Many people think that working on a remote setup is ideal, especially for budding entrepreneurs. Sure enough, there are several benefits of working from home. These include setting your schedule, avoiding rush hour traffic, and not having to plan for an expensive commute.
But with everything that’s said, remote work can also be challenging. You need to look out for some things if you plan on implementing remote activities for your business. As the company owner, it’s your job to ensure that these activities are well-addressed and employees are adequately managed.
Arranging Meetings
Setting up daily huddles or weekly meetings is an excellent way to create rapport in the office. It can also help boost morale and reduce stress within the company.
However, it might not be possible when everyone is working remotely. For example, what if you have an employee who lives in a different time zone? Scheduling a meeting or huddle can be difficult if they work past regular business hours.
To avoid this obstacle, you need to give your employees ample time for scheduling meetings. You can do it through different platforms, which are easily accessible by most people.
Attending Training
You need to train your employees well to best manage work across geographical boundaries. Ensure that they know the proper etiquette when working remotely and with different tools.
Training should also include digital conferences and meetings, what materials to use while working remotely, and any other information which might affect their performance.
Implementing Time Tracking
As a company owner, it is your responsibility to track the time spent by employees working remotely. It is crucial because it will help you determine if they are over or underperforming.
If ever you think that an employee isn’t putting enough effort into their work, go ahead and ask them for an explanation. This way, they will know that you are serious about the remote work policy.
Also, remember that most employees are putting more effort into working remotely because they are not distracted by colleagues or office gossip. That’s why it’s also your responsibility to monitor their work and not equate higher productivity as a sign of laziness.
Managing Vacations and Absences
It might be tough to track vacation and sick leaves when employees work remotely. You can’t just ask them how much vacation time they have left because working remotely means you’re always away from the office.
That’s why it’s important to create guidelines on how your remote employees should handle their absences and vacations. To ensure that they follow this, you need to make attendance a part of their performance standards.
At the same time, it’s essential to communicate with them if your business is currently experiencing a lot of projects and deadlines. This way, they will know if their absence will affect the progress of these tasks or not.
Reporting Accomplishments and Progress
You have to keep updated with your employees’ progress and accomplishments even if they work remotely. That means that you should be able to work out a system on how they will report these critical events in the company.
You can do it by setting up a remote chat board. And whenever an employee comes across an accomplishment or a milestone, they can report it right away using the chat board.
You can also set up a system on how employees should report their progress to you through email or phone calls whenever necessary. All that matters is that you are updated at all times with what’s going on inside your company.
Socializing and Networking with Colleagues
It’s interesting to socialize with your fellow employees, even if you’re working remotely. That’s why most businesses today are using online platforms for their remote employees to create camaraderie with each other.
For example, they can play games or do fun activities on the company chat board. This way, they will increase the productivity and attentiveness of their work while still having a good time during working hours.
You can also use these platforms to hold polls or quizzes for all employees, which will surely lighten up the mood inside the company. Just make sure that your employees know how to handle such responsibly, especially when sharing important company information.
In the end, it’s crucial to open up a platform for your employees so that you can all get along even if everyone is working remotely. It will help increase the productivity of work and improve company synergy simultaneously.
So, these are some things that you need to consider when you’re implementing a remote work policy. By following these tips, you can ensure that your remote employees will be productive and happy while working for your company.
