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With remote work as the new norm, managers face loads of challenges, especially regarding workforce management. For businesses to stand out in their niche and thrive in today’s online landscape, a diverse workforce is essential, as well as digitizing their business.
As a remote manager, it can be challenging to ensure that all employees are productive, engaged in completing their tasks, and, more importantly, don’t slack during flexible work hours. As a manager, you can immensely benefit from time clock software and other online tools to make managing a remote team easier.
Read on to learn more about how you can effectively manage your remote team as a manager and ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to productivity and meeting deadlines:
Tips To Manage Your Remote Team As A Manager
Be Clear In Telling Responsibilities
As a remote workforce manager, you will need to be brutally clear about what the company’s expectations are and what you are expecting out of the project. Naturally, the team will have questions, which is why you will have to ensure availability. To be readily accessible and available to your team, you have to ensure that everyone uses a good communication tool, such as Slack or Zoom.
Besides declaring the company’s expectations early on, be clear in explaining the expected milestones, company priorities, and performance objectives. The employees will have a clear idea of what is expected from them and ensure that they maintain a healthy work-and-life balance, which can be quite challenging at times.
Be Flexible Yet Organized
One of the greatest advantages for employees in a remote-work system is that they can benefit from flexible timings. On the manager’s side, it is equally important to remain flexible and adjust according to the needs of employees as they (employees) choose their work hours according to their availability. Nonetheless, as a manager, you should remain organized and flexible when things need to be adjusted according to the employee’s availability. It doesn’t matter whether employees want to work in the evening or in the morning as long as they follow their work commitments.
Avoid Lengthy Meetings
Some companies make the mistake of keeping their employees engaged and caught up in lengthy meetings, which only hinder the company’s progress and deteriorate the employees’ productivity level. All you need to do is to ensure that everyone is on the same page and aware of all changes and work-related updates. Rest assured, by avoiding lengthy meetings; you will provide remote employees with more time to focus on their tasks and get more done.
Be Empathetic
Remote work comes with its own sets of challenges. For instance, it can make employees feel isolated and lonely, which is why it has become more important than before for managers to be empathetic and remain open to communication. When it comes to open communication, as a manager, you must choose the right communication tools that suit all employees and the company’s culture. Communication isn’t only about calls and video calls and texts, emails, and voicemails.
By being empathetic, you can ensure to stay updated on the remote team’s needs and ensure that everyone remains productive and happy.
Final Thoughts
Some managers make the mistake of micromanagement, which isn’t as much possible with remote work as it is with an in-house work team. With the right online tools, you can fight the urge of micromanagement and still ensure that you are updated on the needs and progress of your team. Don’t forget to get regular feedback from your team, as feedback is important for improving things.
