Small business owners and managers at larger enterprises can be tempted to micromanage remote workers. This management strategy is often not the most effective method in the office, and can be even more counterproductive when used with employees who are working remotely. Here are a few ways that management can make sure remote staff are reaching and sustaining optimal productivity.
Set Up Weekly Meetups
Scheduling weekly meetups conducted in the video conferencing and collaboration software that your organization uses is a good way to check in remote workers and keep everyone in the loop. These meetups do not have to be lengthy. Some supervisors expedite these meetings by having team members come ready to discuss deliverables.
Weekly meetups can be more productive when conducted against the backdrop of a virtual office background. There are several options in this regard, including scenes for Zoom Immersive View and virtual office backgrounds for Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Learn how to add virtual background in Teams or other video conferencing platforms.
Make Your Team Feel United
Hosting meetings every week can be an effective way to remind remote employees that they are still part of a team, division or department. Seeing the faces of their fellow team members and using a Google Meet office background can make remote feel work less impersonal.
Many organizations use collaboration software to enable employees to keep in touch through chat messages, emails or other modes of communication. Supervisors should use these features to share team updates and cultivate a sense of shared purpose. Some businesses are also experimenting with investing in productivity trackers, but surveillance-style technologies that track mouse movements and keystrokes will never be as effective as interpersonal professional motivation for achieving long-term productivity.
Incentivize Effort and Focus
A manager can rest assured that employees who are properly motivated will usually try to perform their best. Even if these skilled professionals sometimes fall behind schedule or make mistakes, with a little course correction, they can help an enterprise meet or even exceed objectives. From name recognition to remunerative bonuses, there are many ways to encourage remote workers to stay on task and meet objectives
It can be easy for anyone who is working remotely to get distracted. For one thing, few remote workers live alone. Using virtual office backgrounds is one of the best ways to eliminate distractions and keep every participant in a virtual meeting focused on the matters at hand. These backgrounds fill in a virtual office environment in place of the surroundings of each participant with the option to display a logo to encourage brand identification.
Regular check-ins are the best way for managers to stay apprised of worker performance and daily operations. Managers that check in with employees weekly are more likely to be apprised of the day-to-day obstacles and successes of team members and have a clearer sense of the contributions of each team member. This level of involvement helps to bring teams together and keeps remote team members motivated.
