5 Steps To Manage Remote Staff And Ensure Company Success

The American workforce is waking up to their collective bargaining power brought on by the pandemic and “The Great Resignation.” If employers choose not to respond to the changing demands of their workforce, they will struggle to retain staff, especially as millennials and Gen Z talent flock to jobs with a better work-life balance,” says Ragu Bhargava, CEO at Global Upside. “We are seeing the companies who chose to embrace remote work early in the pandemic benefiting from reduced operating and office space costs. Companies who offer remote work are witnessing higher retention rates for tenured and skilled staff with limited turnover and overall improvement in productivity. Multiple studies throughout the last two years have proven remote work increases employee productivity and limits distractions with staff contributing more working hours than before.” Ragu cites a 2021 report by Owl Labs that showed those who work from home are 47% more productive than employees in office.

What’s more, companies who switch to remote work can combat talent shortage struggles by hiring globally. Just as employees have realized they are able to work from anywhere and offer the same level of production and quality to their tasks, remote work has enabled employers to hire from anywhere in the world and not settle for the talent in their specific state or country. Without an office environment, employers are free to proactively seek the workforce they need, expanding beyond the geographic limitations of their offices.

The Deep Sleep

Although “The Great Resignation” is a huge wake up call, many companies are still resistant to remote working. Ragu cites a 2021 SHRM study that showed 72% of supervisors preferred staff to be in the office, perceiving remote workers to be less important and forgetting about them when assigning tasks. “While technology and communication tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have certainly made it easier for employees to connect and collaborate on projects outside of the office, some companies are experiencing challenges with mass remote work adoption,” Ragu says. “Many organizations who have allowed their employees to work remotely have done so without giving them the proper training or resources to be productive, eventually pausing and deciding the model isn’t working for them. For some organizations, supervisors and department heads are improperly trained to successfully manage and monitor remote workers and may be caught in the mindset that they have to physically witness employees working in order to manage their workforce.”

Companies in general may also find that their remote staff does in fact hinder production, resulting in a lack of trust between employees and their managers, with employees believing they have limited career growth opportunities due to lack of face time with upper management, Ragu admits. But adopting a remote work policy allows companies to save large amounts of money, allowing for an increase in budget for other areas, and higher productivity from the employees. “Employers who leverage their remote work policy will also have an easier time attracting the qualified talent they are searching for, thus having a competitive edge as a growing number of high-quality candidates look for opportunities that grant them the freedom and flexibility they’ve experienced over the last two years.”

5 Strategies to Manage and Retain Remote Staff

Ragu recommends that in order for businesses to successfully support their employees working from home, they need to have all the tools and strategies in place. He recommends abiding by five strategies Global Upside uses to ensure an organization’s success:

1. Communication. Fortunately, we live in a digital age where society has never been more virtually connected, and the amount of communication tools and resources is only increasing. Being able to connect with your team daily will involve investment in collaborative workplace tools such as Zoom, Slack, Google Suite or Microsoft Teams. Regardless of the communication method chosen, schedule regular team meetings to monitor projects and maintain morale. Ensure upper management is meeting weekly with their staff to discuss workflows, processes, ongoing projects and to provide constructive feedback frequently.

2. Organization. Remote work is a true test of your business structure and how organized it is. Look at working from home as an opportunity to strengthen your business in the long run through learning and implementing task management tools, which help everyone to see the inter-connectivity of various projects.

3. Develop standard operating procedures. Under the umbrella of organization, businesses hoping to survive the transition to remote work will need to create standard operating procedures that can be followed and executed, whether working in an office or not. Taking the time to document as many processes and procedures as possible helps employees maintain quality standards and provides a resource for training or when there are questions.

4. Establish a regular routine. One of the many benefits of remote work is the ability to have and create a flexible schedule for oneself. However, if teams are not aware of when they should be online or flexibility is left unchecked, it can hinder productivity and the quality of work being produced. Establishing a routine will help teams enjoy the benefits of remote work, while still being held accountable to completing projects on time. Set deadlines, have regular check-ins and encourage a structured day-to-day schedule.

5. Accountability. Once good communication and proper organization have been established, companies are able to track and measure the performance of their remote workforce accurately, allowing for strategic adjustments. Companies can eliminate excuses and enable their employees to succeed with realistic accountability measures. Businesses need to worry about the work that is being produced, and if the quality of work isn’t being diminished and projects are being completed, worrying about when and where your employees are working will just create an added strain for both employee and their manager.

If your company is considering shifting your workforce to a fully remote-work model, Ragu suggests you ask three essential questions so your business can critically think about the capacity for remote work and how to adapt to it:

1. How has your business adjusted to the pandemic?
2. If your employees have been working remotely, how has it impacted productivity?
3. Have you been able to measure and track that impact to have proof points for your decision?