Many companies are still hesitant to integrate remote work, yet most are embracing the trend due to its benefits. As the setup becomes more common, it also presents unique challenges. This has led many managers to wonder if it’s worth letting employees work from home at all.
Managing a virtual team isn’t the same as managing people who are regularly in the same office as you. Hence, it’s entirely possible to fail in the transition. You’ll then be left with no better choice than to revert back to the traditional setting.
This mustn’t stop you from considering it for your own business though. A successful integration is within your reach too! All you have to do is avoid making the following mistakes.
What NOT to Do As a Business When Working Remotely
1. Disregarding company culture
It’s easy to hire someone talented but it’s another matter to find a great team fit. You want a person who shares your values and understands your goals as they will mesh with the rest of the team better.
Creating a culture comes naturally in a centralised office setting because regular physical exposure builds camaraderie and deepens bonds. Being remote limits that, therefore you must make a conscious effort to build it.
Consider conducting team-building activities where they learn more about each other as colleagues and determine if they are all on the same page. Tools like Zoom allow you to schedule video call events like this with only a few clicks so maximise them.
2. Neglecting communication lines
Many managers cite communication as one of the main reasons behind their hesitation to incorporate remote working. It’s all the more important to get it right but you’ll have to use several media, including chat, email, video, and so on.
Be clear when each channel must be used, however. Example: chats are for sending short updates throughout the day, voice calls are for discussing client requirements in detail, and video calls are for walking each other through tasks.
You may encounter trouble in getting everyone online at the same time. This is addressed by establishing core hours where their schedules overlap. You may hold meetings and training during this period as all are expected to be available and online.
There might be concern over workers not communicating enough as well. For this, you may include activities like leaving notes or sending email updates in your process. There’s no such thing as talking too much when the objective is to clarify aspects of the work.
3. Working as individuals
Work progresses smoothly when the team is like a well-oiled machine made up of different components that are connected to and support each other. They might be located all over the globe but they’re aware how their work affects the project as a whole.
Camaraderie is key for everyone to work well together. Since you can’t make them run into each other by the water cooler, you can instead be more lenient about them sharing funny jokes or talking about their weekends on the group chat.
If you’re able to afford it, consider setting up virtual coffee or lunch dates. Offer to pay for their beverage of choice or their meals then eat together on video. Your staff will feel less lonely after working alone for hours. They’ll feel more comfortable around each other too.
4. Underestimating burnout risk
Perhaps you think stress is a personal matter that workers should handle on their own. Change this mindset, especially as you have a virtual team. Start thinking how you can help them care for their mental, physical, and emotional health better instead.
Your remote employees spend hours working separately from the rest of the group with hardly any face-time. They may start to feel that their employer doesn’t recognise or appreciate the work they’re doing. To prove themselves, they may work longer hours to finish more tasks.
While there’s nothing wrong with an additional hour of overtime, it’s a different matter when they’re working for over 12 hours everyday. They’ll run themselves ragged before long which impacts the quality of their work and their happiness in your company.
Encourage team members to take breaks even if it means making lunch time mandatory. It’s a good idea to provide benefits like gym memberships, movie tickets, or meal coupons once a year too. People are more likely to get active, eat out, or watch a movie when it’s free.
5. Micromanaging every aspect
Establish a boundary as to how involved you will be in the daily activities of your team. Tempting as it might be to breathe down their necks to ensure they’re working as they should, control yourself. Learn to trust them to do what you hired them for.
It’s fine to ask them for an update every now and then. You may also ask them to explain in detail about what they’ve made. What you must avoid is telling them how to do their jobs step by step.
Besides, when you micromanage, you’ll only give yourself more work to do. You’ll have more things to check and more people to talk to. You’re better off using your time finding more clients, speaking at an event, or developing a new product.
6. Overlooking proper direction
Find out if your workers know what your business is trying to achieve. Determine if they have a clear understanding of your goals or if they only have shallow knowledge about it.
If they don’t, examine your onboarding process to see how you can better communicate your objectives to them before they start working for you. Hold a company-wide meeting to review your mission, vision, and values with existing staff.
You may also request that every person send in a report of what they’ve done every week. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a formal report as a short summary through chat may suffice, unless it’s necessary for you to know every detail of their day.
When everyone is aligned with what you’re hoping to accomplish, they will work with purpose and intention. Not to mention they’ll make decisions that ensures the work will continue in the right direction.
7. Hiring for onsite
Though they perform well in a normal office environment, it doesn’t translate to them being productive in a home-based setup. Some hard-working individuals are just more efficient in a cubicle. Anyway, remote working is a skill that most haven’t worked on and needs to be developed.
To tell if someone will be an effective online employee, check if they’ve worked remotely, handled a project alone, or run their own business before.
First-time virtual workers sometimes have idealised views like being able to work by the pool without any effect to their efficiency. Those with previous experience know they have to work harder not to get distracted when they want to live as a digital nomad.
Those who have completed projects by themselves are capable of managing their time and producing quality output with minimal supervision. The same is said of those who have run their own business.
How to Find Great Remote Workers
Are you convinced that you should integrate remote working in your business? If so, understand the value of choosing the right people to add to your team. Recall what to look for in an effective online employee.
If you don’t have the time or the interest to find out whether someone has worked online, completed a project, or run their own business before, Remote Workmate can help.
We provide offshore staffing to help you shift from maintaining budgets to achieving growth. We can connect you to outstanding virtual workers in the Philippines and Nicaragua to boost your output.
Set an appointment with us. Let’s discuss what your business needs.
