In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic with lockdowns in force, technology companies quickly adopted remote working policies. Somewhat surprisingly, most organizations maintained or improved their productivity levels after this shift to working from home (WFH). Still, a few employees suffered from WFH fatigue in this new environment with telecommuting becoming a de facto standard.
After nearly two years, successfully managing a remote staff requires a deft approach from the modern technology manager. So leverage these tips for keeping your remote employees inspired, engaged, and productive from their home office. Use the insights within to ensure your company’s projects don’t fall behind schedule.
Regular and consistent communication with remote employees keeps them connected to their managers and coworkers. Of course, if your company follows Agile or one of its variants, virtual standup meetings remain a regular occurrence. Even so, check in with each remote worker beyond project meetings to ask about their mood and well-being. This proactive approach becomes essential when managing a group of technology professionals working from home.
Recent studies note that the average workday lasts one more hour after the pandemic. While this might contribute to increased productivity from remote staff, it’s not always good for their morale. Because of this situation, provide the option for your employees to work a flexible schedule. Proactive project management allows for asynchronous collaboration, so everyone doesn’t have to work the same schedule.
At the same time, encourage your telecommuting employees to use all their vacation days and PTO. Regular mental breaks play an important role in preventing disengagement among both remote and onsite workers. Also pay close attention to any signs of mental burnout. Doing so with your remote teams highlights the importance of holding personal one-on-one meetings with each worker.
Ultimately, managing remote employees requires a different approach compared to leading onsite teams. Make sure your management group receives training aimed at the successful management of telecommuters. It looks like WFH is here to stay. So businesses taking a proactive approach to remote management effectively enjoy an advantage over their competition.
If your business needs talented technology professionals, connect with the team at Developers.Net. As one of the top technical staffing agencies in the country, we provide the exceptional candidates to help your success. Schedule a meeting with us to discuss your hiring plans for now and in the future.