Communication Tips to Effectively Manage Remote Employees
As companies strive to attract and retain technology talent in a competitive job market for candidates, they increasingly add telecommuting as a benefit. However, managing remote workers requires a different approach, compared to running an in-house team. Keeping everyone engaged, inspired and on the same page needs to be the focus of your managerial group.
With a productive remote team in mind, here are a few tips on how to best communicate with your telecommuters. Leverage these ideas to forge the project successes keeping your organization ahead of its competition.
Communicate With Remote Employees as Often as Your Local Team
Remote members of your team need to be treated as equal to your local employees. This rule definitely applies when it comes to communication. Of course, you need to leverage a team messaging tool like Slack to ensure everyone stays connected to project activity. Additionally, make it a point to hold regular voice or video team meetings, especially when following the Agile methodology.
Also, be sure to hold regular one-to-one calls with each remote employee. This helps them feel more engaged, while giving you a better read on their inspiration level.
Video Meetings Are Essential
Try to use video chat technology as much as possible when communicating with your remote employees. This approach especially matters with Agile stand-up meetings if relevant to your company. Being able to see each other during a meeting is an essential part of making the right connection with your staff.
Consider a video conferencing tool like Zoom for this purpose. Investing in superior video technology is a must when embracing telecommuting for your employees.
Trust Your Telecommuters
A measure of trust for your remote workers is another essential aspect of effectively managing them. This also matters for your local employees, but the approach is obviously different when you can’t actually see someone working in the office. Having good project tracking metrics in place lets you accurately analyze the level of work being performed, making communication with your staff better informed.
Inclusion Is Important for Remote Workers
Making sure your telecommuting employees truly feel part of a productive team is essential. Never consider them to be second-class employees. Once again, a regular communication schedule – both one-to-one and with the entire team – remains an important part of fostering inclusion among your remote staff.
If you need additional insights on building a great team at your organization, speak with the experts at Digital Prospectors. As one of the top technical staffing agencies in the Northeast, we provide great candidates able to make a difference for you. Connect with us soon.
