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 don’t and leave it to the individual employees and project teams to determine if there is any specific cadence they want to build around communication.
We don’t place strict rules, but there’s a common understanding that everyone is usually on from the hours of 9 am to at least 6…
We do not have explicit communication norms set for our team. In terms of responding to communications, it depends on a number of factors and…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
We will be arranging at least one team retreat this year and will be meeting at several industry events.
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…
Do your remote team members meet in person?
Yes, whenever we can. Typically 3-5 times a year.
Yes, we aim for once a year meetings in person.
We do not routinely meet in person. Some of our management team has met a couple times and when I am traveling, I’ve made a…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
Depends on the roll, but in most cases it becomes very clear who is productive and who isn’t. For engineers github is key.
Weekly updates are detailed reports we receive every Friday that outline what each team member accomplished during the week and their focus for next week.…
As an organization, we hire really driven people, set clear and ambitious goals, and check in on them regularly throughout the year, both formally and…
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.
Open Communication – no blame games: The best way to overcome problems is to discuss them openly. Try to work towards a solution and avoid blaming…
Communication is key. It gets tougher when factoring in different timezones, but it’s really important to make sure team members can join meetings and reach…
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
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…
The most difficult part is helping your team stay motivated and feel part of a team when they have never met. In the office, a…
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?
Informal water-cooler style conversations about company goals and vision. People want to work for a company where they like the product, trust the management, and…
We have a monthly newsletter called Yours Virtually and the team takes turns to write in it from their perspective, and to share a little…
Our team communicates regularly on Yammer, FlowDock, GitHub, and via email. We have Google Hangouts daily, and often have company-wide updates or individual “Ask Me…
What is your BYOD policy for remote workers?
We let everyone choose their own devices, computers and operating systems, and reimburse a set amount for each employee every 3 years. We do have…
We don’t really have a formal policy. Most people use their own devices, but we make sure people have what they need. Everyone is free…
We provide a monthly stipend for these sorts of things via a prepaid debit (Pex card) and we offer to front-load it on hire if…
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
In short, “take some”. We used to not track days off, but it resulted in some people (mostly US employees) not taking enough time off.…
No specific policy. Work when you want, take time off when you need it. Coordinate with your teammates so your time off is not disruptive…
Our vacation policy is 4 weeks/year, in addition to holidays and unlimited sick days.
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
Not being able to meet some people in person means we have to rely more on references and our gut to gauge a potential hire.…
Trust is a big fear and challenge. At the end of the day, as a business owner of a remote team, you aren’t there to…
I don’t know that we had any preconceived fears in working remotely, but I think generally speaking most organizations are fearful of remote workers because…