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?
The only hard routine is our Monday review call where everyone gets together for 90 minutes. As CEO I have scheduled 30 minutes of 1:1…
This varies depending on the team. But at minimum, all emails should be returned by the next business day, and chats replied to as soon…
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We have general guidelines for communication and signaling within our distributed team, but we anchor a lot of communication around daily and weekly synchronous rhythms,…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
Once a year we converge on a tropical location for our annual company retreat. (You can find a recap of our 2016 team trip here.)…
Our best teachers are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to Shanghai every year! This is the best way to allow the teachers to experience…
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…
Do your remote team members meet in person?
We organize team gatherings three times per year (when it’s safe to do so) where we all meet and work together, but also have fun…
Yes, we do, and the frequency varies between teams. Some meet quarterly, others annually. We try to bring the whole company together annually for a…
Every department is different, but for the most part, yes. The marketing team has what we call a ‘marketing summit.’ Every quarter, we get together…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
We’re an Agile organization, so self-examination is built into our workflow very naturally. We set goals, then examine and measure progress, output at regular, discrete…
We use a productivity-tracking tool called Worksmart, which helps managers and their team members assess how team members spend their time. Worksmart has a variety…
Productivity is roughly equivalent to answering two questions: 1) Am I meeting the goals I’ve set out? and 2) Am I gaining progress on key…
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
Communication is key. We are constantly emailing each other, cc’ing each other on emails to keep everyone up to date on the status of projects,…
Always assuming your coworkers have good intentions. For example, an emoji can be translated in different ways. Knowing your coworkers have good intentions, means you…
As Skillcrush continues to grow, we make it a priority to stay connected with each other and dedicate time to all of the team-building activities…
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
One of the hardest things is making sure you have a good set of managers overseeing the remote employees, and making sure they are fully…
We’ve had the most success with employees who came into the experience with a realistic understanding of the nature of the job and what it’s…
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…
How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
We are in constant communication with members of our team using online communication tools, and it’s very easy to work together and collaborate toward a…
At Goodway, we don’t treat our remote employees any differently than if they were in an office setting. They can’t be seen as exceptions or…
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?
If employees have a laptop or computer, we will typically ask them to use that. However, if they need a new computer, or do not…
We allow team members to use whichever device(s) they feel most comfortable working with. The Cheat Sheet does allocate company computers to our employees as…
We don’t have a formal BYOD/A program like some companies do, however it’s important that people can do their jobs effectively, and that means supplying…
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
We give everybody 20 paid vacation days per year (they generate 1.66 vacation days per month worked) and the local country holidays wherever they happen…
All staff members receive 20 days of paid time off per year that increases to 25 days after 3 years. Managers receive 25 days after…
Unlimited. Take what you need – we don’t count your sick or vacation days.
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
That it would be harder than it actually is. In fact, the management problems are the same regardless of location.
In regards to our independent contract remote workers, making sure they have represented themselves honestly and that their credentials are valid is a common source…
My biggest fears were around not being able to manage work output, and not having clarity into someone’s projects. For the first 6 months this…
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