How Can Employers Manage Staff From A Distance?

The workplace we know today is constantly evolving and adapting to our needs. Working from anywhere, remote work, and hybrid work are all made possible because of the leaps we have made in making work more flexible for many employees. These work options have opened many doors of opportunities and growth for many employees and employers alike.

Managing staff from the physical proximity of a traditional office was straightforward; a manager or higher-up could check on a team by approaching their cubicle or workroom. The changing work landscape means we must take a different approach to managing employees.

However, if everyone works from different locations and possibly different time zones, how can a leader manage and set their team up for success?

Managing your employees even from a distance shouldn’t hinder meeting all your goals as a team. There are many ways to keep your team synergy flowing and maintain employee productivity at an all-time high, even when your team members are in different time zones. By becoming prepared for the challenges of remote work, such as building trust and social relationships, having clear communication within the team, and setting expectations and guidelines, managing teams from a distance becomes less of a challenge than most people might expect.

It’s vital to keep your mindset on track when managing your employees. Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX, shares this helpful tidbit, “Optimism is one of the biggest differentiators between managers who build successful teams and ones who don’t.” Your approach to management changes its outcome. Always lead with a positive mindset, no matter what steps you take to manage your employees wherever — or whenever — they work.

Set Work Expectations and Productivity Standards

It’s a common mistake for managers to assume that their team members instantly know what they need to do during remote or hybrid work. Work expectations are from employees’ daily tasks to their quarterly and yearly outlooks. It’s vital to set your expectations to manage your employees well. Determine each employee’s responsibilities and what you expect from them based on their role. Your employees may have different expectations and timelines depending on what they have to do. Some people may have daily objectives, while others might have to plan their work tasks in weeks or even months.

It’s essential to ensure that each employee knows their working hours and when they should be available. While it’s possible to increase employee productivity when they work overtime or weekends, it’s not healthy for them. It’s not unusual for employees to catch up on missed work during weekends or even work beyond their required hours, so ensure that your employees do their jobs. Showing initiative and drive to do more is admirable, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of their health and wellness.

In line with maintaining employee health and setting clear expectations, it would be best to review and reinforce healthy company policies on remote and hybrid work. Apply your role as the manager consistently. Ensuring everyone is on the right page can help maintain expectations at work.

Jason Kaplan, Client Services manager, quotes Harvard Business Review when he says in his post, “As leaders, it’s imperative that we take the time to learn how to show up for our employees, no matter how uncomfortable the situations they face may be for us. In order for productivity and innovation to thrive, we need to create environments where the team members we serve can thrive.”

Remote and hybrid work can be advantageous to employee productivity. However, remotely managing your team means setting productivity standards to ensure the quality of their work.

Productivity standards vary in every field and company. The practices that work with one employee could be detrimental to another. It’s critical to find the right fit for your team’s needs. As the manager, you should be able to spot trends of decreasing productivity and performance within your team and draft solutions based on each team member.

You can create team rhythm by implementing work structures. Work structures are similar to standard operating procedures and typically include well-documented, step-by-step tasks that your people can follow. Work procedures help streamline workflow by breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable chunks that teams or individuals can complete. Whether they are working remotely or in a hybrid environment, these in-place work procedures can help them navigate their workflow whenever they are.

Provide Appropriate Tools

The need for the right tools is greater than ever as remote and hybrid work setups become the norm in the new workplace landscape. Flexibility at work while still being interconnected within the team is possible with the help of essential tools.

Having all the necessary tools at hand can make managing employees from a distance easier. Physical tools such as updated and working hardware are vital to ensure streamlined and timely communication between team members. Access to the internet and digital files is also non-negotiable for remote work.

Various software, such as videoconferencing and chat applications, are vital in ensuring working communication channels. Video can be more apt for more complex meetings that thrive more with visual and auditory input. Messaging tools can be for more urgent and quick communication between team members. Project management tools can also be a great help in making collaboration easier within your team. If a company has remote employees in different time zones, it’s vital to keep in mind how to keep meetings convenient and manageable for everyone on the team. Our article on employee management trends and tools shares more information on creating a balanced remote work environment for your team.

Communicate Regularly With Your Team

Focus on communication when you are managing employees from a distance. As a manager, you must be clear on how and when your employees can reach you. Now that knocking on your office door isn’t possible, you’ll need to think creatively to ensure that communication is possible and flowing within your team.

Establish rules of engagement within your team. Specify which communication tools for specific instances such as team meetings and daily check-ins. Schedule one-on-one meetings or calls with each team member to ensure every team member is on the right page regarding their work performance and productivity. You can also discuss plans for improvement to make workflow easier.

It’s essential to create boundaries regarding office hours and personal time off. You can block out specific times when you can be available for queries and suggestions from your team. Managing your team also means listening to their needs and considering their suggestions for improvement.

Feedback is necessary to ensure proper communication. Jonathan Yabut, a motivational speaker, shares, “By the time you decide to give feedback at the end of the year, you may already be too late. The employee has been in pain too long and is ready to tender their resignation.”

Managing from a distance doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice communicating well with your team. Follow up on tasks when needed and do daily check-ins on remote employees regularly to determine their overall well-being. Employees stay engaged and motivated in their work when their company has excellent communication structures available.

Build Social Connections Within Your Team

It’s easy to feel socially isolated from work when everyone in the team works from different places. Building social connections requires significant effort but reap big rewards for your team’s success. However, it’s vital to remember that not everyone has similar modes of socialization. You may find that some employees work best with minimal social connection or even find socialization unpleasant or tiring. Finding out each employee’s preferences is another vital task when building social links within your team.

Team building opportunities are one of the manager’s responsibilities in creating a positive work environment. One easy way to coordinate team efforts is to create a shared calendar. On a shared calendar, you or anyone can check everyone’s availability and help everyone prepare for scheduled team meetings. You can start team check-ins and meetings by asking simple ice-breaker questions like asking what they did over the weekend. You could also ask your employees about their favorite hobbies, preferred beverages, or some other personal tidbit about them. Aim for successful meetings by setting up a clear plan beforehand and ensuring everyone is on the same wavelength regarding the purpose of the meeting.

Everyone involved must be aware of the point of the meeting before they show up. Some employees may feel that the meeting is unnecessary, so it can help to explain the reasons behind it before it begins. Encourage remote team members to contact each other and yourself regularly.

However, it’s also vital for you to make use of the shared calendar we mentioned earlier. A meeting solely for the purpose of building social connection may interfere with your people’s workflow, negating the benefits it might have had.

Offer encouragement and support to your team. When you or a team member is experiencing issues, brainstorm solutions from a place of empathy. Communicate with your team regularly to be updated on your employees’ difficulties. For an in-depth look at how you and your company can bolster employee morale, read our article, “Ways to Increase Employee Happiness & Productivity at Work in 2022“.

Avoid Creating a Toxic Work Environment

Leadership First shares in their post, “You need to take full responsibility for your department’s low morale or the organization’s and urgently address the situation before all the good employees leave and the toxic remains. Nothing will destroy a great employee’s morale and inspiration faster than watching their employer tolerate and reward a bad employee.”

Toxic work environments and behaviors significantly decrease a team’s productivity and morale. One of the most well-known toxic work behaviors a manager can exhibit is micromanaging.

Micromanaging, among other negative work behaviors, can make you lose sight of your goals and expectations as an employer. Micromanagement leads to burnout and breaks the trust between the employee and the employer. If you’re worried your people aren’t performing correctly, the best solution is to communicate work guidelines and expectations. Manage the work outcomes — not the people. Trying to control every moment of an employee’s life wastes their time and yours while simultaneously decreasing productivity. It also demolishes their trust in your capacity as a manager, potentially costing your company a good employee.

However, micromanaging is not the sole kind of toxic work behavior or sign of a toxic work environment. There are several signs to watch out for, such as:

A lack of enthusiasm
Decreased or nonexistent communication
Increasing employee turnover
A lack of boundaries between work and personal life

Establish a relationship of trust between yourself and your employees. Spend time with your employees and get to know their communication styles and personalities. Your employees should be able to communicate when they need additional support or advice from you. The more you understand how they work, the more you can encourage a positive work environment for your team. For more ideas on how to prevent or mitigate toxic work behaviors, read our article, “How To Handle A Toxic Work Environment & Detoxify Your Workplace”.

However, be sure that you don’t fall into the trap of creating a toxic work environment for yourself either. Just as your employees need their boundaries, trust, and effective communication, so do you. It’s critical to find the balance between caring for your employees while also ensuring that you don’t damage your health and well being.

Celebrate Professional Wins

Every success, big or small, counts in the workplace. Celebrating wins at work boosts confidence and productivity, which is even more critical in a remote or hybrid setup. Showing appreciation for your employee’s hard work by giving positive feedback on their output and providing positive criticism can help them enjoy work more.

Remember to make sure that the celebration is appropriate for the people involved. While some might enjoy a compliment or two during a team meeting, other employees may prefer a word of appreciation during one-on-one appointments.

There’s also another truth that all managers or business owners must face, and we must be realistic about it. While people do appreciate positive feedback and encouragement, many people want or even need practical, tangible benefits for their efforts. No employee can work on passion and encouragement alone, and your people will deeply appreciate bonuses or pay increases if their success warrants them. Good, hardworking employees are the lifeblood of a company, and without them, a business will sink.

If your people net your company successes, showing them tangible appreciation can go a long way toward motivating them and ensuring they stay on.

Another Perspective: Metaphorical Distance

Another thing to consider regarding effective employee management is where they work. Thus far, the tools we’ve cited are for remote working setups. However, it can help to consider an employee’s workplace as a tool, too. Rather than managing your employees from a physical distance, you can also think of “distance” as a metaphor for not having to direct your employees. It’s possible to distance yourself from your staff even in a traditional office setup if they have the appropriate tools at hand.

Working from anywhere doesn’t necessarily mean that your employees work remotely from a cafe, office, or some other non-office location. The concept behind work from anywhere is finding the places where your employees can best apply their skills and talents to maximize productivity. For some, that can mean work from home. However, a not-insignificant number of employees have expressed a desire to return to traditional office settings. After all, it’s not without its benefits. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of returning to a traditional office setting, read our article, “10 Benefits of Returning to Office”.

For employees working in a physical office, “appropriate tools” won’t necessarily be videoconferencing or distance communication technologies, although they might need these to communicate with remote workers. Instead, they’ll likely need in-office equipment and the training to match. That might mean your company will need to provide computers, subscriptions to work-specific software, or, in the interest of employee well-being, break rooms and places where your people can think or unwind between tasks. It might also include trust in the form of authorization to perform tasks independently of your supervision or access to sensitive files and information.

The question to ask regarding metaphorical distance is: “How much do I trust an employee?”. Trust is critical to effective employee management whether your people work in a physical office or a remote location. If they work remotely, can you trust them to perform their tasks? If they’re in the office, are they trustworthy enough for you to allow them to work without constantly monitoring what they’re doing?

Ultimately, managing staff from a distance hinges almost completely on trust. To conclude this article, we’d like to share the words of Brigette Hyacinth, a keynote speaker and author: “A manager’s job is to provide guidance and support. It’s facilitating a healthy environment where employees can perform at their best.” How you manage your team can influence your team’s overall performance and success. Put your best foot forward when managing employees from working from anywhere with any of these actionable methods!