A Beginner’s Guide to Managing a Remote Workforce
Technology can facilitate remote work, yet many managers still lack the skills to manage a remote workforce effectively. Many managers are stuck in the mindset that only workers they can see in the office are actually doing their job. To oversee a virtual workforce, managers need to judge employees based their actual output, not presence in the workplace. This requires a different set of skills based on these main principles: Communication, trust, and accountability.
Communication.
Communicate with your remote employee consistently, whether it is once a day or once a week. Discern what each employee needs and communicate accordingly. Also, face-to-face encounters at regular intervals are also advised if possible.
Trust.
These regular conversations build trust between employee and manager. Transparency also strengthens trust. For example, if a remote worker needs to pick up their child from school at 3:30 p.m., the manager should know that.
Accountability.
This mutual sense of trust flows from setting clear expectations and then holding remote workers accountable for meeting those objectives. Make sure the remote worker understands what’s expected and when.
