Miami, Florida, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As work from home arrangements become the norm for workplaces around the globe, employers and their workers alike are slowly adjusting to the different strategies that can help them stay productive even as they work outside of the office. Nicholas Beugg has been running an international company with remote workers, including engineers and technicians for years. He has managed to keep his virtual teams working effectively together despite being separated by distance. Beugg gives his insights to MarketNow on how to keep remote teams productive, incentivized, and engaged, especially for managers and company leaders who want a successful transition to virtual work.
A culture of accountability
A culture of accountability can make or break any company especially one with remote workers. The distance can lead managers to want to micromanage each worker but this can be counterproductive and can lead to wasted manpower. Lack of accountability can be destructive as well since workers cannot be left to meet their own deadlines and work whenever they like. To achieve the right balance, Nicholas recommends using apps and programs that can help employees keep track of their productivity and deliver on time. For example, time-tracking programs can be used by employees to log on and off work. The same apps can be used by managers to see how long an employee has worked. Apps like Trello allow teams to layout ideas onto a digital whiteboard, track progress in real-time, and allow team members to see how projects are progressing, which can help boost productivity while maintaining accountability.
Teamwork and camaraderie
Fostering an atmosphere of teamwork and camaraderie can be useful in keeping team members engaged and committed to the work. Encouraging good relationships, fostering camaraderie can also help maintain stability and accountability. Nicholas Beugg's company has done this by taking teams out on yearly get-togethers, where team members can enjoy each other's company outside of work and get to know each other better. Beugg explains that activities like these help provide a sense of belonging to a family, which in turn helps develop a sense of commitment to the team and its work. While this can be difficult to do in person at this time, managers and team leads can do the next best thing and set times for virtual team building activities. Virtual get-togethers and online socials can serve as places where employees can get to know each other and engage in settings that do not involve work.
Performance Rewards, Monetary or Otherwise
Nicholas Beugg also emphasizes the need to let employees know that the work they do is appreciated. His company does this by giving employees generous year-end bonuses. According to Beugg, they give employees up to what they make in November as year-end bonuses. They also give bonuses to new team members. This is one way for the company shows its appreciation which can help build a stronger sense of being an essential and appreciated part of a team. Can't give out financial bonuses just yet? There are other perks and benefits that can be handed out to team members who show exceptional performance. Rewards and recognition, even those with no monetary value can go a long way towards creating a motivated and engaged virtual workforce.
Flexibility
The success of any remote team also lies in its flexibility. Remote work is new for many teams and companies and these changes take time to get used to. Companies and teams will go through many stages of trial and error to see what system works best for the specific needs of the team. Team leaders should not be afraid to use innovation, utilize employee ideas, and be willing to ditch the usual way of doing things if this means keeping remote employees productive and accountable.
Communication
Team managers and leaders can maintain a feeling of connectedness within the organization by taking the time to communicate with individual members of the team. They can reach out, encourage employees to talk about challenges, and maintain open communication lines to ensure that employees separated by distance can still maintain the right level of virtual affinity that promotes productive, quality results at work.
There are various challenges to remote work, from reduced accountability to a lack of team cohesiveness. However, managers and team leads can get creative in fostering team relationships that promote accountability and commitment for a smoother transition to remote, virtual teamwork.