How do you manage a remote team ?

The use of teleworking has gradually become widespread following the confinements associated with the Covid pandemic two years ago. This new way of working has revolutionised a well-established corporate culture. Above all, it is forcing managers to rethink the way they manage their teams, because it's not easy to assess the productivity and performance of employees you only see in dots. What are the best practices for managing teleworking?

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How can management adapt to teleworking ?

Teleworking is no longer a temporary solution, and managers are having to adapt to this new form of organisation: it's now called "remote management". Teleworking can be occasional, part-time (known as "hybrid working") or even 100%, as is increasingly the case. One thing is certain: in the world of work organisation, the rise of teleworking management is a veritable revolution.

Whether managing employees at home or in the office, a good manager needs to have confidence in their teams: distrust is the worst enemy of commitment and productivity. When teleworking, each employee is responsible for their own workload and time management: they must be assessed on the basis of their results. The only thing that counts is what they do. Not where, how and when they do it.

Management must clearly establish its teleworking policy, describing all the rules to be followed. The company intranet can be used to compile internal documents that will serve as a model for describing best practice and work processes in each department.

To manage a team remotely, it is highly advisable to put in place the tools that will help employees to organise themselves and carry out their tasks more easily, making sure that everyone is properly equipped: project management tools (ClickUp, Asana...), video conferencing platform (Zoom, Skype...), file transfer solutions (WeTransfer, YouSendit...), standard office suite (Word, Excel...), online storage space (Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive...).

The main rule of remote management is to think in terms of objectives to be achieved, which implies a new way of working together. These objectives must be measurable and clearly explained in advance. The manager needs to take a step back and not demand accountability for every micro-task carried out. However, he or she should not be afraid to be ambitious, which will strengthen the autonomy but also the commitment of employees.

What are the challenges of teleworking management?

Teleworking offers many advantages: less time spent travelling for employees, a reduction in certain costs for the company (premises, running costs, etc.), the possibility of recruiting talent from all over the world, etc. It also raises new challenges to be met, as associating teleworking and management is not necessarily self-evident.

The first risk factor associated with teleworking is the feeling of isolation. No more meetings or informal exchanges at the coffee machine, no more "real" meetings, no more team lunches... the feeling of dehumanisation can lead to a loss of motivation. That's why we recommend maintaining a few face-to-face days a month to keep the social life going, and organising group meetings by videoconference to preserve spontaneous interaction.

Management must also establish clear rules when implementing its teleworking policy. Not everyone can work remotely, at least not all the time. Some employees need to be on site to handle specific equipment that cannot be transported, while others must continue to travel frequently to meet customers. Other arrangements to be respected are working hours and working times (which should preferably be the same for everyone). The manager must also be precise about the deadlines for delivery of deliverables, so as not to leave the employee on his or her own.

In the absence of a home IT service, any technical problem can be a major handicap: computer breakdown, poor Wi-Fi connection, etc. It is preferable to anticipate this kind of problem by providing remote IT assistance and replacement equipment.

Teleworking also presents a number of dangers in terms of data security. The risks of cyber-attacks with sometimes catastrophic consequences are more frequent at home (phishing, data theft, ransomware, etc.). The manager must ensure that the level of IT protection is increased by equipping each workstation with secure professional messaging systems and effective anti-virus protection. They can also offer in-house cyber security training.

How do you motivate a teleworking team ?

To be properly managed, any project must be well defined. Adopting good teleworking management practices starts with targeting your objectives and getting to the heart of the matter, especially when it comes to complex business issues. Formalise your project monitoring by writing down your objectives, any intermediate stages to be reached and the resources involved.

Technological problems can be a source of demotivation for employees, as well as wasting precious time. Make sure that everyone is equipped with the best remote working tools.

In business too, human relations are the key to success, and the coldness of digital tools can make people forget this. The manager must show his or her face, encourage everyone's participation and reward good initiatives and new ideas. It's also possible to organise remote team-building sessions, for example by playing online games together every month (quizzes, surveys, escape rooms, etc.).

5 best practices for managing your teleworking teams

1. Supervising teleworking

All employees are entitled to respect for their private lives and should not be available 24 hours a day. The right to disconnect is an obligation: it is important to set limits by establishing fixed time slots and breaks, as in the office. Managing a teleworking team also means taking into account the well-being of your employees.

2. Trust

Employees need independence, but they also need to feel that their manager trusts them if they are to work in peace. Avoid too many meetings, too many nuisance calls and remote monitoring software that measures the time spent in front of the screen. Instead, set weekly objectives and ask for regular progress reports. Managing teleworking employees does not rule out a certain amount of control, but only if you know how to dose it.

3. Maintaining contact

Managing from home also means offsetting less visibility with more availability. Managers should always be available by phone, and should not hesitate to contact their staff regularly, even informally, through individual or team calls (remember that a phone call will always be warmer than an email).

4. Applying the feedback culture

Employees need independence, but they also need to feel that their manager is at their side. Regular, positive feedback is essential to keep employees motivated and committed, because it proves that their work counts and that their commitment is valued.

5. Encouraging and supporting

Managers need to be able to recognise stressful situations and show empathy. Some employees suffer from teleworking, a situation that doesn't always suit them very well. Regular feedback can also be an opportunity to take stock of the employee's physical and mental health, without of course being too intrusive, but simply concerned. Is the employee experiencing difficulties? Does he need better supervision? Do certain processes need to be changed? All these questions are legitimate and deserve to be asked.

Managing remotely is much more than adapting tools or setting objectives: it's about putting a human face back on work in a hyper-connected world. Trust, communication and genuine attention to the needs of teams are the pillars of successful remote management. Far from being a simple organisational challenge, teleworking is a fantastic opportunity to reinvent professional relationships and invent new ways of working together.