A recent report shows that almost 90 percent of full-time team members in the UAE prefer hybrid or fully remote work places. While 83 percent of companies are supportive of and logistically prepared for hybrid work, managing teammates remotely comes with unique challenges.
In fact, approximately 40 percent of remote managers have low confidence in their ability to manage their remote teams. Remote, distributed work can be a win-win for companies working hard to source and retain talent, but poor management in the remote world, much as an in-person one, can lead to disengagement, low productivity, low morale, and burnout.
Here are some thoughts on how businesses can build a supportive environment for, and manage, team members remotely, regardless of location.
Share and discuss company mission and values to align your team
Team members who believe their company has a higher purpose, other than profits, are 27 percent more likely to stay on their team. Mission alignment is especially important for millennial team members – with eight out of ten stating that working for a socially responsible employer aligned with their values is important. If your remote team members don’t have insight into your company’s mission, or their values and your company’s values don’t align, you could lose them to a competitor.
In addition to figuring out your company mission, it must be regularly communicated and shared with remote team members. Demonstrate your company’s values by living them out every day as a manager and have conversations about how your team member’s work directly impacts the company’s mission. When remote team members fully understand their role in the company and their role in achieving the company’s mission, they are going to be far more committed to the cause.
Share an easily accessible resource on your processes and expectations to boost performance
Unclear expectations are a particularly big challenge for team members new to remote working. They might not know how you expect them to perform or behave because they are used to in-person management which facilitates more time tracking. Or, they may be following ad-hoc processes because they don’t have a clear understanding of the company’s expectations of them. The result? A disorganised workflow.
Team members working remotely will be more confident in their day-to-day responsibilities, processes, and expectations if they have clear guidelines. An easily accessible document that answers questions such as communication guidelines, processes, and KPIs for their specific role, saves time and helps provide guidance for team members across roles and teams.
Create an asynchronous work process to avoid meetings across time zones
In globally distributed companies that rely on virtual meetings and real-time communication, remote team members may have to take meetings outside of their regular working hours. A sporadic meeting may be possible and welcome, but making a habit of this can disrupt team members’ work-life balance.
Asynchronous (async) working cultures, or those which don’t require real-time communication between team members, work well for teams wherein most members work remotely around the world. Over the last two years, 60 percent of remote teams have become more asynchronous.
The biggest benefit of this new working style is that remote teams can keep their work moving, even if their regular work hours don’t overlap. However, before a company transitions to async work, it’s best to create guidelines that explain the tools that employees can use to feel that they have everything they need on hand for a productive day.
Create opportunities for socialising to bond and connect
Team-building helps build trust between teams and improve team member morale. These contributions to distributed company culture can ultimately improve team member engagement, productivity, and retention. As face-to-face meetings are not an option with team members based across the world, companies can use tools like Zoom and Slack to create virtual watercooler environments simulating the same casual bonding from “home offices” across the world.
This could be gathering your immediate team for a virtual team building activity once a month, using tools like Connections by Roots to randomly pair team members for casual video calls, or requesting remote team members host a workshop once a month on a work- or non-work-related topic.
Save time by automating your workflow and recurring tasks
If your remote team is falling behind on tasks and missing project deadlines, it may be due to too many recurring tasks. In a recent study by Zapier, 30 percent of workers surveyed claimed that repetitive work is one of the biggest barriers to their productivity. Project management tools can save the company team time, energy, and resources, improving the work experience for all.
Automation of certain repetitive tasks can make team members more productive and give them the time they need to learn new skills and take on new projects. While every company will have a different need for automation, my recommendation would be to opt for one that has an easy-to-use interface so team members at all levels are comfortable using it.
Use a global voice to prioritise inclusivity in the distributed workplace
Remote teams which are globally dispersed bring together team members with varying cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. This can cause communication challenges and cultural misunderstandings, if poorly managed. Understanding how your messages resonate with different audiences and adapting copy when appropriate can help bridge some of these communication gaps and avoid misunderstandings.
Creating an inclusive workplace is easier said than done, but can lead to better decision-making in intercultural situations, more creativity, and better work performance.