Why Remote Team Management Should be Your First Focus

The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic has put an increased emphasis on remote work. Remote teams are of tremendous value to an organisation, provided the managers understand and are competent of how to efficiently manage. Remote team management isn’t only about email and videoconferencing. The foundation of a good remote-first organisation lies in effective communication, trust, accountability and transparency.

For managers, it can be overwhelming (and scary) to ensure that remote workers continue to remain engaged, productive and thriving. However, this should be a foremost priority because remote teams are a company’s biggest asset.

Modern workforce is highly dispersed than ever before. Global Workplace Analytics estimates that 25-30% of the workforce will work remotely by the end of 2021. Organisations now have access to a global talent pool because recruits are geographically distributed.  Additionally, they find cost savings in remote work due to the reduced need for office infrastructure.        

Studies suggest that remote work results in increased flexibility, better retention, higher productivity, and improved performance. However, with remote teams come the challenges of effective management. The lack of a dedicated work environment, absence of face-to-face supervision, and potential security threats can derail the performance and morale of a remote team.

Some of the biggest struggles of working remotely are lack of communication & collaboration, poor network connectivity, distractions at home, no access to workable tools, etc. As such, it is easier for remote teams to lose focus. This can lead to significant cost to the company and lost productivity.

Here’s how managers can lead and manage remote teams:

• Set expectations regularly: When setting out a remote project, make sure you set boundaries, provide specific guidelines, and review the basics. Mention availability of each team member, determine their goals and ensure they are reachable when needed. Most importantly, evaluate their performance against the goals on daily or weekly basis.

• Be flexible and organised: The essence of successful remote team management is to provide flexible hours to help maintain consistency. At the same time, ensure they remain organised. Using AI-powered scheduling systems like TimeCentral can help streamline operations, ensure flexibility, and help stay organised.

• Track progress of your remote workers: Assign a work schedule to your employees and set expectations on completing the project within a specific time. Using an intuitive reporting system that allows you to monitor progress, even when they are working remotely.

Struggling with managing your remote team? Using an AI-powered, feature-rich scheduling and attendance management platform like TimeCentral can help track your remote workforce, set work schedules, monitor attendance, and ensure operational efficiency.