Remote management. Managing remote personnel - quickly and efficiently

Over the past 8 years, I have worked with more than a hundred virtual team members in 9 countries. There were times when I just wanted to tear my hair out. Today, managing remote employees of our company is commonplace.

This also happened:

“I had no idea what my team was doing.”

“Team members could have been slacking.” They could work effectively for a while, but then the quality of their work deteriorated or they simply left the team.

– I felt frustrated because I could not communicate effectively among team members.

– I experienced a lot of problems in finding and hiring talented people remotely.

But now I know how to deal with difficult situations and issues when dealing with virtual teams. The strategies I use reflect my years of experience in figuring out what works best to maintain a consistent, productive and motivated team.

These are the strategies we use at Time Doctor - we have over 80 full-time employees, all working remotely to create the best product for remote management and increased productivity for individuals and businesses.

Remote Employee Management: Communication

Tip 1: Compensate by not bumping into each other.

One of the main reasons why virtual teams fail is because they don't compensate for the distance between employees. They seem to forget about the other team members, who quietly live in their own world and cooperate only as much as they are obliged to.

In a virtual environment, it is necessary to create opportunities among team members for “direct”, formal and informal communication. Some effective options include online chat (like Skype), project management platforms (like Basecamp), and video conferencing (free on Google Hangouts).

Our business has live chat for all departments. Participants leave messages for the team they are part of. It's important to keep these chats lively but not distracting. It is enough to have constant communication and discuss some important issues so that everyone feels like part of the same team. But the main thing is to balance, because chat should not distract from work.

We also have an entertaining chat for the entire company that is not directly related to work. This creates a chill-out effect where employees can chat about whatever they want. It can feel lonely when working remotely from home, and chatting can help maintain a sense of social connection.

Depending on your needs, choose the most suitable type of communication for your team.

• Email – for quick communication. You can replace most email communications with a project management system.
• Skype or Google chat is great for quickly exchanging instant messages and creating a group chat.
• Phone calls or video chats – Some types of communication should only be handled over the phone. Any type of emotional issue, such as performance issues, should be handled over the phone. Video chat will be even better because it will give you more visual cues about what's going on with the other person.
• Making a Short Video – It's very easy to create a video of yourself on Youtube using a webcam, or using screen capture tools like Jing.

Tip 4: Use tools for quick video or visual communication.

When you and your coworker are not in the same room, how can you explain something visually on a computer screen? YouTube videos or a screen capture tool (like Jing) are great solutions. Take a desktop screenshot and add arrows, shortcuts and notes using Jing, or quickly create a video of your desktop screen and share it with other team members via YouTube.

Tip 5: Use screen sharing tools.

There are tools that will give you visual access to your desktop so that another person can see exactly what you are doing. Some of these tools even allow people to control another computer remotely. Many of these tools are free for use in small groups. These include TeamViewer and Join.me. Skype also has screen sharing capabilities, but without the ability to remotely control another computer.

Tip 6: Collaborate on documents and spreadsheets.

If you have a document that is edited by many people, Google Drive is the best option. If you have a document that just needs to be shared and won't be edited at the same time, then you can place it (such as an Excel file) in a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder. Many project management platforms also have file sharing and collaboration features, so this is another alternative for document collaboration.

Tip 7: Set up and operate a project management system.

For smaller teams, you could try to handle everything via email. But this is fraught. Project management systems are useful because they help you organize documents and conversations into projects, which makes it easier to refer back to them later. Such programs also help in organizing and storing shared files. If you run your business solely from email, it can quickly become unmanageable and a mess.

Productivity

Without systems, your business could fail. Without an established system and processes, office work can be compensated to some extent simply by personal interaction and communication. Managing remote employees means that each person can be in their own world. They may develop their own processes and procedures that may not be consistent with how others operate. It's best to have a documented, standardized way of working that is continually improved.

For example, in our business, developers follow a specific process for proposal, construction, testing and documentation.

Tip 9: Allow some degree of flexible work hours, but also maintain some consistency.

People working from home rightly want flexibility in their working hours. And, in fact, it's important to have some degree of flexibility. On the other hand, if things get completely disorganized, it will be difficult to get a window where all team members are online to communicate at the same time.

Virtual team or not, you should try to measure its performance. What are the key success indicators for each task? We recommend setting these metrics so that you can easily and quickly understand (in a couple of weeks, not in 6 months) whether each member of your team is productive.

Tip 11: Time tracking, attendance and other key performance indicators.

If you pay based on hours worked, then naturally you should track how many hours each person works and keep a clear record of time.

In an office environment, you can see who is at work even if you don't track attendance. When managing remote employees, it can be difficult to understand exactly what is going on, for how long, and what each employee has been working on. There is a minority of people who are motivated enough to not need to track their attendance closely. That being said, most require a certain level of discipline, especially when working from home.

We created Time Doctor not only to process these same indicators, but also to track visited sites, applications, inefficiently used time, time worked and control of time allocated for breaks. Our time tracking system can show you, for example, whether a member of your team is working or just chatting with friends on Facebook.

Tip 12: Organize a time synchronization system for communication in different time zones.

If your team members work in different time zones, make sure you have a period of synchronized time when all your team members work. Hold virtual meetings during this time.

Tip 13: Do a quarterly review to see how your virtual team members are doing.

One of the challenges in managing remote employees is that people can feel lonely and isolated. Not everyone copes well with this style of work. Most people don't have this problem and love the freedom that comes with working from home, but it's important that you can check in on their work from time to time to make sure they're succeeding.

Hiring

Tip 14: Test new employees on a short-term basis before hiring them full-time.

You don't have to hire someone full-time right away. You can try working with him on a small project, and upon completion, if, of course, both are satisfied, switch to full working mode. At the same time, the transition to full-time work is very important, because on a part-time basis or on a temporary project, the employee’s attention will be divided. It is possible that he will not be available at the most needed time. In my experience, remote workers who work part-time eventually stop working altogether. People who work full-time rely on your company for their livelihood and are more likely to stick with you for a long period.

Tip 15: Pay your virtual team well.

Many people want to work remotely, and many professionals are willing to get paid less for the opportunity to work from home. While it's true that you can find people willing to work for less money, if you pay your employees well, you'll be guaranteed that your team will do a great job and stay with you for the long haul.

Tip 16: Look for employees who are suitable for remote work.

Take a look at their home environment. Do they have a quiet and peaceful place to work? Are their children distracting them at home? On the other hand, do they live alone and how likely is daily distraction by friends? Distractions and isolation can become a problem, so it's important to make sure your team is both happy and productive when working from home.

Tip 17: Create a standard training process for new employees.

If you hire remote employees, then they will be deprived of the opportunity to learn from your example - as they are used to in a regular office. So when hiring, make sure you have a training program (we recommend video lessons) that will familiarize new hires with your company and how day-to-day processes are conducted. Do as much as you can to help employees adapt and play an integral role in your company.

Remote workers may miss the feeling of company culture. It is difficult to create and maintain culture through the writing of words. It's much better to create a video and use a video conferencing service like Google Hangouts. It is also useful to record conferences for future employees. Use video as a way to inspire your team and reinforce core concepts about company culture (like your vision and mission).

Time Doctor team meeting in Bohol, Philippines.

It's difficult to develop true friendships while managing employees remotely. Meet in person, about 4 times a year or whenever possible. This is the best method to strengthen the company's internal connections.

Don’t forget – your remote team is real people who, like everyone else, need communication. Employees can connect and interact outside of work, but it's also great if those needs can be met while working virtually. In my experience, this is especially important in positions that do not have a lot of communication, such as some software developers.

Working remotely may require extra effort to maintain a sense of commitment to your team. Employees need to know that they not only contribute to their team's goal, but that they are also valuable to the company's success. Some ways to help achieve this:

• Create and maintain non-work related communication.
• Share the vision of the company's future.
• Keep the team informed about how things are going in the company. People want to know what's going on in all areas of the company and what they contribute to the big picture.
• Involve the entire team in important events and projects.
• For birthdays and special occasions, send meaningful gifts.

Do everything to make people feel not like individual workers, but truly part of your team and company. It's worth it.

SPECIALIZATION: Administration, General Management, Human Resources FORMAT: Open

Purpose of the training:
Participants obtain knowledge and skills in remote control of subordinate employees.

The training is intended for managers at different levels whose competencies include communications and management of employees located outside the office and/or at a considerable distance.

Work format:

The active learning mode includes the analysis of practical cases in group and individual exercises with theoretical information blocks. During the training, practical recommendations are developed, participants are tested and experience is exchanged within the group.

Author and presenter - Zakablutskaya Elena Anatolyevna :
Business trainer, management consultant, executive coach.

Specialization: management skills, negotiations, sales and customer service, personal effectiveness, HR technologies.

PROGRAM

1. Introduction
   • The influence of employees on the company's performance
   • Manager's functions
   • Leadership styles
   • Principles of remote management: planning, motivation, control, delegation
2. Features of working at a distance
   • Who can work remotely: employee competency profile for remote work
   • Features of searching for remote employees, discussion of conditions
   • Criteria for the effectiveness of employees working at a distance
   • Features of labor relations at a distance
3. Setting goals and planning employee activities remotely
   • Why is it so important to set goals for employees?
   • Rules for remote goal setting. SMART as a tool for effective management
   • Setting priorities for employees. Defining outcome criteria
   • Resource planning. Finance, marketing, events, product line management
   • Personal Performance Plan (PIP): Application Conditions and Threats
   • Basic mistakes in goal setting and planning
4. Monitoring employee activities remotely
   • Types of control
   • Frequency of control. Features of remote control
   • Control of income and expenses
   • Manager visits: technique, mistakes, areas of use
   • Feedback on the results of employee performance monitoring
5. Feedback
   • Feedback as a management tool
   • Time and place of feedback to the employee
   • Algorithm for effective feedback to an employee
   • Feedback errors
6. Communication with employees at a distance
   • The importance of communicating with employees at a distance
   • Types of communications and features of use
   • Mistakes in communication with employees at a distance
   • Laws of remote communications. Fading effect, the “damaged phone” principle, message hoax
   • Tele- and videoconferencing technology
7. Working with documents and email
   • Goals and objectives of generating documents and emails
   • Writing a letter as a time management tool
   • Assigning recipients of letters and documents. Logistics information
   • Replying to employee emails
8. Delegation, or is it easier to do everything yourself...
   • Principles of delegation
   • Indicators of under-delegation
   • Myths about delegation. Delegation errors
   • Delegation techniques and performance assessment
9. Motivating employees at a distance
   • Employee motivational field
   • Correlation between company goals and employee goals: searching for a common denominator
   • Manager representing the company in front of an employee
   • Ways to manage employee motivation from a distance. Demotivating factors
   • Signs of professional burnout. Ways to deal with burnout
   • Doing nothing as a tool to increase motivation
10. Results of the training
    • Formation of a plan for further work and individual development of participants

How to effectively manage a team remotely? Our new unique course “Remote Personnel Management” is about this! It is recommended for business owners, managers of remote offices and branches, and employees working in home offices.

Today, working remotely is becoming more common. It has many advantages for both staff and managers. This includes the absence of office rent, savings on workplace equipment, and the ability to avoid wasting time on the road in traffic jams. However, any manager is concerned with the question: how to effectively manage a remote team, set tasks for them and achieve their goals?

During the training, you will learn how to search for ideal candidates for remote work and control their working hours. How to conduct interviews on Skype? How to properly plan remote work? Avoid problems and avoid falling into the trap of ineffective communications?

You will systematize your knowledge about remote control and translate it into practical skills. Get recommendations from an experienced coach about whether you are doing everything right now and whether you need to “work on mistakes” in remote management. You will study the strategy and tactics of remote management, learn ways to motivate staff and control methods.

The main emphasis during the training is on practice and solving real problems faced by the leader of a remote team. Classes are conducted in a mode of intensive interaction between the trainer and participants. Methods of working in groups, brainstorming, and visual materials are used.

After completing the training, you will become an effective remote manager and will be able to make your business even more successful!

Small businesses and startups often have to resort to the services of remote employees, which greatly reduces the cost of doing business. Especially often, designers, accountants and support staff are hired remotely. Many general human resource management principles apply to successfully coordinating such employees. At the same time, in order to make the work of this kind of team as effective as possible, in addition to traditional management methods, it is necessary to use new strategies, as well as modern digital tools. In this article, we'll share a few tips for managing a remote team.

Make consistent communications your #1 priority.

To be successful with a remote team, you need to make your employees feel as engaged as possible. When they are not in your sight, this is not an easy task. The key to solving it is constant communication, thanks to which each employee will feel like part of a cohesive team.

1. Daily meetings will help employees feel like you're really interested in how their work is going and show that you support them.
2. Weekly feedback is equally important. Especially if you give it not in the form of strict and formal meetings, but in the format of online meetings, during which you together sum up the results of the week, discuss tasks and ideas for the next week, and also praise your employees for their current work.
3. Quarterly reviews also contribute to strengthening the remote team. During them, you can analyze current performance and outline further development plans.

Choose the optimal digital tools

It doesn’t matter whether you have a large company or a startup, you will benefit from using modern technologies and services. To work effectively, you will need services for setting and tracking tasks, collaborating on projects and discussing them, sharing and editing documents.

1. To discuss projects, you can use group chats in Slack, Telegram, Whatsapp as a corporate communication channel.
2. Google services such as Drive, Hangouts and Google Meet are suitable for collaborating with documents, planning meetings and video calls.
3. To manage remote team tasks, we recommend using
4. For joint discussion of projects online, there are tools such as Join.me, GoToMeeting.

Spare no resources on personal meetings

When working with a remote team, it is very important to make time for face-to-face meetings. Hold offline events in which all your employees will participate. This will help unite the existing team more effectively.

Clearly assign roles and responsibilities

When you clearly define roles in the team and define the sequence of work, there will be much less misunderstanding, and your employees will be able to properly plan their working time and prioritize their tasks. Most people who successfully work remotely are self-organized and disciplined. But even the most confident and organized employees can feel anxious if their roles and responsibilities are unclear. Therefore, before starting work with each new remote employee, indicate what expectations and requirements you have for him. Be sure to provide him with the following information in a timely manner:

• Clear formulation of tasks and weekly follow-up, contacts of team members who can help
• Where are tasks recorded and what is an indicator of the effectiveness of their implementation?
• Monthly/quarterly plan to follow
• Contacts of the company's internal support service (or a competent person) to resolve questions and any remote problems, as well as a superior person who can always be contacted
• Employee information sheet: positions and contact information (email, phone numbers, social networks, etc.)

Clearly demonstrate their contribution to the company's development

Now is not the time when people stay with the same company for decades. Therefore, it is important to motivate employees to develop in a particular company and clearly show how they contribute to its growth. When people feel involved in the company's success, their work continues to be productive and effective over a longer period of time.

The main advice for managing a team is to know each employee well and perceive him as an individual, because there is not a single team that consists of the same people. Use the best tools available to stay connected, be clear about expectations and roles, and remember to support and guide employees. Then your remote team will become a truly valuable asset.

Many managers, due to the geography of our country, manage employees who are geographically remote from the head office and are located in other cities. In addition, in matrix companies there is often double or “dotted” subordination, and there are also a large number of cross-projects in which employees from different cities, countries and even continents are involved. In this case, the manager does not have access to the main instrument of influence - personal communication, face-to-face communication. In order to achieve high results from employees remotely, we recommend taking a seminar.

Duration: 18 academic / 12 CPD hours (2 days)

The seminar can also be held in a corporate format, and the seminar program can be changed or supplemented at the request of the customer.

Why PwC Academy

• Unique materials developed by PwC experts
• Clear structure and accessible, engaging form of presentation
• Consolidating the acquired knowledge with the help of practical tasks, games, business cases, videos
• Creating an atmosphere of interest in classes, involving participants in discussions

Certificates

At the end of the seminar, participants are given a Certificate of participation in the seminar "Managing remote teams" at PricewaterhouseCoopers, as well as, if necessary, a certificate confirming the number of CPD hours.

Main topics of the training

• Features of working with a remote team. How far away are remote employees? Spontaneous communication curve. Specifics of the role of a manager managing employees remotely.
• Factors of team effectiveness according to the Drexler-Sibbett model (Mission, Trust, Goals, Commitment, Implementation, Synergy, Renewal).
• Creating an atmosphere of trust in a virtual team.
• Main channels of remote communications. Selecting technology for remote communication: video conferencing, Skype, webinar, teleconference, chat, forum, online boards, trackers, and other technologies for managing remote employees.
• 3 dilemmas of remote interaction between manager and employee:
• loyalty to the central office and loyalty to local colleagues
• control and independence;
• global or local approach;
• Features of remote implementation of basic management functions: setting and discussing tasks, control, feedback, motivation, employee development.
• Planning, setting and discussing tasks with remote employees.
• Remote control over employees. The importance of monitoring the understanding of the task and one’s own responsibility.
• Methods and techniques of current monitoring in a remote format.
• Review of technical tools used to monitor the work of remote employees. Adjusting the balance of trust and control.
• Feedback methods that are effective when working remotely. Features of providing developmental feedback at a distance.
• Motivation of remote employees. Review of the main theories of motivation and their application to remote interaction.
• Features of selecting remote employees. Necessary competencies for an effective remote employee.
• Advantages and disadvantages of conducting interviews in three formats: telephone, Skype, face-to-face meeting.
• Promoting the development of remote employees. Basic principles of developmental leadership. Model 70-20-10 and its use when working with remote employees. Search for developmental actions in daily work.
• What to do when formal authority is not enough? Principles of organizational influence. Creating a map of the parties involved and managing relationships with them.

Schedule and cost