Over the past few years more and more people have started to work remotely, so it is possible that you already have remote employees – and if you don’t yet, it is very likely that you will do in the future. The recent COVID-19 outbreak has forced hundreds of thousands of people to switch from office work to remote work, and this could continue for weeks or even months.
So if you manage a team of employees, now is a great time to brush up on your remote management skills. This will ensure that your team feels productive and motivated every day, even if they don’t get to see you in person.
Here are four tips to help you manage remote employees.
Check In With Employees Every Day
Set up a daily group video call with your remote employees to discuss goals, projects and any issues that have occurred. This will make it easier for everyone to stay focused on a common goal, and it means you can quickly deal with issues, rather than having to email back and forth all day.
The daily chat will also help to motivate employees to stay focused, so they are less likely to get distracted while they are working (which is a common issue for many remote employees!).
Offer Remote Social Interaction
There are lots of benefits to working from home, but there are also a few downsides – and one of the main downsides is isolation. This can be tough for your employees, and over time it can cause them to feel lonely and demotivated. Thankfully, you can combat this by setting up remote social interaction opportunities. For instance, you could set up a video lunch chat (where work conversation is banned!), or you could send pizza to your employees for a virtual pizza party.
Provide Different Communication Options
Many employers just keep in contact with employees using Skype and email, but there are lots of other options that could work just as well (or even better). For instance, WhatsApp is great if your employees use their mobiles more than their laptops, and you can also use it to send fairly large files.
Brush Up On Your Management Skills
Finally you may want to consider brushing up on your management skills. It can be difficult to manage a large team, especially remotely, but extra training will give you the skills (and the confidence) that is needed to effectively manage a remote team. And there are lots of courses for you to consider, including the Online Master of Science in Management course. This course teaches managers how to manage every aspect of an organization, and it is perfect for adults with full time jobs as it can be done entirely online.
And an online course won’t just benefit your employees; it will also benefit your business. This is because you will learn new, relevant skills, such as how to retain employees and how to market your business online. This will make it easier to grow your business (both online and in real life).
