Pandemic or not, letting your employees work remotely has its advantages. Employees who would instead finish their work at home or prefer the hybrid model could do with your support. It’s no easy feat to manage an entire or part of your team through virtual means. Even seasoned managers could face trouble with Zoom fatigue.
Let’s see how you can make it easy for your employees and be a better boss to them.
How to be good to a remote team
Take advantage of asynchronous communication.
Not every minor issue requires you to get on a Zoom or a voice call. Leaving messages, emails, and notes on shared workspaces is enough when the work asks for it. On the other hand, long meetings over video calls can be tiring, especially when your employee has to stare at the screen for the time.
When you leave a note, they know what they have to do and get it done on their time. However, if they need to discuss an issue, they will call you.
At the same time, you need to respect your employee’s time as they do yours. So unless it’s a project first system, if your employees have definite login and logout hours, you shouldn’t contact them outside of it.
Put emphasis on results
It’s not fair to judge employees by the amount of time they spend in the office rather than the amount of work. This is more so the case for remote employees. So you have to believe they are doing their share of work, even if you can’t see them.
Your office employees are working in front of you, which could make you feel like they’re doing more than your remote employees. Establish proper evaluation methods that prioritize results over time.
Find mentors for new member
Remote onboarding can be challenging. The new member has never personally met you or anyone else on the team. To make them feel like a part of it, assign a mentor to them. A mentor is a senior team member who can show the new member the ropes and address their questions and fears.
Plan in-person retreats
Remote employees don’t mean you never see them. On the contrary, the same way office employees gather for events and vacations, they extend the invitation to remote employees. It’s a chance for you to get to know them, learn about their expectations from the company, and bond with their teammates.
Set a goal for your meetings
Zoom meetings can be fun and productive if you stick to your agenda. Have a clear plan on why you’re calling the meeting and what kind of update you want from the time. Don’t let it go on for longer than an hour if it’s a brainstorming session.
Don’t jump into the day’s agenda when you do zoom meetings. Instead, take 10 minutes to enquire after your employees, talk about silly things, and get live updates. It gives everyone the time to gather their wits and prepare for the meeting.
Final Thoughts
The best person to tell you how to be a better boss to them is your employees. Ask them for feedback on how you can help them in remote mode and make it anonymous. If they have to reveal their identity, they might not be truthful for fear of repercussions. You can find employees for your remote work at BCJobs.
About the Author
Simon Chou is the Vice President of Operations and Growth at BCjobs.ca. Over the course of his career, he carved a niche in brand development, marketing strategy, and online presence for startups. Prior to joining BCJobs.ca, Simon was an advisor for several global blockchain projects including Litecoin, NEM, and Ripple. In the past, he also worked with Fortune 500 companies in the healthcare space through SM Digital—a global marketing agency.
