How to manage a virtual employee?

Technology has really simplified the way global teams work. As networking technologies improve and real estate prices rise, more and more companies are finding it more cost effective to have a virtual workforce comprised of work from home employees. The key is to make a virtual employee work as effectively as they would from an actual office, even if their boss isn’t physically present.

Know your team

The first part to managing a virtual team is to hire the right people for the job. If you are looking for a part time employee, you need to specifically focus on hiring work from home seekers. Take a look at as many part time resumes as you can before you make your final selection. Remember, the right part time employee is one who can manage their work and life balance effectively so as not to let their job suffer. The right part time resume would list out experience of working effectively with virtual teams in the past or remote clients.

Set the right expectations

Let your part time employees know that even though they are working remotely, they still need to meet SLAs and stay connected during their working hours. Keep recognizing and rewarding part time employees for a job well done so that you are meeting their expectations fairly as well.

Stay approachable

A work from home employee shouldn’t feel cut off from their employer. Keep all possible communication channels open: email, office communicator, mobile phone. Respond promptly to messages from work from home employees and if they’re seeking help, lend them the support they require.

Stay connected

Keep your work from home employees engaged with each other as much as possible by way of regular meetings. Try to have in-office meetings at common locations at least once a year. A virtual employee who is otherwise working alone out of a home office tends to value these rare interactions with their team mates and it’s a great way for teams to bond.

Become chatty

No man, or woman, can live as an island! Informal chatter is what helps us connect to others socially; take a break from talking shop and indulge in small talk during the first five minutes of a meeting. This helps to break the ice and also helps a work from home employee to connect with their colleagues on a personal level.

Be understanding of other cultures

When managing outsourced employees, it’s easy to forget that not everyone speaks the same language – even if that language is English! Take care when using the right salutations for the virtual employee that you are addressing, take note of local customs and make your work from home employee know that they are in an inclusive environment.

Measure productivity

If you’re feeling like you aren’t managing your outsourced employees effectively, invest in a CRM software that allows you to track employee hours and work outcomes. Free open source CRM is available that can be further customized or used as custom CRM easily to manage your customers and employees. What is CRM? Refer to my previous articles to know more!

Use collaborative technologies effectively

It helps work from home seekers if they can see each other face to face during meetings. Enable and encourage webcam use during conference calls and desktop sharing. Studies show that work from home job seekers are happier and more productive when they are engaged as part of their larger team.

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