#Productivity tips for remote workers software#

The frequency of communication may differ among employees. It's crucial that managers communicate with their remote staff, Pellman said, because it keeps workers apprised of deadlines, available resources, work-related challenges and managers' expectations, including work schedules.Īlso, consider which communication tool best fits the team's culture-e-mail, texts, phone calls, video chats, an intranet channel-and find that delicate balance between constantly pinging employees with texts and e-mail and radio silence. Remember, just because you can't see them working at their cubicle doesn't mean work isn't getting done. 'This will calm your fears and give your team the structure they need to fulfill their role. 'Have your employees give you a work schedule, along with tasks they are expected to accomplish within a given time,' Civitella suggested. Apply this thinking to team resourcing, scheduling and action planning.' 'Instead of lengthy meetings, have short virtual huddles. 'What works in the office may not remotely,' Sparrow pointed out. Whether your employees choose to put in their hours in the morning or evening shouldn't matter, as long as the work gets completed and is of high quality.' 'Although a concrete plan is a must, you should be open to adjusting strategies as needed. 'When it comes to working with remote teams, the key is to allow flexible hours to maintain consistency,' said certified business leadership coach Angela Civitella.

'This helps employees maintain a healthy work/life balance,' Pellman said, 'and prevents them from burning out-which, without the physical separation between home and the office, can be more common when working from home.'

They also should model behavior around the hours employees work, such as establishing expectations around responding to any after-hours work e-mail and texts. Outline each team member's availability and ensure you can reach them when needed.'Īnd just as in the workplace, managers should keep workers up-to-date on policy and staffing changes, company successes and tips for working at home, Pellman said. 'There will be questions be accessible and provide clarity on priorities, milestones, performance goals and more. 'Providing guidelines, setting boundaries and reviewing the basics are among the most important steps to take when setting out on your project,' said Scott Bales, vice president of delivery and solution engineering at Replicon, a time management system provider based in the San Francisco Bay area. SHRM Online has collected the following 10 tips from Pellman, Sparrow and others to help managers who work with remote employees. It's not something that is often talked about, but if we are to help our teams stay healthy, happy and ultimately productive, we have to recognize and manage the high-stress environment that remote working can create for many people.' 'This new remote working environment can also affect focus, a sense of team and creativity. 'If you're used to seeing your colleagues or customers every day, feelings of isolation can creep in remarkably quickly,' Sparrow said in a news release. Managers need to be aware of how remote work may create feelings of isolation among team members. She is a business culture and remote work expert and the founder and director of The Culture Builders, a United Kingdom-based consultancy. It's not just a matter of providing remote workers with a new video communication platform and assuming it will be business as usual, said Jane Sparrow.

'The transition to remote communication removes the personal context that helps us interact with each other.'

#Productivity tips for remote workers software#

'If this is the first time that managers are in charge of managing remote employees, it can be scary to navigate and ensure employees are productive, engaged and thriving,' said Paul Pellman, CEO of Kazoo, a computer software company in Austin, Texas.