Last updated on November 30th, 2020 at 05:26 pm
Employees are now used to working from home with their pajamas on and frankly so, why not! There is no harm in being comfortable as long as you are doing your work on time and are punctual on every deliverable. But it is simply not that simple. Also, does the employer really believe that the employee is sincerely working at home?
This remains an ever-impending question on the minds of employers. Unlike an office setting, a remote working environment renders the inability to keep a close check on employees. There are challenges in managing a remote team. We’re here to share solutions.
- Communication:
This is the foremost important element that gets compromised during remote working. This is because we are still using our office working style to work from home. We are working with pertinent distractions at home like family members, crying babies, unintended home chores, and cooker noises from the kitchen.
So, communication with the boss and the boss with employees is compromised. Setting up a fixed time on a regular basis is the key to ensuring communication. Use email, video con-calls, and Trello or asana to ensure not missing out on important or even regular messages.
- Building Trust:
As mentioned earlier, it is highly likely that the employer doubts the employee’s commitment to work from home. For all they know, the employee is binge-watching Money Heist. That’s the fear which is most often baseless.
Nonetheless, it is a thought often passing through their minds. So, in order to build the right amount of trust between employers and co-workers, set up a timeline of deliverables. Just like at work, there were countless sheets of scheduling tasks. This way, it is easier to track work and productivity.
- Social Interaction:
Even the most introverted employee feels a lack of interaction. We are all social animals in need of interaction. Remember those days when you’d take a short break for a small cup of tea, take it in hand and walk down and outside the office building with your co-worker? Topics could be ranging from how the client was being a pain or how the boss was mean today, or laugh about that meme on the unpredictable weather.
During remote working, you get none of that because you’re not only working from home but there’s that elephant in the room called the pandemic. The employer can arrange for bi- or tri-weekly video calls with the employees to simply chat about anything but work. Maybe this can be done without the employer depending on the comfort level of the employees.
So, these are a few solutions to the challenges of managing a remote team. While we all grapple with the fact that new world order has been set in place. Let’s take it as an adventure and embark on this novel yet tried and tested journey called remote working.
Suggested Read:
- Guide To Create Employee Training & Development Program
- Are Employees Stressed During COVID19?
- Your Heart has a Mind of its Own. What is it THINKING?
- Training the Mind to Focus – Learn Why?
- Why Should Your Organization Consider PoSH Training