As we continue to weather the COVID-19 storm, remote working is coming into its own, offering a vital means of remaining productive as a team in times of isolation.
While many people have worked from home for years, as our world becomes all the more hyper-connected, it’s likely that the remote workforce will become the norm across many industries.
Are you heading up a remote team right now? You may be concerned about the productivity levels of your staff from time to time. But, don’t worry, there are ways you can maximize your remote team’s productivity on a long-term basis.
If your team is working remotely for the long haul, keeping everyone happy, engaged, and tuned in is essential—and we’re going to tell you how to do just that.
Boost communal engagement
71% of top global decision-makers feel that employee engagement is pivotal to their company’s ongoing success.
Just because you can’t see each other in person, it doesn’t mean that you can’t bond, collaborate and communicate as a team. To successfully manage remote teams in your company, invest in building a strong sense of community among team members, so they feel connected and invested in the project. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you stay in touch and communicate; regular video calls or chat sessions can help everyone stay on track and engaged.
Focusing on your communal engagement initiatives will help everyone feel connected and engaged in their work as a result. Here are a few tips to help you with your communal engagement activities:
- Overcommunicate: Check in with your team daily with a quick group message in the morning. Schedule a weekly team call to catch up and mull over the week. In a remote working context, overcommunication is a positive thing and will actually boost long-term productivity.
- Spotlight: Hosta twice-monthly themed virtual ‘spotlight’ session where your team members take turns in giving everyone else an interesting insight into their life with a story or a show & tell.
- Educate: Arrange regularteam skill-sharing and educational workshops based on online materials and encourage everyone to work together to share new insights and tackle problem-solving tasks.
Set the right incentives
Incentives increase productivity. When you have a mix of personalities working from different geographical locations, setting individual as well as team targets with achievement incentives will encourage a team working mentality while keeping everyone focused.
Small yet frequent incentives work well as they help to maximize productivity on a sustainable basis. If everyone is focused and engaged in their work, their output will increase—here are some incentive ideas to help inspire your efforts:
- An early finish or an extra half-day of annual leave.
- Digital vouchers to redeem online.
- Buy coffee or lunch using takeout delivery apps and have food sent to your employees’ homes.
- Charitable donations to a cause of your team’s choice.
- Access to additional learning software or platforms.
Work with robust remote tools
In the digital age, a wealth of tools exist to improve performance, communication, and of course, productivity. Project management tools, for instance, will empower everyone to work toward various milestones or deadlines cohesively while sharing ideas or insights in real time.
By being able to track performance, set goals, and communicate intuitively throughout the day without the constant need for video calling, you will see your remote team’s productivity soar.
When you’re looking to invest in a remote working platform, consider your sector, your business aims, and your team’s size. Doing so will ensure you pick the right tools for the job.
Streamline your management initiatives
If your remote management processes lack direction, inefficiencies will emerge and productivity will dwindle.
By leveraging digital technology to your advantage, you will be able to streamline your most important logistical management processes and in turn, create a more cohesive, fluid, and productive working environment for your team.
In addition to tracking internal performance with the right data-driven analytics, you should also invest in reliable, robust time-tracking software. Timesheet apps help reduce admin time while automating wage calculations and offering a clear snapshot of when your employees are logged in.
If you’re able to gauge performance and track time more efficiently, you will create a solid operational foundation that will make you more effective as a remote manager—and the more effective you are, the more productive your team will be.
Remote working offers a wealth of benefits including morale-boosting flexibility, creative innovation, and increased productivity—if you put the right provisions in place. By focusing on communication, incentives, engagement, and leveraging the right tools for your team, success will be yours for the taking.
We hope these tips will help you maximize your remote team’s productivity levels long-term and for more insights, read our guide on how to stay organized when work is super busy.
