Going Remote: Managing a Telecommuting Workforce
Not that long ago, having an employee telecommute took a great deal of trust, some difficulty in replacing that employee and a lot of worry about whether they were actually working or not. Today's digitizing and evolving workforce have come to expect some level of flexibility in the work schedule to better accommodate a good work/life balance. It also allows you to reduce office space and get better results from happier employees. But how do you manage remote workers? Here are some options to consider.
Keep it connected. Though many people today like to work remotely, they also like to feel that they're part of the team. Make sure to create opportunities for remote and in-office workers to get together, whether it's a mandatory weekly meeting, optional lunches out or annual retreats to help rebuild connections.
Create spaces for collaboration. Whether it's meeting space in the office or online workspaces such as Slack, having a common space for people to ask questions, meet and communicate ideas makes the process easier. A lot of productivity happens during informal communications, so create a forum or thread for questions that other employees can answer.
Make your managers available and responsive to issues. We've all had that one person who takes hours to days to answer a simple question, which in turn delays the entire project and leaves workers at a loss for what to do next. Whether it's an instant messaging app, text, email or other forms of communication, quick answers during business hours are essential.
Get regular check-ins on project progress. If you can trust your employees to work through a project independently, schedule daily, weekly or bi-weekly check-in communications to see if any issues have arisen. This makes it easier for employees working from home to keep up with your expectations.
By using these tips, you can make it easier to have employees working from home without the hassles that this situation may otherwise entail. But are you sure you need that employee in the first place? If you only need a part-time or occasional worker for your company, consider AccountRely's team of experienced accounting and business professionals. If you need just a little help, we're happy to be there for you. Please feel free to reach out today to get started.
