*Collaborative Post
Working from home is something that many of us have experienced throughout the last eighteen months. What was once pretty common for businesses is now the norm and is set to stay as we continue moving forward.
However, as we are all too aware, adapting from office working to working from home was not easy. With many businesses having to do so overnight, there are undoubtedly individuals out there who are still learning how to manage their companies remotely.
Read on to discover some helpful tips when managing your remote employees!
Offer Flexibility
Working from home is significantly different from working in the office. There are many more distractions and responsibilities to take into account, especially if you are a parent and juggling childcare simultaneously!
Offering your employees flexibility in their work will go a long way. Whether this is allowing them to work flexible hours around their other responsibilities or adjusting workloads and deadlines, the choice is entirely yours and what you think will benefit your employee and wider business operations.
Monitor Performance and Reward Accordingly
Receiving recognition and rewards for hard work makes us feel good and valued. Within the office environment, you will naturally receive a pat on the back and a shoutout to the wider office about your success, but this is another factor that has changed with the implementation of working from home.
Monitoring the performance of your employees might appear trickier than before, and you would be right in thinking that. However, there are various performance management tools that you can use online in order to do so. Platforms provided by reputable organisations like StaffCircle enable business owners like yourself to look after your employees in the right way, even when there is some distance between you all.
Uphold Regular Correspondence
Communication is critical in all aspects of the business world; there is no arguing that. While this is the case, it might even be all the more critical when working from home. You want to ensure the continued running of your business, and miscommunication while remotely working could lead to some errors and mistakes happening.
Holding regular calls and catch-ups with your employees is recommended. How frequently you choose to correspond with your team will greatly vary based on your line of work and your personal preference.
It might be tempting to phone your employees each and every day as a means of ensuring they are working and to check in. While there is nothing wrong with checking in via video or audio calls, consider using a communication platform such as Slack or saying what you need in an email.
Video and audio calls have made working remotely much easier, but there is also the risk of developing ‘Zoom fatigue’ when having too much socialisation at once. Consider your own well-being against that of your employees, and be considerate should anyone feel uneasy when attending a call.
Managing a remote team is no easy feat; any manager will tell you that. Using the tips here and others out there, you can rest assured you are doing the best possible job and prioritising your employees above all else.
