Managers already have a tough job. And when you add having to do everything virtually to the mix, that job only gets harder. Companies around the world have switched to a remote workplace due to the global pandemic, and a lot of old management techniques just don’t work from afar. Instead of trying to run your day-to-day per usual, taking the steps to adjust to the change is crucial.
It wasn’t just your routine that shifted overnight with little time to think things through. It was your employees’ lives, too. These helpful tips won’t just make your life easier—they’ll make their remote experience better, too.
Use These Tips to Make Employees’ Remote Experience Better
1. Maintain a Strong Sense of Community
When no one sees each other face-to-face anymore, that strong sense of community your team once had can easily be lost. To ensure the physical distance between you and your employees doesn’t lead to a distance at work, make an effort to set up virtual events that bring people together. You can do team-building activities—like attending one of Intuition’s virtual comedy shows, live music events, or fitness classes—or even have an upbeat Zoom happy hour.
2. Do Daily Check-Ins
Along with bonding activities for your team, make sure you’re also doing daily or weekly check-ins with each employee, too. That way if they have any questions or concerns, they won’t get stressed—they can address it with you directly in a timely manner. It also gives you the opportunity to check in on how they’re feeling overall. This is a stressful time, and showing you care goes a long way.
3. Make Your Expectations Clear
Working from home can be an interesting change, both for managers and their employees. To make sure you’re both happy, set clear expectations right away about what you need from them. That way, they know exactly what they should accomplish on a day-to-day basis and won’t overdo it, experience burnout, or be unsatisfied from not doing enough.
4. Enforce Work-Life Balance
Speaking of burnout, it’s really easy to work extra-long hours when you’re working from home since the line between work and life becomes blurred. While great managers have expectations for their employees, they also know no one’s going to be able to do their best work when they’re constantly working. If you make it clear to your team that you don’t want or expect them to work after hours—no emails, no nothing—they’ll feel comfortable taking that time to themselves. By doing so, they’ll be even more recharged and ready to take on the day.
5. Recognize Your Team’s Achievements
When you’re a remote worker, you don’t often get recognized for your achievements the same way you would if you were in an office. Be the type of manager who takes the time to recognize employees’ achievements, both big and small, and you’ll have a team that’s happier, works harder, and feels more confident in what they’re doing every day. It’s the little things that count, and this one makes an especially big impact.
