Before COVID-19, only 7% of people in the U.S. worked from home. Now more people are remote employees and that has managers scrambling to figure out how to manage remote workers.
There are things you can do to make your life easier as well as the lives of your employees and we are here to help. Continue reading this article to learn how to manage effectively when working from home.
Get to Know How Each Person Works
Not everyone is going to work the same or feel the same about being a remote worker. Some workers will love working from home and the feeling of freedom it gives them. Other workers will feel like they are on their own and miss the interaction of the office.
When you know how each person works best, you’ll be able to design a workday that will work for each person.
Be Clear With Expectations
Working with remote workers requires that you be even more clear with what you expect of them. Let them know when you want them to check in with you, how much you expect them to work or be available, and anything else that is important to you.
Develop Trust With Your Workers
Managing a team of people working remotely means you have to trust your workers and they have to trust you. If you don’t trust each other, it’s unlikely that the relationship is going to work well.
It might be difficult for you to believe that people are going to work their best while in the comfort of their own home. You might have visions of your workers taking naps when they should be preparing presentations, but you have to put this out of your mind.
When you trust your workers, they are more likely to trust you and want to do good work for you.
Look for Signs of Distress
It might be easy to see when someone is having a problem when you see each other face to face, but remotely it is easier for people to hide problems.
Pay attention to their voice when you speak to them on the phone, notice if they are acting differently, and see if they are complaining about anything.
Give Employees the Equipment and Help They Need
Besides computers and internet access, there are likely other things your workers need. One of the things they are likely to need is remote IT support. If they are technically inclined, it might be difficult to get used to being on their own with tech issues.
Having professionals available to help them with any tech issues will put some of their worries at ease.
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Focus on Outputs
Instead of focusing on what your employees are doing during the day, focus on what they are able to produce. Who cares if they work 6 hours that day instead of 8 if they are able to get the job done to your required standards?
Managing Remote Employees Successfully
Now you know more about managing remote employees successfully. You’ll be able to keep up with the latest curveball the world has thrown you when you use this information. Do you want to learn more about management and leadership? Check out the rest of our website to learn more about topics that matter to you.
