Working from home has been around for a few decades now, but the number of people who no longer work in a traditional office has increased in the past few years. The number of people who work from home has increased by 140% since 2005, and this is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remote work actually has many benefits, and while employees are mostly enjoying this new type of work, their managers sometimes run into issues. If you’re an entrepreneur who recently started managing a remote team, you’re probably having some hard times.
If that sounds like something you’re going through, then you need to learn how to effectively manage a remote team.
Information security
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of business and companies all over the world are now dealing with some unparalleled challenges. And since so many people have started working from home, they now deal with a lot of sensitive information outside of their office.
No matter if you’re working in an office or from home, you’re still going to manage data and records the same, meaning each employee has to comply with organizational policies.
However, some of your employees still need occasional reminders on certain procedures and policies, as well as coaching on how to keep data secure in a remote environment.
Information security is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly and one of the best ways to ensure your organization is keeping all of its valuable information safe is to achieve BS 10008 certification. This certification is also known as the British Standard on Evidential weight and legal admissibility of Electronically Stored Information.
The BS 10008 standard outlines all of the best practices used for the operating and implementation of electronic information management systems within a company. This also includes the storage and transfer of information.
If your organization becomes compliant with the new BS 10008 standard, you will be able to maximize the reliability and trustworthiness of your information. Not only that, but you will also minimize the risk that comes with the long-term storage of electronic information on your systems.
Scale on time
Entrepreneurs all over the world are realizing the potential of remote talent and what it brings to an organization. If you play your cards right, you will be able to scale your business much easier and with less investment than if you were trying to scale a company with in-house employees.
But before you learn how to scale a business, you need to adapt your management skills for virtual work. You no longer have person-to-person contact with your employees, so you will have to give up micromanaging and learn to put a little more confidence and trust in your team.
Remember that since you’re the founder of the company, you also define its culture and values with your employees. That’s why it’s important for you to be the one who is going to encourage your employees to embrace this new virtual culture.
Here are a few more things you can do to scale your business:
- Value performance over attendance. You will never be able to know what each team member is doing at all times, so don’t focus on working hours. If you want everyone to always be efficient, allow your staff to manage their time, don’t insist on the “9 to 5” workday, and just measure their output.
- Document all processes. It’s important to state clearly what each team member needs to do and why, and if you create processes your employees can rely on, you’ll be able to accelerate your growth. Make sure to have multiple handbooks and manuals that document how all processes are done.
- Have a core toolkit. Tools are essential for remote work, as they allow you to always be connected and organized. While there are many tools that are made specifically for people who work from home, it would be best to start with communication and project management tools and work your way up.
Look out for signs of distress
As we already mentioned, remote work brings a lot of benefits, one of which is a much less stressful environment for employees. As much as 80% of telecommuters experience less work-related stress, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t experience any stress whatsoever.
Your team members will undoubtedly go through some new challenges and have concerns, especially if they’re still adjusting to telecommuting. However, some may be reluctant to complain or show they’re distressed, so you need to show how much you care for them and offer your support.
Use indirect observations as well as direct conversations to see how your employees are coping with this change. Encourage managers to talk to employees often but to be sensitive when it comes to topics such as the pandemic, job prospects, and security, as well as any overall tension in the workplace.
Keep in mind that this communication needs to be two-way dialogue employees want to participate in and it’s meant to increase engagement, not hurt it in any way. Managers need to encourage team members to talk about how they feel about this change as much as possible.
When a company is going through a big change, it’s essential to explain to the workers why the change is happening. If you want them to fully accept the organization’s decisions, they need to understand them and be aware of what kind of implications those decisions bring.
Provide your employees with the right equipment and coaching
Virtual communication is one of the most important pillars of remote work and if you want the team you’re managing to be successful, everyone needs to be on board with this type of communication.
While it may seem like everyone nowadays has a smartphone and a desktop computer or laptop, that’s not the case. Some of your employees may not have the technology they need to continue operations from home, and before you make this transition, you need to see if everyone is technologically equipped.
Ask all of your team members if they have the necessary technology for remote work, and if they don’t, you can allow them to bring some office equipment back home. Just make sure to emphasize how the employee will be responsible for any damage and state how long they can use the equipment.
Additionally, keep in mind that not everyone will be comfortable with virtual communication and some won’t even know how it works even if they have the right equipment. Some people don’t find virtual communication comfortable or effective.
Educate all of your team members on how virtual communication works and why it’s important for operations. But if after all of that, someone still isn’t comfortable with it, don’t force them into video conferences and anything similar unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Final thoughts
Remote work may not be for everyone, but nobody can deny all the benefits it brings. While it may take some managers a bit more time to learn how to handle their team now that they’re no longer sharing an office space, they’ll manage to adapt over time.
As long as you follow the tips you just read about, you’ll be able to manage your team without any issues and even scale your business along the way.
