Best Practices for Managing Remote Employees

Find success with the right tools and policies. 

The alarm clock went off. I jumped out of bed, quickly got dressed for the day, grabbed my car keys and, as I was walking out the front door, suddenly realized I was no longer required to report to the office because my company had transitioned to a 100% remote workforce arrangement. I turned around, grabbed my cup of coffee, let the dogs out and began my workday — at home.

Many of us were working at a physical location when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Suddenly, we were faced with having to learn how to turn on our laptop cameras, and also learn how to quickly turn the camera off because our house cat ran across our work screen.   

Despite the challenges associated with working remotely, recent studies have shown remote work arrangements are here to stay. A study by Quantum Workforce discovered that 54% of employees would leave their place of employment for a more flexible work arrangement. Yet, companies like Tesla and Google are demanding their employees return to the office. No matter which side of the debate you’re on, this article provides a few best practices you can implement to create a successful remote work arrangement for your company and your employees.  

No. 1: Establish a Remote Work Policy

In 2021, I was offered the opportunity to work remotely to provide human resources and sales management support for an elevator services company. After working without a formal remote work policy in place for the first several months, I soon realized the need to have such a policy to provide guidance to employees. My remote workplace policy outlined the company’s expectations on the following topics:

• Eligibility and approval process for a remote work arrangement
• Work-hour requirements
• Workplace safety at home
• Dedicated home office space
• Technology requirements, including cybersecurity protocols
• Business meeting etiquette
• Customer service/dispatching protocols 
• Reporting of time worked and location 

Developing a remote work policy will keep employees productive and establish the company’s standards of performance. If you do not have a remote work policy, put one in place now!

Early on, as the company transitioned to a 100% remote work model, Microsoft Teams was a lifesaver.

No. 2: Leverage Remote Work Technology Tools 

Plenty of tools are available on the market to help remote employees stay organized and connected. There is not a “one-size-fits-all” remote workforce tool I would recommend, but I have used several with great success.   

Early on, as the company transitioned to a 100% remote work model, Microsoft Teams was a lifesaver. We utilized Teams for our daily tech check-ins, safety toolbox talks, sales huddles, performance reviews, candidate interviews and everything in between. We used Microsoft Teams to not only conduct meetings, but also motivate and engage our employees. I once hosted a virtual Jeopardy!^® game to quiz employees about the company’s core values, mission statement, safety rules and random fun facts.   

To help employees stay organized, we utilized HubSpot for marketing and Agile customer relationship management software for sales and client relationship management. We began to look at ElevatorZip and FIELDBOSS (Managing Elevator Contractor Operations and Grow, Evolve and Transform Your Business) to help manage tech repair sales and call tickets.  

Selecting the right technology tools to manage your remote workplace employees is essential to the business. When used effectively, the tools will increase employee engagement and collaboration, and create a seamless experience for the customer. 

No. 3: Encourage Employees To Take “Clarity Breaks” 

When we were all working in the office, we would walk to the breakroom or visit a co-worker’s desk to chitchat — get away from our work desk a bit. With the constant influx of text messages, emails and phone calls, employees will burn out fast. 

To help employees avoid burnout, we regularly encouraged them to take “clarity breaks.” This disconnect from the work routine can be a 15-min walk around the block, a snack break or quick exercise session. Clarity breaks should be encouraged and reenforced by the company.  

Managing remote employees can be challenging, but, with the right policies in place, technology tools and creation of a healthy work/life balance for remote employees, the company can enjoy the many benefits that come with remote work arrangements.  

Consider this:

• 61% of employees prefer being fully remote. A survey by Growmotely found that more than half of remote employees prefer working fully remote.

• 77% of remote employees reported improved productivity. The verdict is in: Remote employees tend to work longer hours and get more done. 

The remote workforce model is here to stay. Employees will be looking for companies that are offering remote work opportunities. Are you ready?