It’s no surprise that working from home is reshaping the working world’s future, especially since Covid-19 keeps striking fast and hard. Working from home proved to have many benefits, and according to experts, this might be the “new normal” after Covid-19. However, to benefit from the advantages of remote working, remote efficient management is much needed. In this article, you will find some tips to help in managing employees who work from home.
Clear Expectations
As a manager, you have to set clear expectations of how and when the work must be done. For example, informing employees that an assignment should be finished quickly can be very confusing because someone’s interpretation of “quickly” might be, by the end of the day, while what was meant was in a couple of hours! You must set clear due dates, standards, and goals to avoid confusion and disappointments from both sides.
Reliable Tools
You have to maintain records and keep track of the employees’ work. Scheduling software and apps are very beneficial, as they help to handle and evaluate the staff schedule, which avoids any confusion resulting in loss of time and money. Scheduling software also keeps records of the staff shifts, time off, and various other actions.
Many platforms offer reliable tools and apps that will benefit both managers and employees. The experts behind timeforge.com showcase clear insight into how smart devices can be beneficial for every employee’s life cycle stage. The process includes hiring, onboarding, staff scheduling, timekeeping, and messages, amongst other needs.
Access to You
To increase work efficiency, avoid making employees feel distant. In the workplace, you get the chance to see the employees a lot, and they can stop by at your office anytime they need, which is not the case when they work from home. Therefore, it is crucial to give employees access to you within working hours and to respond to their inquiries and requests as soon as possible, which, in turn, will increase productivity and save time.
Outputs are More Important than Processes
Be flexible and understanding, focus on the job getting done on time, not on the process itself. Having employees finish their work in a specific way can be highly productive. Giving employees the chance to get the job done the way that best suits them while giving you the expected end result is a win-win situation.
Regular Video Conferences
Lucky us, in this day and age, technology is very advanced. However, we are not robots, and we need some sort of human interaction. Communication via texting and emails isn’t enough to develop and grow bonds between management and employees. Also, the tone in text messages and emails can be misinterpreted and might cause problems. Having regular video conferences puts a face to a name and builds a sense of familiarity.
Increase Recognition
Acknowledge the effort done by employees. Recognition doesn’t have to be of monetary value. A token of appreciation, a thank you email, or words of praise during a meeting can be more than enough to motivate employees. Recognition will not only boost the mentioned employee but also other employees will be motivated when they see and feel that good work is being recognized and praised. Bear in mind that this is much easier in office work because you get to see the employees daily, so stay updated with how things are going with every aspect to praise the right person or group.
Build a Community
It is much easier to build a strong community in an office than building it when employees are working from home. Use technology to celebrate birthdays, marriages, finishing a course, or any special day, virtually. Involve employees in each other’s happy moments, and make it fun.
Trust Your Team
Establish a supportive structure, set up work-from-home guidelines, and make sure that your staff members are not working around the clock. Moreover, it’s imperative to trust your team. It is very important to avoid micromanagement, which results in a stressful working environment. Additionally, whenever any trust issues occur, handle them immediately.
The world is changing, and working from home has many advantages for both employers and employees as it cuts costs, is a less stressful work environment, and saves time. With many people now working from home and the possibility that it is of utmost importance to have an efficient and reliable management strategy with the right tools to compete and find your place in the new world from now on, this might be the new normal.