A Guide to Effective Remote Team Management
Managing teams remotely can be much trickier than doing so in the office. You are trying to maintain productivity, your team’s happiness and ensure that their work-life balance is just right whilst not seeing them every day.
With a large percentage of teams now working from home, you may need to adjust your activities and your management approach to suit the new situation. Have no fear there are lots of self-help books online, but if you would like an abbreviated version, take a look at our handy tips below.
Communication
Arguably the most important function of management is communication. The hierarchical structure of most businesses is organised so information can be fed down the layers to the bottom. This is usually done via the management team. However, without clear, concise and regular communication it becomes like Chinese whispers and rumour mills fuel wrong and potentially damaging messages.
With remote workers, isolated from the usual forms of communication, it is even more important to keep channels of communication open and strong. Aided by today’s modern technology this is made quite simple. Video conferencing tools mean that you can bring your whole team together in an effortless and community environment.
Scheduling a regular daily call in the morning with your whole team means that you can not only update each other on what happened the day before, but you can gather action plans from everyone on what they are going to do today. Keeping everyone on the same page means that no one will duplicate work where it isn’t needed, and everyone is up-to-date on what is happening (especially important in this rapidly changing situation).
Don’t forget to check in with your team on a more personal level. Find out if they and their families are okay, share ideas on activities for any children and what you have all been doing in your free time.
Trust
Ask yourself as a manager, “Do I trust my team?”
Trust underpins every action a manager takes towards their team and this is amplified tenfold when some or all of that team are working from home.
There are many layers to the trust metaphor:
- Do you trust that your team will actually work when not under supervision?
- Do you trust your team to access company resources without stealing them?
- Do you put trust in your team’s ability to effectively conduct their role?
- Do you trust them to follow the correct protocol?
- Do you trust yourself?
If your answer is no to any of these then there is a deeper problem with your trust issues or with the person you have hired. If your answer to ALL of these is no then you need to take a step back and re-evaluate your position as a manager and your hiring technique.
Reassurance and Encouragement
Working from home can become quite demotivating, you don’t have someone sitting next to you to bounce ideas off, communication comes in the form of emails most of the time and you have more distractions to take your focus away from your work.
A little bit of encouragement and reassurance from you can go a long way with your team. Don’t overdo it and come across patronising but making sure you acknowledge when they have done a good job, offers motivation for their next assignment.
Be Understanding
You cannot expect the same 9-5 day from everyone as you would in the office. With children off school, the people in your team who are parents are having to juggle being an employee, a parent and a teacher – give them some slack.
Running errands for loved ones and those who are vulnerable can also be tricky to fit around the normal 9-5 workday – make sure when you are communicating with your team to check in with them on a personal level to see if they and their situation is okay.
Continue to Invest
Regardless of where your team is, all of them still rely on you as their manager for support and training. Ensure that they have all of the tools and equipment they need to be as successful at home as they are in the office (here is a little guide on some of the free tools on the market to help facilitate to move to working from home). Training is equally important; by using virtual meetings and webinars to facilitate, training can double up as wellbeing calls to ensure that your team’s needs are being met.
Adapt and Improve
In an ever-changing business and technology landscape, it’s important to keep your eyes on the ball with respect to process and delivery management. As a manager, continue to analyse the successes and challenges of your team and how they could be improved for a higher return on investment. This could be changing a method of submission from paper to electronic, investing in a new web-suite to guarantee cross platform compatibility across your employee’s devices, or even recruiting new team members virtually through video interviewing and online assessment!
If you would like to talk to us further about virtual recruitment, please get in touch with your local office.
Thoroughly Recommend
“Caroline and her team took the time to listen to and fully understand our requirements. They demonstrated their understanding by presenting us with a short list of candidates all of whom could have filled the post. Thoroughly recommended for their fantastic service, thank you.”
Select Client – Google Review – Select Appointments St Albans
Second to None
“I have worked with and for ‘Select Appointments’ since Aug 1st 2017. I have nothing but absolute praise for the care and attention I have received whilst working under their ‘umbrella’. The interaction and provision of work, remuneration and holiday entitlement is in my opinion second to none, I would certainly recommend the agency to anyone with full and utmost confidence.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Norwich
Best agency in Cambridge
“Select Cambridge is an excellent agency specialised in offering jobs in the Hospitality sector. The quantity and quality offered make it the best agency in Cambridge. Personally, I have had the opportunity to work with […] an excellent consultant, attentive to the details and needs of her employees. I highly recommend it for those who are considering joining this sector.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Hospitality Cambridge
They Invest the Time
“I have worked with the Select team on both assisting me recruit as a customer and more recently as a candidate. Having first worked with Select on a couple of recruitment projects with great success she was my first call when I needed assistance with my own career move.
For me the difference with Select is that they invest the time to understand your requirements both as a business customer and as a candidate and match you to the right people or positions. Unlike a lot of Recruitment companies the communication is strong from the Select team with regular updates and you never feel like just another candidate in a drawer. Dedication, passion, professionalism and commitment are the qualities that set them apart from the rest and I cannot rate the Select team more highly.”
Select Client & Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Lowestoft
Very Supportive Team
“I worked with the very supportive team from Select. He rang just before every appointment I had with my new employers to offer advice and support. He was also on the end of the phone when I asked for advice about my current position. Needless to say, I was offered the job I was recruited for and had a very good experience with Select.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Hospitality Peterborough
Able to Get Results
“Select have been absolutely amazing from the get go. I haven’t had any problems with finding a job, pay or communication. The team found me a new job within 1 week and another job after the contract ended on that one.
I would heavily recommend this company as not only are the staff so friendly, they are able to get the results that you want from employment. After years of working with other agencies and having many problems, Select come out on top and will be using them in the future. I found an amazing job and was so sad to leave it as I have continued my journey at university.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Chelmsford
Lovely Agency to Temp With
“Lovely agency to Temp with. Always there for advice and respond quickly to any queries I have had over the last couple of months. I would like to thank the team for the incredible service they have provided me, very professional and they really care about their work.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Oxford
Cannot Recommend Them Enough
“Select Appointments are an AMAZING agency!
My consultant believed in me and saw my strengths. He gave me back my work confidence then found me my dream job. Nothing is too much trouble. The team are with you every step of the way ensuring that you are well prepared. I cannot recommend Select highly enough.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Northampton
Genuine Care
“Probably the very first agency that provided amazing customer experience to me. Staff are very professional and friendly to the point where they have managed to find something that suits me in the first 30 minutes of walking in for the first time. Paperwork isn’t as burdensome as in other recruitment agencies which is a big plus. I got an impression of genuine care from them due to the fact that they were always in contact with me and whenever I had an enquiry they responded asap.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Lincoln
Dedication is Abundantly Clear
“I am an IT Engineer specialising in Apple systems. Over the course of 1 year I entertained many recruiters claiming their understanding and ability in finding a position that suited my expertise.
Chris Lo is the 1st (& only) recruiter in my experience that not only dedicated & understood my goals, but also had the technical education to fully understand my abilities and provide appropriate prospects. This lead to my current position with a company & group of people I want to stay with indefinitely.
Chris’s dedication is abundantly clear; extremely communicative and driven nature, exemplifies his passion and character.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Croydon