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?
No. We have an absence management tool so that we can manage every kind of leave request, such as vacation, parental leave, etc.
We are generally very flexible with working hours and sensitive to everyone working in different time zones. People need to collaborate on which working hours…
There are very tight guidelines for communication around classes, and we expect immediate communication if there’s any reason a teacher needs to cancel a class—we…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
No, we did try to do meet-and-greet lunches in various locations. There was little to no interest since those who work remote do this for a…
We don’t organise retreats, but we do have a ‘visit Melbourne’ subsidy where we reimburse remote workers $1,000 if they wish to visit Melbourne and…
Yes – see my blog where I wrote the definitive guide to planning an offsite.
Do your remote team members meet in person?
We try to set a regular team meet up once or twice a year. So far, in 2016, the entire team has met up four…
All of our events are optional, but yes we have a lot of in person events. We have a very active community that organizes events…
Yes, our entire team meets up once every year in the spring in a different part of the world for a week-long retreat. Past retreat…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
It’s not a perfect science; we have had situations where employees were “skating” for a month or so and we did not notice. But, eventually…
We’re an Agile organization, so self-examination is built into our workflow very naturally. We set goals, then examine and measure progress, output at regular, discrete…
As attorneys, we measure productivity through billable hours generated by the employee.
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
Being able to measure the output of your employees. Trust.
Actually having one. A relationship doesn’t mean reading standups in a Slack channel. You have to put in the work to meet regularly with each…
Creating patterns around internal communication, being intentional with scheduling connection and investing in retreats and in-person time.
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
At GitHub it’s important to us that we look after our employees. We’re not just in this for short-term productivity, we’re in this for the…
Working with the changing priorities of remote workers as the economy changes. As the economy evolves, workers prioritize new and different demands on their attention.…
Developing cultural sensitivity and acumen that allows one to manage their own style and preferences so they can connect with different people around the world.
How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
We encourage everyone to talk about what they’re doing on Slack, and to be transparent about it. For example, a developer can stay in touch…
We have different means to make sure our company members feel part of the bigger picture. Everyone is involved in quarterly meetings where we update…
Communication and information sharing are key. Dell has developed and actively supports an Employee Resource Group (ERG) called Conexus that champions a flexible work community…
What is your BYOD policy for remote workers?
Team members can use any hardware that they please. After you’ve worked with Doist for six months, you are granted a generous hardware and software…
We provide equipment to our remote employees.
If employees have a laptop or computer, we will typically ask them to use that. However, if they need a new computer, or do not…
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
Each person takes as much time off as they need, though they are expected to coordinate with other staff to make sure nothing falls through…
If tasks are getting completed to the team’s satisfaction and in a timely manner, we’re not too concerned about time off. We trust our team…
We offer unlimited vacation. I know that some companies have changed policies to minimum vacations, required vacations, or something else. As a travel company, our…
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
We very naively started all being remote, so there were no fears. Here’s a challenge that surprised me: on the same day, I had a…
My biggest fear is of course hiring someone that ends up being very unproductive, which really isn’t that big of a fear at all. We’ve…
Trust is a big fear and challenge. At the end of the day, as a business owner of a remote team, you aren’t there to…
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