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?
No.
Not officially, but it’s polite and helpful for us all when we respond quickly – usually 24hrs or less.
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…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
We meet once a year and vote for the location that most people want to do. So far, we’ve been to Barcelona, Bulgaria, the Philippines,…
Yes we sure do! Jungle Camps twice yearly. It is a great way to meet, work, and grow together. It is also a time when…
Yes, we do. This is critical for us. First of all, you need to have a clear agenda with what you want to achieve during the…
Do your remote team members meet in person?
We meet with our core team in person twice a year. It is somewhat of a retreat in that we work, and strategize but we…
Our home-based team members are often separated by hundreds of miles. We rely on technology to bring our people together and harness the power of…
We’re planning our first retreat now 🙂
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
Our main tool for managing work effort is Basecamp. We use that both to schedule out the work that needs to be done as well…
As a fully remote company, we’re results-oriented by necessity. We’ve identified key metrics for most of our team that allow us to see results, and…
We also define goals for each of our employees. These goals are company goals as well as their personal goals. We review these goals on…
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
It is critical to have open communication and no silos. Everyone should be able to communicate with anyone and be open to reply quickly.
Trust, trust, trust and communication, communication, communication.
Well, we only have remote workers, including me. For a 100% distributed team, I’d point to a few key resources: A flexible, instant “virtual office…
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
The biggest challenge is the “if only we were together (physically)” thought that pops into your head on those days when you want to call…
There’s arguably more overhead placed on the shoulders of leaders in a remote company. The hardest thing is to acknowledge the overhead and be really…
Sometimes remote workers just don’t have that much time for your company. They may have multiple clients, be traveling the world (you never know with…
How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
We have regular coworking sessions regionally, as well as an annual company summit where everyone gets together. Regional team meetings and a company call occur…
Keep everyone in the loop, whatever it is. Also talk to them about private things and regularly ask how they are doing! Because it is…
One of our company core values is to make meaningful relationships, and another is to own your own experience. This means everyone in the company…
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.
Everyone does BYOD, mostly because everyone has different preferences and environments that make them most effective, but we will sponsor apps at times.
SitePen provides all necessary computing equipment and software that is requested by SitePen employees.
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
We have an unlimited paid time off policy. As long as people coordinate any leave they take with their teams to make sure the schedule…
When working with a globally remote workforce, it’s important to observe local laws, regulations, and customs. We observe country specific holidays and offer a leave…
People charge daily. If they do not work, they don’t make money. It is also possible to have a lower daily rate and include 20…
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
I had no real fears of managing remote workers, but I always am cautious to ensure I communicate regularly and that my virtual door is…
There is always fear that collaboration is based on face to face contact but it turns out it is not! People can work on things…
I think my biggest fears are when we lose touch with someone. Every once in a while, someone will just “disappear” – they don’t answer…