More and more people are working remotely than ever before. In fact, 4.7 million Americans work remotely, or 3.4 percent of the workforce. Additionally, 70 percent of people globally work remotely at least once a week.
Working remotely comes with some major perks. For example, remote work gives your employees more autonomy, it reduces their commute time, and, oftentimes, it makes them more productive workers.
However, working remotely also comes with its downsides. For example, many employees have trouble focusing on the comfort of their homes. So, how do you build a team of productive remote workers?
Check out this guide on the top tips for working remotely to learn how to build an effective remote team.
Establish Communication Guidelines
Without proper communication channels put in place, the efficiency of your remote work team will go out the window.
Here are some things we suggest doing to keep communication running smoothly.
- Invest in conference call services so you can set up effective weekly conference calls.
- Schedule weekly one-on-one meetings with each of your employees.
- Schedule end-of-the-day check-ins in which each employee shares what they completed that day.
We also suggest using an instant messaging communication service that allows your employees to easily communicate with one another throughout the day.
Additionally, because there are so many communication methods (ie, phone, email, Skype) you should establish early on which ones are preferential so everyone is on the same page.
Track Workflow
For many remote team managers, their biggest concern is managing productivity levels.
While studies show that remote workers tend to be more productive than in-office workers, it’s still important to have a system in place that manages your employees productivity so things don’t fall by the wayside.
We recommend investing in an online productivity tool that allows you to track various tasks to ensure your employees are getting their work done. With some of these tools, you can even create workflows for specific tasks with defined due dates and steps to be completed along the way.
Meet Up When You Can
While technology has certainly made working remotely easier, there’s simply no replacement for face-to-face meetings.
Even though working remotely may make your team members more productive, studies show that working from home can also lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. If your employees are feeling down, this can have an effect on their productivity levels and ultimately, your bottom line.
To combat this issue, you can schedule an optional coffee shop meet-ups one day a week. Or, you can encourage your employees to come into the office one day a week.
Tips for Working Remotely: Are You Ready for Your Remote Team to Succeed?
Now that you know these top tips for working remotely, it’s time to put them into action. Before you know it, your remote team will be running like a well-oiled machine.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more work-related tips and tricks.
