Remote workers are here to stay, so business leaders need to know how to get the most out of their team. Statistics show that 4.7 million people in the United States work remotely at least half the time. With these numbers — which are still growing — it is important leaders understand different techniques so they can get the best performance from their employees. Scheduling meetings with team members, giving feedback on a consistent basis, requesting status updates and trusting the employees are all vital ways to be sure employees are performing at optimal levels.
Schedule meetings. When employees are in the office, it’s a simple matter to stop by and check in periodically throughout the day and see what people are working on. This isn’t the case when most of the staff is working remotely. Checking in regularly, via video calls or regular phone calls, keeps both management and the employees updated on progress and expectations. When managing remote workers, checking in regularly, at least once a week, helps build rapport and makes it easier to give feedback. These weekly check-ins need to be on the same day and time every week, and it’s important to have a set agenda where each team member reports specific updates and KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) or metrics (previously established) to provide objective data on their weekly performance pertaining to their roles and expected outcomes and results.
Annual reviews aren’t enough to understand the performance of team members since it is nearly impossible to recall a year’s worth of information in one meeting. Having regular one-on-one and group meetings, at least once every two weeks, allows managers to keep up to date on performance aspects, including where people are excelling and where they may need help.
Give consistent feedback. It’s important to be clear about giving feedback with remote workers. Doing so ensures employees aren’t overanalyzing the communication being given to them. This is especially true when giving feedback to remote employees, who don’t have the benefit of recognizing body language. Communication should be clear and concise.
The goal should be for communication to flow freely, but it’s also important to emphasize clarity in the feedback. Being clear with what is working and what isn’t allows employees to see where they can improve and where they are excelling. When there is negative feedback to give an employee, it’s best to discuss it one-on-one with the employee and never in a group meeting.
Request status updates. Requiring regular status updates, once a week, means leaders and their remote teams have information they can refer to on a regular basis. When remote workers keep a weekly log of the work they have done during that period, management and employees are able to keep track of what is getting done and how efficient they are. It’s not necessary to read the logs every day, but having them allows management to look back on it when it comes time for one-on-one meetings. For managers, these logs help keep accountability and helps them not overlook any accomplishments where praise needs to be given.
Trusting the employees. “If you don’t trust your employees, they shouldn’t be working for you in the first place.” This is a basic tenet. Trust is built over time, and just as employers need trust in their employees, the reciprocal is also true: They need to be able to trust their employer. A manager may notice a team member missing a meeting or a deadline, but a better strategy than assuming they aren’t doing their work is to give them a call. They may be overwhelmed or might have a personal matter they are dealing with. This is hard to know if leaders aren’t in the office and around them daily. It’s important to remember that communication is key when keeping the trust between management and employees and vice versa.
Performance management can be tricky when it involves remote workers. There aren’t the daily interactions that a normal office management team has. By following these few simple techniques, leaders can keep track of performance and keep themselves and their teams accountable in their positions.
John Waters is the principal of Waters Business Consulting Group, LLC in Scottsdale, Arizona, which helps business owners and management grow their business.
Did You Know: Statistics show that 4.7 million people in the United States work remotely at least half the time.
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