Do you find yourself managing remote workers? This is a new challenge for many managers in recent times, especially those from the baby boomer generation that might find this new way of working difficult to adjust to after an entire career of working in the office Monday to Friday 9-5. There are many benefits to remote work for the business and staff, so it is easy to see why many are continuing with it, at least on a part-time basis, but what is the best way to manage remote staff? Read on for a few tips that should help.

Outline Expectations

One of the most important pieces of advice for remote managers is to outline their expectations. Your staff needs to know what is expected of them and what the protocol is for important aspects like staying in touch throughout the day, taking breaks and leaving the house, and collaborating together.

Avoid Micromanagement

Once you have outlined the expectations and staff know what is expected of them, it is best to then let them get on the job while making yourself available for support if needed. It can be very hard for managers to do this when staff are working remotely, especially when you have had an entire career of managing people in an office environment. You need to trust your staff, encourage autonomy and resist checking in too often.

Learn People’s Best Way Of Working

You will find that everyone works differently when working remotely. In order to get the most out of your team, you should try to learn people’s preferences and their best way of working and allow them to do this. Some will want regular contact throughout the day with video calls, while others will prefer to work independently and communicate via email.

Choose The Right Cloud Provider

Cloud computing can make remote work much easier to manage and can help a company to overcome many of the challenges of remote work. It allows staff to easily collaborate and communicate together remotely and have access to various tools and services needed to carry out their role effectively. Not all cloud providers are the same, though, so comparing AWS vs Azure should help you to learn about the differences and find the best option for your company.

Give Positive Feedback

Remote workers can feel disengaged from the business, and it is easy to feel unappreciated when you are not in regular contact. This is why positive feedback is so important for remote workers, even if it is a simple “thanks for your hard work” or “good job” in an email.

Unite Your Team

Following on from this, you also need to find ways to unite your team to promote employee engagement. Team building and social events, team newsletters, and real-life events can all be helpful for bringing your team together.

Hopefully, this advice will come in useful and help you to improve your performance as a remote manager to get the most out of your team.