How to Keep Your Company Running Smoothly When You (And Your Employees) Work Remotely
With recent statistics indicating that roughly over 16% of companies on the planet are fully remote as of 2022, it is not unusual to wonder how they manage to do it. It also turns out that a majority of today’s workers prefer working from home or remotely, thanks to the many benefits it affords them, from improved flexibility to comfort, improved mental health, and more.
As long as you’re organized enough to empower your employees and navigate the various challenges associated with remote work, it is pretty much possible to keep things running smoothly in a partially or fully remote company.
If you have (or looking to have) a team of employees that, just like you, works remotely, read on for some tips on how you can keep your company operations running smoothly.
The Benefits of Remote Working for Companies and Employees
Remote work can bring a wide range of benefits to any company, its owners, and its employees. Some of the most significant benefits include the following:
Cost-Saving:
For starters, having a remote working system can help cut back on operational costs for the company in various ways. For instance, it reduces the need for working space, meaning that you might spend less each month on rent. If you and your employers are working remotely, other costs like workplace equipment, stationery, and refreshments for staff can also significantly be reduced if not eliminated.
For employees, working from home might mean less spending on the daily commute as well as other costs like ordering lunch and snacks from urban restaurants, which can be more expensive than homemade meals. This is not to mention the costs of workplace outfits in some cases, which staff might not need that much when working from home.
Increased Morale and Productivity:
When employees are able to work in an environment that suits them, they are often more productive. This could be because they have fewer distractions or simply feel more comfortable in their own space.
Remote working can also help improve employee morale, especially if they have more control over their working hours. This often helps increase motivation and promotes work/life balance, which in turn leads to improved productivity. Needless to mention, better productivity is good for the employer, their employees, and the company at large.
Lower Rates of Absenteeism:
Employee Absenteeism is one of the biggest enemies of growth for any company. And while most people skip work due to unavoidable circumstances such as illness, a remote worker who’s in control of their working hours is more likely to do some work before the day ends compared to if they had to travel some miles away to work.
Therefore, remote employees are less likely to call in sick, unless it’s really bad; which is a big plus for the company in the long run.
You Can Travel The World:
Another incredible perk of remote work is that it doesn’t limit you to a single location or workspace. It’s always up to you to decide where to work from, whether it’s a home office, in your garden, at a local café, or even in the middle of your fun trip abroad.
As long as you have the necessary equipment, such as a laptop, internet, and collaboration tools, remote work is one of the best ways to make money while traveling. Employers too, can easily manage remote teams and keep clients in the loop on projects while exploring the world.
Challenges of Remote Work:
It can sometimes be difficult to stay focused and motivated when you are not in a traditional work setting. In some cases, it is easy to get distracted by household chores, personal errands, or other distractions.
Working remotely may also require putting in extra effort to stay organized, plus it can be easy to feel isolated and bored when not working in the company of colleagues as compared to the traditional workplace environment. In some cases, remote workers may not afford access to critical equipment and technology tools to help them perform at their best.
However, there are several things you can do as an employer to navigate these challenges and other challenges, improve productivity, and ensure the smooth running of your company’s day-to-day operations.
Remote Working Tips to Keep Your Company Running Smoothly
At this point, you’ve probably already considered setting up a remote work system for your company. You’ve probably decided which roles can be done remotely, the kind of technology required, and the types of basic equipment your remote employees will need. If that’s the case, here are a few tips to keep things running smoothly:
Define Goals and Set Clear Milestones for Remote Employees:
If you still doubt remote work, here’s a comforting statistic. Studies from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) have shown that a staggering 40% of employees clock longer hours when working from home compared to when working in a fixed office workplace.
However, the additional hours are more likely to make a significant impact if remote workers have clearly defined goals and measurable milestones. Remote employees are more likely to perform at par if the employer is crystal clear about their roles, responsibilities, and objectives.
Encourage Communication and Collaboration:
As mentioned earlier, remote work can be isolating. It can spark boredom, which can eat into your remote team’s productivity and efficiency over time. This is why it’s important to encourage your team to communicate with each other often and collaborate on projects.
Thankfully, there’s a wide range of communication and project collaboration tools to help with this. You can consider holding regular team meetings virtually with tools like Zoom, or group chat platforms like Asana, Trello, and Slack.
The right communication tool will also help ensure everyone receives important company updates and information that allows them to better execute their roles. Some of these tools can even be fine-tuned to allow informal catch-ups among employees whenever they need to kill boredom.
Make an Extra Effort to Recognize Employees for Their Contributions:
With the rise of telecommuting and the increasingly expanding gig economy, you can’t afford to let remote workers feel undervalued or unappreciated. Especially if their contributions aren’t recognized, such employees are more likely to feel taken for granted, which can ultimately leave them demoralized and demotivated enough to affect their productivity or even make them want to leave.
This is why employers and managers of remote teams should always strive to recognize impeccable performance and contributions.
A simple "thank you" email for a job well done, or a more formal recognition at an annual virtual meeting could be enough. To avoid monotony, the folks at Ablerecognition.com would recommend thinking about recognition awards where you actually send tangible gifts to your remote employees.
Taking the time to show your appreciation can go a long way toward keeping your remote team members engaged and motivated.
Schedule Regular Check-Ins with Your Remote Employees:
The last mistake you want to make when managing a remote team is to go MIA on them. It could easily create a “leadership vacuum”, which could in turn put a toll on your company’s productivity and achievement of objectives.
Whether it’s through the collaboration tools mentioned above, video conferencing, email, or phone calls, it’s good to touch base with your team regularly and make sure everyone is on the same page. While at it, it’s good to avoid making your remote workers feel as if you’re breathing down their neck remotely as too much oversight can come out as a sign of mistrust.
Create a System for Tracking Deadlines and Milestones:
Having people working for you remotely doesn’t necessarily mean leaving the fate of your company’s growth and profitability in their hands. It’s good to have a reliable way to monitor progress on various projects and keep track of the performance of your remote workers even while away on a fun vacation.
While there’s a wide range of management and productivity tracking software out there, this can be achieved using a tool as simple as a shared Google Calendar, spreadsheet, or Trello board. For what it’s worth, employees should also know when things are due and be able to easily track their progress.
Be Flexible and Understanding:
Certain issues will inevitably come up when employees are working remotely, enough to make them skip a few hours, a day, or two days of work. Whether it's a sick child, a power outage, or just a bad day, it’s good to be flexible and understanding.
This way, employees will appreciate it and be more likely to stick with your company in the long run. And whether it’s a standby employee, renegotiating deadlines with clients, or reassigning tasks, having a backup solution for when such issues occur will also help keep things running smoothly. Having a clear work-from-home policy in place can also help make things easier from your end.
More so if remote working is employed, running a successful company can involve a lot of moving parts. A lot could go wrong if you’re not organized enough with the necessary systems in place to best manage your remote workers and keep things flowing smoothly. Thankfully, the few tips above should make your job less daunting and your employees more productive.
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