By April 2020, almost half of employees did at least part of their job from home. 3R Strategy is a completely remote organisation, which means that every single one of our employees can work from home, abroad or even poolside during their kids swimming lessons.
We know we’re still one of the few that go all the way with remote working arrangements, however, it’s unusual now to see an organisation that doesn’t offer some sort of hybrid approach.
With more organisations embracing flexible work arrangements, we’re seeing a shift in how teams operate. Managing remote employees can be challenging, but we believe the answer lies in building trust and offering flexibility in more areas than one.
From their employee benefits packages to the objectives they set each quarter, our teams have different needs and preferences that should be considered.
Building Trust in a Remote Environment
Trust is the foundation of successful remote work. When employees feel trusted by their leaders, they’re likely to be more engaged, productive, and motivated.
To build trust, we must be transparent in our communication, set clear expectations, recognise good work, and support our team’s development. So, how do we do this in a virtual setting?
Empathy & Understanding
We need to put ourselves in our team members’ shoes. By understanding their needs, stresses, and feelings, we build stronger relationships and foster a sense of belonging.
Remote work can blur the lines between professional and personal life. However, when we show people that we trust them enough to offer flexibility to tend to challenges at home or run errands when they need to, we build that two-way relationship.
Flexible Working Hours
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all work schedules. We’ve learned that flexibility is key to remote success. By giving our team members the freedom to choose when and where they work, we show that we trust their judgment. This autonomy not only boosts productivity but also enhances work-life balance.
Treat Employees as Adults
It’s time to move away from micromanagement. It’s impossible to keep a constant eye on remote employees, so why do we try to do it?
Instead, we should focus on setting clear goals and expectations. By involving our team in decision making processes, we empower them and foster a sense of ownership. This approach shows that we trust their abilities and value their input.
Leadership Skills for Remote Management
We’ve all faced the hurdles of managing and communicating with remote teams. From dodgy Wi-Fi connections to juggling the schedule of a hybrid employee—it’s not always easy, but with strong planning and that foundation of trust in place, you can build an effective strategy.
Effective Feedback Mechanisms
Regular feedback is crucial in any setting. It allows us to address challenges, develop our skills and keep a line of communication open with team members.
We’ve found that creating a safe and transparent environment is key. Psychological safety refers to the ability to share ideas and voice concerns without the fear of retribution. Once employees feel they can do this, you’ll be having more efficient, open conversations.
We also recommend having a clear feedback structure, so everyone knows what to expect. This includes who gives feedback, how often, and what happens afterwards. It’s all about making our team feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and involving them as much as possible.
Regular Meetings
Regular catch-ups keep everyone on the same page. We’ve made video conferencing our go-to tool and managers schedule short check-ins once a week to touch base and make room for any questions or concerns.
Once a quarter we also make sure to have a more detailed catch-up with each of our team members. This gives us a chance to review objectives in depth, receive peer feedback in a more formal manner and recognise each other’s achievements.
Physically booking these into your calendar in advance makes sure you’re able to prioritise communication.
Enable Managers to Have Open Conversations
Engaging in conversations that may sometimes be difficult helps build strong, trusting relationships. However, many leaders are unprepared to do so. Pay is one commonly emotive topic that many feel uncomfortable bringing up to managers.
Offering training on how to approach these conversations and making sure managers have all the information they need to conduct them with confidence is crucial.
Whether online or in-person, embracing these conversations instead of avoiding them means you can provide clarity to team members around their pay and career, and help to retain talented people.
Find out how 3R Strategy could help you with this.
Adapting Management Styles
Embracing participative and transformational leadership styles means we’re actively seeking input from our team members and involving them in decision-making processes.
It’s all about empowering our team to take ownership of their work. This can be the perfect way to build regular, effective communication into your schedules. It develops trust, accountability and demonstrates how your team’s roles fit into the wider organisation.
It can be difficult to find purpose in a remote environment, so keeping your team involved is key.
Developing Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence means being able to recognise and manage our own emotions, as well as understanding the emotions of others. This can be really important in preventing burnout and keeping our team engaged.
Manager’s should be leading by example, so reflecting the values and ethos of your organisation through your emotions and behaviours will encourage others to do so.
Practising Active Listening
Active listening is great for building strong relationships with your remote team. We’re not just hearing words—we’re truly understanding the message. This means being empathetic with your employees and letting them take the lead in conversations.
When we’re not around each other in person every day, two-sided conversations can be lacking. Practising active listening provides your team with a platform to share how they feel and check in with you as they would if they were in the office.
Addressing Mental Health & Wellbeing
While remote work offers flexibility and can improve people’s work/life balance, it can also lead to feelings of isolation and burnout for others. Talking to someone about our wellbeing doesn’t always come naturally. So, supporting employees and encouraging them to form good habits will help prevent these negative feelings.
Work-Life Balance
We’ve noticed that without the physical separation of office and home, work can easily seep into personal time. To combat this, managers should encourage their team to set (and protect) clear boundaries.
Some organisations have introduced ‘no-meetings’ days where they can focus on the tasks at hand without risk of interruption. This can help with the feeling that they need to work late to finish tasks or start early to get ahead.
Also, respecting non-working hours is incredibly important. It’s all about creating a culture where it’s okay to switch off at the end of the day. This is where your strong relationships built on trust play a role.
Flexible Benefits Strategies
Redesigning your benefits strategy to cater to remote workers’ needs can bring better engagement and show your employees that they are valued.
At 3R Strategy, we offer unlimited annual leave. Employees can take time off whenever they want or need to—whether it be an hour during the day to attend a dentist appointment or two weeks three times a year to enjoy their holidays.
We know this won’t necessarily work for every organisation, but think about alternative benefits you could offer. Also, remember that not all benefits need to be available to every employee. Catering to different needs, generations and working styles means being innovative.
You can find some great alternative benefits providers on our Pay & Reward Academy marketplace.
Other Common Challenges
Combating Isolation & Loneliness
Some people will comment on the varying downsides to remote work. Some individuals who are typically more extroverted may find it difficult to work in a majorly independent setting. It can bring feelings of isolation.
As well as the regular catch-ups we mentioned earlier, it can be helpful to encourage ‘virtual coffee breaks’ or host in-person team events occasionally in a central location.
The 3R Strategy team meet up once a quarter to look back on business performance and our objectives, but we also use it as an opportunity to socialise with each other and do something fun.
Managing Distractions at Home
Working from home often comes with its own set of distractions. From pets and kids to household chores, it’s easy to get side-tracked.
Beyond setting up a dedicated work space during the day, alternative employee benefits can be really useful here too. Offering the likes of childcare support, homeworking allowances and senior care benefits takes the pressure off your team.
Knowing they don’t have to worry about these things while they work means they can concentrate on their work tasks and go back to home life at the end of the day.
Conclusion
Managing remote employees effectively has become a crucial skill in today’s workplace. By focusing on building trust, effective communication, and developing leadership skills, we can create a thriving remote work environment.
What’s more, providing our employees with the support and resources they need to thrive not only boosts employee engagement but leads to better results for the organisation as a whole.
The key to successful remote management lies in adapting our approach and embracing new ways of working.