These days, almost half of the American workforce is now telecommuting. Businesses do this to reduce costs and harness the talents of people around the world. But with the pandemic, many brands had to switch to remote work. This is an attempt to keep their employees safe from the virus. With the sudden transition, what can you do to successfully manage a virtual team?
Running a remote workforce has its own set of challenges. Some businesses face communication issues with their remote team. This can cause delays and poor work quality. Others become victims of cyber attacks after taking cloud security for granted. Some are having a hard time checking if their employees are coping well with the new work setup. The following are some of the best ways to address such issues.
Track team results
According to a survey conducted by Airtasker, remote workers work more hours each month and accomplish more than office workers. But one task that proves to be challenging is tracking employee work and productivity levels. This is since managers can’t physically see their team working.
To ensure your employees can keep up in terms of quality and productivity, set up KPI metrics. Use the same criteria for your regular employees. Make sure to set clear expectations to your remote team and let them know how you track their progress.
Ensure business security
Businesses face different security risks whether their employees work in the office or remotely. But since remote teams rely on the cloud the most, they are most at risk for different cyber attacks. Think only big corporations are the target of hackers? Think again. The year 2020 has not yet ended but 28% of small businesses were already involved in data breaches.
Avoid cyber attacks by having and implementing strict compliance with company security guidelines. Invest in a reliable SIEM solution for better cloud security. Your virtual team members should only utilize corporate equipment for work-related tasks. Make sure to train employees to make them more aware of cyber threats and scams. Also, encourage everyone to use stronger passwords and multiple authentications.
Maintain consistent and effective communication at all times
One reason why many remote teams fail is due to poor communication. No organization will thrive if their managers and employees fail to communicate effectively. With remote teams, your number one priority is effective communication. This is to make sure all employees are up to date with the latest news and information at the soonest time possible. Any delay in communication can already have massive effects on your organization.
Thankfully, different business communication tools are available. Gone are the days when the only way to contact your team is through texts, calls, and emails. Now, there are apps you can take advantage of to maintain constant communication and collaboration among your members. Find out which channels work best for you and you can tick communication barriers off of your chart.
Having a remote team has its perks as well as its own unique challenges. This includes communication, security, and work and productivity tracking. Fortunately, you can use different strategies to address these challenges before these can negatively affect your brand. Keep your eyes and ears open for other possible issues and address each problem accordingly before it is too late.
