How to increase remote work productivity?
There were plenty of employees working remotely before the pandemic. And while a portion of them had no supervisors, some did. And the managers of remote workers have gathered experience they can share with those who are still relatively new to managing remote teams. It’s a different kind of management altogether – being with your employees on a virtual mode, monitoring their work through email, WhatsApp, excel sheet or some other tool, rectifying their errors on-the-fly, doing multiple conference / audio / video calls a day to make thing done and many more. Surprisingly, CEOs and business owners are doing healthy debate on the topic of employees that work from home are more productive than who do work from office.
The tips of increasing remote work productivity will help managers prepare and coordinate their teams more efficiently. And do not fret if things are not working out at first. After all, just like those who have to readjust to their new remote work arrangements, so do you as a manager.
All these guidelines of monitoring WFH jobs will help you to streamline your operations and being much more result oriented.
Tip 1 – Take advantage of available tools:
Managing a team remotely without proper tools would be next to impossible. While there are certain aspects you can take care of on the phone, it would be much better to stick to better solutions. For example, you should organize video conferences on software like Zoom, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams and more. Sharing files between the team is possible using Dropbox, WeTransfer, Google Drive, iCloud and many others. All these SaaS technologies have made our professional life much more simpler.
For everyday conversations, you have platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. It is possible to introduce workflow automation for Slack and Microsoft Teams, thanks to Ahoyteam and their strive for innovation.
Hubstaff and Time Doctor are time tracking applications that make it easier to keep tabs on each employee’s work and what they are doing at a given time.
Tip 2 – Portray yourself as a Proper Manager:
Do not underestimate the importance of presenting yourself properly. If you are a manager, act like one, even if you do not have a live audience in front of you.
Be concise during video chats because it will not be too long before listeners lose interest. Dress professionally and have a neutral background for video calls. Confirm that the camera angles are right and that there are no technical difficulties. Such manners will boost up productivity of employees who are working from home.
Tip 3 – Schedule daily check-ins:
Some may consider daily check-ins as overkill, but running a tight ship without them would be more or less impossible. If you want to ensure that every team member is on the same page, dedicate some of your time and check up on them.
It is also worth pointing out that while emails, texts, and phone calls might have been sufficient in the past, more and more managers are leaning toward video calls for face-to-face interaction. It will help you to monitor remote workers on a very efficient manner.
Tip 4 – Communicate:
Besides regular check-ins, you should also over-communicate. Depending on your team’s size and how much time you have to spare, having meaningful conversations with everyone may be too difficult, but you should still do your best. If nothing else, at least focus on the most important criteria concerning the employees, including their tasks, duties, responsibilities, and desired outcomes.
The lack of communication is already a problem in a normal workplace environment, but it escalates even more when people have to work remotely and cannot meet in person. This is one of the best tool to make remote work more productive.
Tip 5 – Encourage remote interactions:
Fewer opportunities to socialize with coworkers leads us to this tip. The holiday season is just around the corner, and the usual Christmas party at the office will likely not happen this year. However, you can organize an event and invite everyone to participate virtually. For example, a trivia night, or a dress party where employees have to wear something unusual while in a video call, like masks or costumes.
Of course, you do not need to organize a casual video chat only when there is a special occasion, such as the upcoming holidays. Even half an hour every day after work could be enough to keep the spirits up despite the fact that such interactions may seem forced and inauthentic.
Tip 6 – Offer motivation:
It has came into light through various remote work studies. Finding motivation is challenging for some, especially if they have been working in an office for the majority of their careers. And it is not just the need to change the workplace. Getting used to meeting your coworkers every day and then having them suddenly disappear from your life can be difficult.
As a supervisor, you need to motivate the rest. Your team is made up of individuals, and everyone is different. Knowing what makes certain people motivated is one of the first things to establish if you lack the information. And there will be days when you are not feeling up to par yourself, but showing signs of weakness will make the situation for your coworkers worse, which will lead to a drop in work productivity.
Tip 7 – Provide resources:
For the most part, most of your employees should already have the necessary work tools, such as computers, smartphones, and an internet connection. However, some may need stuff like webcams and headsets, especially if they do not spend much time in front of a computer screen while at home.
As someone in charge, you need to make sure that the team is set up for success. Even if buying extra equipment puts a toll on the budget, it is still worth investing in employees’ well-being. Otherwise, work quality will suffer even more.
Do let us know if you have some more ideas and tips to increase productivity of remote workers.