Expert remote working - what does it look like?

There is often a perception that hiring and managing remote staff can be done in the exact same way as office-based staff.

Many organisations struggle to understand that working remotely requires a completely different setup as opposed to working in an office. It generally involves detailed process engineering, investment in suitable tech, an appropriate corporate culture, training and thorough communication. Setting up an effective and highly productive remote team can be a real challenge.

So how exactly can you ensure productivity and achieve great results in your business with remote talent? Here are our top five fundamentals to achieving the ideal remote working set up.

1. Implement efficient process management

   Ensuring you have updated internal processes is key to managing remote staff. To ensure a successful remote team you need adequate process in place. Documenting and updating your internal processes is generally the first step you’ll need to undertake before considering implementing a remote team. This will need to cover all the essentials - general day-to-day business functions, communication, reporting, and the list goes on. List out the processes critical to the operation of your business and get them mapped.

2. Ensure your tech is up to scratch

   Having the right tech in place ensures you have the ability to effectively and efficiently project manage, communicate, delegate and oversee your teams output. Critically it will also allow them to effectively do their job. Without the right tech in place, managing a remote team becomes almost impossible. Think about what tools your team need to do their job effectively and how this would work in a remote set up.

3. Analyse your corporate culture

   Corporate culture also plays a large role in managing a remote team. Ensuring your corporate culture encompasses values and certain behaviours will ensure your staff are open to new ways of working without impacting productivity and performance. It will also ensure that all your staff, whether working remotely or from the office, are all on the same page when it comes to business values and behaviours. Consider what’s important to your organisation from a culture perspective, document it, share it, lead by example and ensure your employees live the values each day they come to work.

4. Provide quality training

   When implementing a remote team, it’s crucial that you have adequate training for them to do their job effectively. It’s not uncommon for businesses to hire remote talent with expectations that the team member will come trained and ready to go. Implementing a remote element into your business requires time, training and patience, you need to invest to get the output you are hoping for. Ensuring your remote team is properly trained will ensure their standard of work is high quality and meets expectations.

5. Communicate effectively

   Working remotely means that you won’t physically see your team in an office everyday, however, this shouldn’t impact your communication. Ensuring you communicate thoroughly and effectively with your remote team is absolutely crucial. We recommend conducting regular weekly catch-ups via online communication tools (Skype or Zoom) to ensure everyone in your team is on track with deliverables. It’s worth also looking at other instant communication tools to support on quick questions and daily check ins as needed to avoid any road blocks.

What will a remote element look like in your business?

Everyone’s structure will be different - it depends on the specific operations of your business. For a successful example of a blended marketing team, check out this case study.