Remote Work
There are more and more businesses using remote employees to increase productivity and outsourcing tasks that can be done remotely. Hiring remote employees who are on a full-time basis is a great way of accessing talent around the world, instead of limiting the talent pool to the local space.
Communications software like Slack have bridged the communication gap and brought about a collaboration of people and tasks across different teams. Although the software has presented a solution, there are more challenges on how to manage remote employees. For that reason, Kola Adesina would like to share with you 4 tips to successfully manage remote employees.
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To manage remote employees, communication is the most important tool to use. But what ranks higher than simple communication is communicating to the employee, with the intention of knowing your employees and planning with them on how their goals align with your company.
For instance, checking on the progress of the employee on a particular project is different from opening up a channel where employees can communicate what they desire to achieve with the project, rather than getting paid. If a remote employee views his or her contribution to a project as a valuable asset to the company, then both parties become winners.
Establish rapport by having remote full-time employees on site
When you hire candidates that have a good track record of working well in virtual spaces, you will have a workforce that is able to schedule their time and deliver their tasks very well wherever they live. The ability of not commuting to work can produce very interesting results compared to the employees who are stationed at the office.
Although it is possible to continue this relationship forever, it works well if you establish a rapport with the remote employees even if it’s once a year through team building activities in one location.
Try out a remote employee before committing to working with the remote employee full time
Kola Adesina advises companies to take remote employees on the onset as contractors before making the hiring official. This can go on for about two months where you will be able to identify the true colors of an employee in order to provide the ideal role for the remote employee.
You can use cloud-based tools like G Suite calendar or Trello to manage the tasks of remote employees collaboratively with the team that is stationed at the office. Remote members can also communicate with the office team through video conferencing tools like Google Hangout or Skype.
Increase the responsibility of the remote employees gradually
Remote employees compensate for lack of talent in a region. Managing them is not easy, because you have to trust their ability to deliver on time-sensitive tasks. If you notice a constant improvement in job turnaround or a remote employee’s capabilities, and the projects are being completed on time, then you will have more trust in the employee.
To be able to show the employee that you value their contribution, you can assign them more responsibility that goes well with their production timelines. Constant communication works really well as the remote employees feel like they are just in the next building. Ensure that you are in constant communication with them as you go over the projects on a weekly basis.