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…
We do not. There has not been a need in our environment.
No, yuck. Responsible people do what they know needs to be done.
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,…
I’d say that it’s important to organize the retreats with time in advance to make sure the team works smartly together (discuss ideas and works…
The biggest thing is to understand what you want to get from the trip. On some trips, we’ve focused more on team-bonding and relaxing together,…
Do your remote team members meet in person?
Yes, twice a year we pull every corporate team member together for a few days where we are inspired by guest speakers, encouraged by our…
We’re planning our first retreat now 🙂
Our Remote Team members have an opportunity each year to meet physically together once a year at a Haus. Haus is a Remote Year term…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
We use an agile development methodology that incorporates daily progress checks for the team. Also, if a developer’s velocity falls below a certain threshold, we…
We set clearly defined metrics for all of our team members every quarter. This empowers everyone to work smarter and get their work done without…
Work is seen by the team. We notice output and their work speaks for itself. We all contribute in everything we can besides our regular…
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
Trust is a key element; you have to ensure that every member of the team trusts each other to do what they have agreed to.…
Communication. Culture and values. Transparency. Authenticity.
Having very clear guidelines about exactly how to do the work. Documentation—especially training videos and reminder emails—are crucial.
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
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…
Scheduling meetings can be tricky because we cover a lot of timezones and some people may choose to work very early or very late, depending…
Creating a healthy balance between trusting our team members to manage their work time and monitoring their activity. We have team members use time management…
How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
Communication and information sharing are key. Dell has developed and actively supports an Employee Resource Group (ERG) called Conexus that champions a flexible work community…
Clear and precise communication, including town hall meetings, fireside chats, e-learning training sessions, and reward programs reinforcing performance.
Every once in awhile, we send treats to all our employees. These can include snacks, wine, team hats, and more. And we’re always sending out…
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.
Our employees get a laptop for administration work, as well as a display, keyboard, and mouse. The software developers and QA team may have different…
Everyone does BYOD, mostly because everyone has different preferences and environments that make them most effective, but we will sponsor apps at times.
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
Everyone has a set amount of days per year that they can use as they like.
We have a fairly standard PTO policy where people accrue time off for vacation and sick time. We have a high number of part-time workers…
Remote working is great because you have the luxury of not using vacation days while traveling if you don’t want to. Our policy is that…
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
We didn’t have any major fears, and fortunately, we haven’t had any major problems!
My biggest fear is that remote work becomes too lifestyle-driven where people become complacent, too comfortable and chilled out. I still want us to be…
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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