HR strategies that can help manage remote teams
The dynamic work environment of today renders the established standards regarding the place of employment less relevant. Businesses face both opportunities and challenges as completely remote jobs become more common. This requires a fresh perspective from those in human resources (HR). Here’s a full guide to help HR manage teams that work from home or in completely remote jobs. Here’s a full guide to help HR manage teams that work from home.
Key HR strategies for handling remote work
Do you remember those casual chats with coworkers during breaks in the office? That’s something we can miss when we work from home or take on completely remote jobs. But here’s an easy fix: make sure to build trust, keep an open mind, and talk often with your remote workers. To manage teams that work in completely remote jobs, first, you need to create rules for remote work. About half of all companies already have these rules, and many others are considering them. These basic HR strategies help maintain order in completely remote jobs and support company culture.
- Invest in the right tools
Having the appropriate resources to enable your staff to perform at their peak is crucial, regardless of whether they work in a hybrid setup or have completely remote jobs.The following tools can improve teamwork, output, and the general work experience for employees in completely remote jobs:
- Tools for communication and teamwork (such Slack, Google Hangouts, etc.)
- Video calling
- Screen sharing
- Project management system (Asana, Wrike, etc.)
- Automated onboarding software
- HR software with employee self-service
- Recognition and reward system
With many options available, finding tools that work well together to create a smooth experience for employees in completely remote jobs can make a big difference. Take a look at how Bamboo HR combines HR tools in one place to help you focus on letting you and your organization do great remote work, especially in completely remote jobs.
- Encourage close personal relationships
Having good relationships at work is important for keeping employees happy and involved, even in completely remote jobs. Research shows that having friends at work can make remote work employees feel better about their jobs. Friends at work increase an employee’s likelihood of:
- Collaborate effectively with clients and coworkers
- Being more productive in their completely remote jobs
- Help create a safe work environment
- Generate fresh concepts and communicate them
- Enjoy their work
Making connections with coworkers is especially crucial for those in completely remote jobs because they don’t meet in person as often. However, because there are fewer opportunities for informal conversations, maintaining these friendships requires more work. Without managers, team members, and top leaders spending time and effort to build relationships with employees in completely remote jobs, it’s very easy for those employees to feel alone and excluded.
- Focus on team collaboration
Much of the cooperation happens in casual, impromptu conversations that happen outside of formal meetings, however, some do occur during scheduled meetings or formal brainstorming sessions. For optimal performance, employees in completely remote jobs require a sense of professional connection to their business through cooperation. If teams don’t consistently collaborate and communicate with their coworkers in completely remote jobs, they might make decisions and advance projects without involving everyone who should be part of the process. 86% of people in a recent survey said that workplace failures were due to inadequate team collaboration. This can make remote workers in completely remote jobs feel less included and valued, and your company might also be missing out on important ideas and skills. During times when quick choices and project advancements are needed, it’s important to follow good practices for remote work and make sure that those in completely remote jobs are included. This might seem difficult, but it’s possible and beneficial with the right plans and tools.
- Set up clear rules for remote work
Make a policy for completely remote jobs to ensure that everyone follows the rules and knows what is expected of them. These rules should fit your company, the industry, and each employee’s job. This includes setting rules about:
- Working hours
- Tips for being productive online
- Following company rules
- Pay and benefits
- Equipment for completely remote jobs
If your company has a mix of hybrid, virtual, and in-office jobs, and completely remote jobs, it’s important to clearly explain which rules apply to remote workers and those with different work schedules. This helps everyone understand what’s expected from the start.
- Stay responsive and accessible
Being available for employees in completely remote jobs can be tricky. Unlike quick office meetings, managing remote workers in different time zones needs more careful planning. To handle this, set clear expectations about when you’ll be available for your team and when they can expect you. Avoid early morning or late evening meetings, and be considerate of time differences. It’s also crucial to establish clear rules for you and your team about when and how to reply to questions and comments. For example, how should you or a team member in completely remote jobs respond to an email or message outside regular work hours? Making these expectations clear from the start helps prevent misunderstandings.
- Provide chances for in-person consultations
Getting together, whether as a group or as an individual, has several advantages. These include boosting engagement, developing connections, and strengthening team culture. Even geographically dispersed teams with completely remote jobs must occasionally meet in person. To conduct virtual meetings with your remote work team, you can utilize video chat applications like Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet. Everyone knows that talking face-to-face helps coworkers bond, which is especially important for those in completely remote jobs. Employees can begin virtual meetings by talking about their days or by spending a few minutes asking icebreaker questions. Although it might not seem like much, this can have a significant impact. Additionally, it’s critical to ensure that employees in completely remote jobs benefit from meetings. Everybody has attended meetings that were pointless or might have been resolved with an email.
- Make meetings accessible
There are unique difficulties when holding virtual meetings, particularly when some remote work members are distributed and others are based in the office. In addition to technical problems, which are occasionally unavoidable, distant workers frequently show little engagement. Establish ground rules for your team’s meetings and motivate participation from all members. Here are some suggestions to improve the accessibility and interest of remote meetings for all participants:
- State if team members’ cameras must be on for the duration of the call.
- Give everyone a few more minutes to join at the start of each call.
- To give everyone a sense of what to expect, prepare a list of topics to be discussed during the meeting.
- Let team members know if there is anything they need to prepare for before the meeting.
- Make the meeting short to show respect for everyone’s time.
- Finish each meeting by deciding on at least one important task for the team.
The main idea is to consider what your remote workers need and be mindful of their time to create a good working atmosphere for everyone.
- Schedule regular updates
A recent survey found that 70% of participants want more daily or weekly updates than they currently receive. To boost employee involvement, have regular check-ins even if there isn’t anything urgent to discuss. Meetings can vary from daily briefings to private conversations with each team member. It’s crucial to keep these meetings short—about 15 to 20 minutes is sufficient. These short meetings are perfect for:
- Reviewing goals and progress
- Assessing the current tasks
- Addressing questions
- Building relationships
- Involve remote workers in online team activities
Even remote work teams need to engage in team-building activities. Online team-building involves gathering team members to participate in activities, exchange skills or experiences, attend virtual events, or simply enjoy each other’s company. Employee morale is raised and the team’s bond is strengthened through online team-building. Engaging in social activities such as quizzes, icebreaker questions, or virtual lunches can foster a sense of community and motivation among distant team members.
- Retention through personalized gifts
Present-giving isn’t limited to festivals or noteworthy occasions. Giving gifts to coworkers can boost their enthusiasm and work output, foster stronger bonds amongst coworkers, and raise general job satisfaction. In addition, 57% of employees surveyed said they are more likely to stay with a company that gives them gifts. Don’t just send any gift, choose ones that are thoughtful and personal, like physical cards, letters, or packages with company merchandise.
Next steps: Make a great workplace for remote workers
Employees in completely remote jobs can be very productive, creative, and perform well. But if your organization doesn’t know how to manage workers in completely remote jobs, they might leave and take their skills and expertise with them. As completely remote jobs become more popular, your company should start using ways to help people work remotely right away. The good news is that significant, expensive adjustments are not required. Making a good environment for remote workers in completely remote jobs is about changing how you think and ensuring they feel involved. At first, it might feel strange to have a video meeting, talk to someone online, or have regular catch-ups. But over time, no matter where your remote work team is, they’ll get used to working together and sharing ideas without thinking twice.