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?
Not at all. Everybody should balance his needs with that of the company and act accordingly. As we don’t have working hours, people are not…
We only have our daily team call. We have no policies about communication. We do have an emergency channel for customers, but it’s only needed…
![Simple [A]](https://remoteco.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Logo_Eggplant-100x100.png){kind=logo}
We have general guidelines for communication and signaling within our distributed team, but we anchor a lot of communication around daily and weekly synchronous rhythms,…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
Twice a year we organize a team work retreat. We just returned from a week in Lake Tahoe, CA. Our retreats aren’t really “vacations for…
Socializing and team building is important when we all get together. It isn’t all about productivity and getting work done (which we do throughout the…
For a remote team, the main focus is actually just to spend time together face-to-face, so plan everything around that. We find a yearly all-team…
Do your remote team members meet in person?
We meet in person every three or four months, except for during our busy holiday shopping season.
The full team meets together at least twice a year. There are meetups by various teams based on need and geography throughout the year.
We were meeting together about once or twice a month in person. Now we will probably shoot for about twice a year to get everyone…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
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.
We are a very metrics-oriented company. Every employee knows the company’s annual and quarterly Objectives and Key Results (ORKs) and corresponding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).…
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
Weekly calls are important, as is setting and communicating realistic and exciting goals.
Clear tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables.
Having very clear guidelines about exactly how to do the work. Documentation—especially training videos and reminder emails—are crucial.
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
The hardest part about managing a remote workforce is the propensity for terse communication. Often times, people are chatting, trying to quickly accomplish something or…
Balancing socializing in a virtual workspace with not working in a silo. When working remotely, it’s so easy to either block out everything and become…
I think communication is the hardest part. We don’t have the power to walk into someone’s office and ask for an update or motivate. However…
How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
Bitovi has three annual all-company events. We get together as a company three times per year to work together for three to five days each…
A remote workforce may need even more communication than a co-located one. We run daily challenges and promote lifelong learning through AdaptiveU, an online learning…
We have a Best Remote Office award every year, as well as many team trips and meetings that we involve our remote employees in.
What is your BYOD policy for remote workers?
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…
Canonical requires that all team members (remote or office based) use their own device. Team members have the flexibility to choose their preferred laptop or…
People can use whatever device they’d like, as long as they can use the software and apps our team is already on 🙂
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
Unlimited. Take what you need – we don’t count your sick or vacation days.
You can take off whatever days/weeks needed and as long as you have someone covering for your clients, we are fine.
We have “unlimited time off” for our salary workers. Our rule of thumb is if you’re wondering if you’re taking too much time off, then…
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
We did so much research before going remote that we were not too worried about making the change. Once we made the switch, we never…
Our biggest fear with regards to having a remote workforce was that individuals would feel left out, not engaged, or like they were missing out…
People being dishonest about the amount of time they are spending working on your project and doing things on the side. There are big brother…
Sign Up for Our Weekly Fresh Jobs Newsletter
