Managing a Team of Remote Workers
Working nine-to-five is falling out of fashion. The future of work involves more flexibility and creativity, so it’s no wonder that the way we work must change as well. Instead of strict office jobs, remote work is becoming increasingly popular.
According to a recent survey published by CNBC, at least 70% of people worldwide work remotely at least one day per week. And they like it.
The State of Remote Work Report 2018, co-created by Hubstaff, Workfrom, and Buffer, found that 90% of remote workers are satisfied with their job and plan to continue working that way.
43% of those surveyed claim that the biggest benefit of working remotely is the flexible schedule, while others cite reasons like spending time with family (15%), the ability to travel (12%), the work environment (11%), and avoiding office politics (4%).
But what about employers?
While many encourage remote work, some companies are concerned about the time their contractors or employees actually spend on the job. Others fear they can’t build a real team unless they have all the workers in the same room. Or at least in the same office.
These fears are valid, especially since remote workers themselves express their concerns about them. In the State of Remote Work Report 2018, 21% of respondents state that loneliness, as well as communication, are their biggest struggles with remote work.
Similarly, 16% say that distractions at home diminish their productivity, while 14% find it challenging to stay motivated.
To be fair, distractions are not limited to remote workers. According to Udemy’s 2018 Workplace Distraction Report, 70% of workers face distractions at their workplace every day that seriously limit their productivity.
The Pros Outweigh the Cons
Despite these concerns, remote work gains popularity and has many advantages for businesses. Access to a global pool of professionals, saving money on overhead, office space and equipment are just a few of the most important examples.
According to Dave Nevogt, CEO of the time-tracking software developer Hubstaff, “The reason we were able to build a bootstrapped software company is because we could hire the best global talent available at the rates we could afford to pay, allowing us to grow the business with the revenue.”
While the benefits are enormous, there are still many technicalities left to figure out. For example, how to recruit, train, and manage remote workers or how to pay them.
For now, most companies play it by ear and create rules as they go. Looking to other businesses for advice and best practices is a great way to learn from each other, and create a cadence for this ever-growing employee demographic.
Here’s how we do it.
Our Team at Veem
Five people, two countries, three cities. That’s our team. No two members sit in the same space, and yet we make it work.
And not just the work part.
Collaboration
We work with shared files. We create Google Docs and Spreadsheets that allow real-time cooperation on projects. No duplicate files, no lost messages, everybody sees what other team members do.
We experimented with tools like Asana and Trello to help us keep track of our projects. While these platforms can be really handy for larger teams with more diverse tasks, we found that because it’s just the five of us, we don’t really need separate tools to remind us of our duties.
This may change in the future, though. We’re open to new ideas and platforms that help keep our productivity on the rise.
Communication
Since shouting really loud doesn’t work across hundreds of miles, we decided to go for Slack. This popular workplace messaging app allows us to keep in touch with each other in real time. We can ask quick questions, have longer discussions, and even make short phone calls.
And the watercooler conversation? We’re not missing out on that either.
Slack is not the only messaging app for work. Others like Workzone, Fleep, or Fuze may be just right for other teams.
That’s all great, but do we know what our teammates look like? Of course. Every week, we have a video conference where we discuss our projects, share updates, and ask for guidance.
Just like a traditional in-office team, we sometimes get sidetracked and remark upon the game last night, a teammate’s birthday party, our team leader’s cat jumping on her shoulder, or the towering diaper boxes clearly visible behind my back.
And then, just like a regular team, we get back to work.
We use Zoom, but there are other services like Google Hangouts, Lifesize, or even Skype.
Time Tracking
While our team doesn’t use any time tracking tools, these may come in handy if business owners want to know exactly how much time a remote worker spent on a task.
With apps like Timely, Hivedesk, and Hubstaff, team leaders and business owners can keep track of performance. These are especially useful if they are paid by the hour, or the output of the work process doesn’t speak for itself.
Conclusion
We are living in turbulent times. Everything is changing around us, including the way we work.
As Amir Shalihefendic, CEO of Doist remarked, “By 2020, over half of the employees will work remotely, but we still have not figured everything out to make this work.”
Remote work is happening. What it will look like tomorrow depends largely on what we do with it today. Businesses like yours and ours have a great responsibility in laying down the rules and setting an example for the future.
