability to work together and succeed, regardless of where we are located.

Conclusion

To sum up, managing remote staff effectively requires a goal-oriented approach, effective use of collaboration tools, and the fostering of team bonding. By setting ambitious yet achievable goals, providing the right framework for autonomy, and leveraging tools like Slack, Trello, and Asana, managers can streamline workflows and enhance productivity for remote teams. Additionally, virtual team-building activities and in-person meetups can foster strong relationships and improve team dynamics. With these strategies in place, managers can successfully manage remote staff while promoting independence, collaboration, and a thriving remote work environment.

If this wasn’t deep enough, we’ve also written an in-depth blog post about this topic with further insight.