Managing Remote Employees During a Pandemic

Managers haven’t seen their teams in weeks, but they can stay connected and keep employees engaged and using technology they already know.

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Managing employees can already be challenging, Now, factor in remote work, and this becomes even more challenging.

COVID-19 has closed offices around the world and forced many of us to work from our homes, meaning your employees are unsupervised and are left on their own to get their work done.

Managers and team leaders haven’t seen their teams in weeks, but they can stay connected and keep employees engaged and productive using technology that’s already being used.

Video check ins

Holding routine videoconference calls is a great way to keep your employees honest. Make video mandatory so you can see your employees and they can see you. A call first thing in the morning forces employees to freshen up, sit down in their workstation and start thinking about their job.

These calls not only serve as a routine meeting, but also to help keep your employees at ease and give them a sense of normalcy during these difficult times. Check in to make sure your employees are coping well with the sudden change and are supported enough to be just as productive as they are when in the office.

Schedule some time to try to replicate water cooler talk and try to share some good news on every call.

If you’re in pro AV, you’re probably already familiar with these platforms, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, Webex and more.

Chat and collaboration apps

These apps, like Microsoft Teams and Slack, were already helping teams manage workflows and projects even when in the same office. Now, they can help you do the same while everyone is miles apart.

Instant messaging apps — some of which will tell others if you’re online or not —can help hold people accountable.

If you were the kind of manager that liked to walk by employees’ workstations and have a casual conversation or check in on projects, these services give you the ability to do that remotely.

Virtual happy hours

Using those same videoconferencing platforms, you can organize virtual happy hours with the entire office. You can play games or just catch up with everyone.

This seems to be catching on in the business community, especially pro AV. These virtual hangouts are becoming a weekly staple.

Like company gatherings or holiday parties, these can be good team-building exercises and just a way to help your coworkers get to know one another and catch a glimpse into their personal lives while they log on from home.

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