Managing Remotely
140 companies answer 6 questions
Managing a remote or distributed team successfully requires good support, planning, and communication. Whether deciding if and how to get the team to meet in person or defining the line between vacation and flexible work, the management of a remote team has differences from managing traditional on-site teams. In our Managing Remotely section we ask top remote companies how they keep their teams running smoothly from thousands of miles away.
Do you have remote communication protocols for your remote workers?
We do have some weekly meetings set up, if someone is leaving his work, then he has to tell it in a channel, preferable with…
We have a Monday weekly meeting for about 45min where everyone should show up. Other than that team members are free to take time off…
We operate more like a regular office, where we are all here during EST/CST business hours. We are trusting of our team where if they…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
Here are some tips: 1) Retreats should be easily accessible (closer to the airport) 2) Consider having the whole team living under one roof through…
Yes. We find one place that can host us all. Make sure it’s not in a city, you want everyone to be huddled up together…
Yes, in-person time is important. For us, the most important part of the retreat is all of the non-work time. We plan a fun activity,…
Do your remote team members meet in person?
We were meeting together about once or twice a month in person. Now we will probably shoot for about twice a year to get everyone…
We only do one formal meeting each year, a 4-day annual retreat that tackles some operations-level work, but is mostly for play and social time.…
Yes, they meet in pods on their own, but we meet as a group at least twice a year for some bonding time and project…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
Productivity is easily measured by the output each day. Our platform provides metrics which will show the productivity of individuals and the company. We also…
Depends on the roll, but in most cases it becomes very clear who is productive and who isn’t. For engineers github is key.
Quality of work completed Customer satisfaction Ability to meet deadlines Results Feedback from the business/360 Reviews Performance Reviews Objective Setting
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
Effective communication Understanding Accommodation
First, hire people who fit the model. Not everyone is cut out to work remotely. Next, be very clear with your expectations and provide the…
I would say that the number one key success factor has been to focus on OVER communicating. Since we don’t see each other at the…
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
It is not for everyone. You have to be able to hire effectively and be quick to realize that if it is not a good…
The hardest part about managing a remote workforce is the propensity for terse communication. Often times, people are chatting, trying to quickly accomplish something or…
The toughest part about managing a remote workforce is making sure everyone feels connected to the team and culture of Appirio. We work very hard…
How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
We encourage everyone to talk about what they’re doing on Slack, and to be transparent about it. For example, a developer can stay in touch…
Our platform allows continued learning via free seminars and a robust and supportive teacher community where teachers can hone their skills with like-minded individuals.
A great remote team depends on a very strong culture to bind everyone together and make sure they don’t feel isolated and disconnected. Sometimes, that…
What is your BYOD policy for remote workers?
We have all of our team members use their own computers, but we provide all the apps necessary.
We do require our remote team to work on their own devices. Some projects involve designing or optimizing an iOS app, some an Android app,…
We provide equipment to our remote employees.
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
Aha! currently offers 15 days of paid time off to all teammates in their first year and 20 days in the following years, as well…
You can take off whatever days/weeks needed and as long as you have someone covering for your clients, we are fine.
We require 21 days notice for requested time off.
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
My biggest fear was probably that everyone was just going to goof off and not get any work done with little oversight. This has been…
Not being able to express when an issue is truly urgent. This is a problem, but it’s gotten easier the more we all work together.…
I never had any fears. We’ve been told countless times that at some point we need to get an office and have a headquarters so…
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