Remote work is on the rise and can provide many unique benefits for your company such as decreased costs and increased retention rates. However, managing remote employees or a remote team can be very different than managing a traditional work team in office. Here are some tips for managing your remote employees.

1. Set Expectations:

The first key to successfully managing a remote team of employees is to set expectations upfront and go over them regularly. Establishing ground rules will hold both you and your employees accountable.

• Hours- While you can give employees some flexibility to work a schedule that works best for them, if you would like them to be available during certain hours or work a certain amount per day, communicate that upfront. This way you won’t get frustrated when an employee is unavailable, and they will have guidelines set to plan their days accordingly.
• Time Tracking- While it is not recommended to have every salaried employee submit a timesheet, there are certain types of businesses where this may be necessary for remote employees. In these cases, you can utilize a time tracking software for your team. Many programs will also allow you to have employees break down their hours by project or task so you can get a better understanding of how time is spent.
• Deadlines – Setting deadlines is always an important part of business, but when you are not walking by employee’s desks each day and seeing what they are working on, this is even more important. Deadlines will help your employees prioritize the large list of work they might have impending.

2. Engage Regularly

Keeping in contact regularly with your remote employees just like you would employees that sit down the hall from you is a very important component to building a trusting working relationship.

• Scheduled Check-ins– It is very helpful to have a weekly scheduled check-in with your team to go over project status and any topics of discussion. This gives employees at least one consistent time to discuss questions that have come up and keep the team on the same page about current status and workload. It also creates a regular conversation for employees to get to know each other.
• In-Person Meetings– Many remote employees may not have the opportunity to even meet their co-workers or talk to them in person. Opportunities for in person meetings or company retreats are essential for team building. They do not have to be frequent; one to two times a year would be plenty to start. This will help you build a company culture and long-lasting employee relationships.
• Communication Options– A variety of communication tools can be helpful in remote work environments, giving employees plenty of options to ask questions and get needed information for projects. Options for communication include: phone calls, email, company chat, video conferencing, group calls, etc.

3. Set Goals & Recognize Achievement

Since you are not seeing your employees each day to discuss their work and goals, it is important to be very intentional about recognizing employee efforts.

• Set Goals– First set goals with your employees on a schedule, such as weekly or quarterly. This gives you a measure for employee progress and work and also gives your employees clear objectives.
• Recognize Employee Work– Take the time to check in with employees and let them know you appreciate the work they are doing and recognize their successes. This is especially important if you manage a team of both local and remote employees to make sure remote employees are given the same amount of recognition and opportunities as those working with you in the office.
• Celebrate Achievements– Make a point of recognizing and celebrating the achievements of your employees, to make them feel valued and appreciated so they continue to go above and beyond in their work.

4. Have Reliable Tools 

Remote work relies entirely on the tools used to communicate, share work, and collaborate; having the right options can make or break your remote team.

• Communication Tools– Have a wide range of communication options available for your team to utilize. Many of these will require subscriptions or a business account. Tools you may need: email, company chat, video conferencing, conference call capabilities, project software, etc.
• Collaboration programs– when you have many employees contributing to the same document you may need collaboration software (ex: Google docs). You will also need a place to keep all of your files and content stored that can be accessed by all employees (ex: Dropbox or Box).
• Project Management Software– Having software that can track all ongoing projects, assign tasks to each employee and can be used for goals and budget will help keep the team on the same page while working in different locations. It also helps keep all information in one place for employees, and gives managers the opportunity to plan resources and see project status for all of their employees.

Having remote employees gives you the opportunity to hire the right talent for your company regardless of location. If you would like help sourcing remote talent or managing your remote team, please contact us.

We look forward to serving you,

The PharmaOut Team

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