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 have clear, written guidance for our team members with regard to how quickly and thoroughly they need to respond to prospective business clients and…
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…
When working, our remote workers must always be in chat and respond as soon as they are able to (not interrupt their engaged call). We…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
At our team meetings, we do organize loads of stuff, which are fun and supports team building. Most of the time we are away for…
We organize retreats and offsites about once per quarter. A couple tips: choose a great venue for your company retreat and, of course, use the…
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?
We have an annual, weeklong meeting where we all gather to work and play together. We also have occasional mini conferences, during which individual teams…
We fly our entire team out for a conference once each year. This is our opportunity to spend time together, get to know new team…
Yes. We hold regular day-long events, called MeetUps, to give our employees in different areas a chance to gather, learn about our mission, get to…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
It’s different for each department, but in most cases it really comes down to metrics and goals. We’re still a super small company, so it…
I don’t think this challenge is all that different for remote workers – someone can be onsite and unproductive just as easily as someone can…
For external staff, we conduct weekly and quarterly audits of their work. We have a 3-strike system for any instances where it is clear that…
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
Communication is key. Keep the lines of communication open at all times, whether through regular meetings or just a quick check-in via instant messaging.
Rely on the technology available. From Google Apps to Cloud offerings, explore options that will suit your company best. Set regular meetings (as long as…
Communication, communication, communication. Because we must forego some of the natural conversations and interactions that happen when a team is co-located, we emphasize clear and…
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
One of the hard parts we’re working through now is adding layers of management we didn’t have before. We’ve grown a lot over the past…
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…
Sensing everybody’s mood, level of motivation, identifying issues before they develop. With an on-site team, you get to take advantage of facial expressions, body language,…
How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
We are all very communicative. We have on-the-fly Google Hangout video calls when needed, and we have weekly meetings set up to go over project…
Clear and precise communication, including town hall meetings, fireside chats, e-learning training sessions, and reward programs reinforcing performance.
Most importantly, we have a mission that everyone believes in and is working towards. Each quarter, we set a “theme” for the company that everyone…
What is your BYOD policy for remote workers?
As a company we have internal policies that helps us to have key security measures that protects us from any liability concerns that possibly could…
We buy people computers but expect them to use their own phones and make sure they have a quiet, comfortable space in which to work…
All of our IT infrastructure is cloud based. At this point we are totally happy with anyone on the team accessing their work email, for…
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
Take whatever time you need. We’re a ROWE environment.
We have no formal vacation policy. It is important that our client’s needs are still met when a team member is away, so we make…
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We have a fairly standard PTO plan for full-time [A]gents.
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
My biggest concern is worrying about the happiness of our team members. It’s easy to tell how someone is feeling in person. Fortunately, we haven’t…
My biggest fear is having a team member that is not dedicated and pulling their own weight. This is harder to identify when not working…
We didn’t have any major fears, and fortunately, we haven’t had any major problems!
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