Remote hiring has become quite common post-pandemic. Employees seeking the best work-life balance prefer remote jobs. They no longer have to worry about transportation expenses and lengthy journeys. In this way, they save time and money. Instead, it grants them more opportunities to be with dear ones and look after them without worries.
Things become more productive since then. It’s beneficial not only for the employees but also for the companies. It helps them hire people from diverse backgrounds and talents. It is especially ideal for businesses operating in a specific niche. Finding the right candidate gets challenging, then. Remote hiring emerges as a hope to get what you want without compromise.
However, remote operations are not free from challenges. For example, tracking the performance of remote employees is challenging. The manager struggles to analyse whether the employee completes the task within the deadline.
The company can beat this challenge by purchasing tracking software. It helps you manage and analyse each person’s productivity. You can monitor logged-in and log-off hours for clarity. Additionally, it helps you analyse the time a person spends on a task. Later, you can help him do it quickly.
The blog discusses many such challenges and solutions to managing a remote team. If you face management issues, the blog may help.
How do we solve challenges to remote team management?
Remote work runs differently from the traditional full-time workspace. However, remote teams include full-time part-time and freelancers. These individuals operate by sharing files online and conducting Zoom meetings while cherishing the freedom.
This arrangement helps save time and resources and improves employees’ productivity. However, this aspect makes it challenging to manage the team. Here are some potential challenges and solutions to remote team management:
1) Challenge #1- Inconsistent communication
Working remotely requires one to be on top of the conversation. It helps delegate and complete tasks timely. Additionally, it is critical to avoid confusion and misunderstandings regarding a task.
Open communication in remote working spaces is challenging. One does not open up quickly as they don’t know the other person dearly. Even email marketing does not help here. Moreover, one may skip the email, and tasks go pending.
Solution -:
To keep your team on the same page, utilise the best of technology. Invest in multiple interaction software like – video conferencing, whiteboard, and instant chat. It enables you to be on top of the employee’s concerns. Invest more in video meetings with your new employees. It helps you develop a better connection.
2) Challenge#2- Coordinating schedule with different time zones
Remote operations involve team members from all over the country or international states. It implies time zones may differ. It is the major challenge that companies face working remotely.
Managers face challenges in conducting meetings and breaking important news or insights on a project. One cannot ping an employee at late hours just because it’s convenient for the firm. Instead, one needs to tell such employees separately, which curbs critical time.
Solution-:
There are multiple ways to tackle this issue. One of the best ways to do so is investing in software that helps you update tasks. It should be visible to all. Google Docs and worksheets help update tasks and share among the members.
However, you can invest in Jira, which helps with project management and tracking potential issues. It helps everyone remain updated on the tasks and review progress. It may help managers to know the total tasks, time dedicated and issues. You can then communicate the issues better.
If you have a team of 200 people in the office, you must grant operational access to everyone. Jira costs£6/ person. Hence, yearly expense translates into £14,400. You may benefit from a yearly subscription. For additional cash flexibility, tap longer-term loans for bad credit scores. If you struggle to get financing due to pending dues or CCJs, the loans may help. It helps you spread the payments in affordable payments for a long time.
You can bridge or finance the software cost. Do so without delay, as a minor error in operation may lead to escalation. Jira helps you avoid it by providing the due date of task completion according to the person’s time zone. It enables complete tasks timely.
Apart from that, you can record meetings and mail briefs and instructions when you are away. Things like these help you ensure a smooth business process and coordination.
3) Challenge #3- Difficulty in trusting employees
Managers and employees must open up about the challenges or critical discussions. It helps the manager understand the concern better. Host video conferences or meet once a month. It helps you understand their working style, timeline and skills better. It will only help repose trust in employees working from home or remotely.
Alternatively, non-communication leads to further trust issues like- disruptions, confusion and negligence. You must avoid it by trusting them with the task. When your employees know you trust them, they perform better. Additionally, they are responsible for the tasks and complete them in a timely.
Solution -:
The leaders must evaluate the issues an employee has. Analyse things that restrict him from trusting the company or owners. Check the best skills they have and utilise them to deliver a task. Appreciate them for minor winnings at the workplace. Additionally, suggest ways to better up the work. It helps build trust among employees for the managing authority.
4) Challenge#4- Non-encouraging remote culture
Bet it, you, too, sometimes struggle to ensure an entertaining and encouraging remote culture. It’s thus a natural issue that the company suffers from. Remote workers share a few choices to celebrate events or know each other better. They cannot share feedback 1:1.
Thus, the operations get monotonous. It is something that discourages productivity and affects the company’s revenue. Additionally, it alienates the employees from the company and impacts their sense of belonging.
Solution -:
An encouraging and creative environment is critical to ensure lively employees. It promotes happiness in the workplace and encourages employees to talk without hesitation. Here are some ways to tackle this challenge:
· You can plan monthly get-togethers
· Host virtual self-development meetings and games evening
· Hosting online learning sessions and quizzes
· Value each team member’s effort with gifts and awards
· Host the best employee award for the month
5) Challenge#5- Employees’ personal distractions
Working from home may sometimes distract employees from working dedicatedly. For example, family, pets or children may demand continuous attention. It impacts productivity and leads to delayed submissions.
However, some employees manage these distractions well without really impacting productivity. Still, some struggle to do so. Thus, most employees seek needed assistance in this regard from the authority or manager.
Solution -:
As a leading company working remotely, you may encounter such challenges frequently. You can combat it well with creative solutions like:
· Providing flexible shift timings
· Providing childcare facilities or stipends
· Provide personalised guidance to better time management
· Conduct 1:1 twice a day to know the progress
· Call and analyse the employees’ needs and provide stipends accordingly
Bottom line
Managing remote employees presents a different set of challenges every day. It requires thoughtful strategies to overcome them peacefully. Research and analyse the best tools that may help you with easy management. Some tools help save time and improve monitoring.
It could help you track each one’s progress better and suggest improvement. Knowing the critical aspects that affect and enrich productivity helps you manage a team effectively. Accordingly, you can host training sessions and 1:1 to help employees progress comfortably.
