Tips for Managing a Remote Staffing Team

Managing a remote team is a new art. Most managers were caught off guard when suddenly their office was evacuated and they were forced to manage their teams remotely. Worse, team performance needed to be at its peak in order to deal with one of the worst times to manage and sell in staffing history. Dealing with a recession had been done before but dealing with a virus had not been done since 1969 when few of us were in the workforce.

Everyone knows that weak management means poor team performance. Any contemporary team manager knows that it’s not about counting hours worked but about results. How can a team continue to produce expected results without the personal interaction and accountability that most teams are accustomed to? Managing a remote team requires a deep understanding of your team members, their motivations, and their routines, among other things. We’ve created a list of the top tips for managing a remote staffing team, with the hope that you’ll be able to apply these and see success within your own remote team.

Tips for Managing a Remote Staffing Team

Tip 1: Check In With Remote Teams Daily

Ideally, these are face-to-face utilizing one of the many video conferencing tools available today. Today’s companies have the upper hand because there are so many great tools available for video conferencing. Most companies have utilized some type of video conferencing already, so it should already be a familiar tool. Some teams may require two daily check-in calls, possibly one in the morning and one at the end of the day. Managers should look at their teams and identify team members who may struggle in a WFH environment. Some may require regular one-on-one time.

Communication is extremely important. Teams need to be able to communicate throughout the day so a tool like Microsoft Teams® is a good choice to maintain a collaborative effort. There is a built-in chat; ability to share documents and even a call and screen sharing tool. You can utilize email and text messages but that is really a short-term solution and will not offer a platform that provides a strong collaborative ecosystem.

Tip 2: Don’t Compromise Staffing Software Access

People are so used to working with staffing software that it will be impossible for employees working remotely to function without full access to the tools that they normally use to staff, market and sell. This is especially critical when it is important to maintain those important client and candidate relationships.

Likewise, managers require performance reporting tools so that they can deal with performance shortcomings. It is difficult for a manager to manage if they do not have access to activity reporting. Team documentation is non-negotiable. All team members must be asked to document all of their activities. If it is not documented then it did not happen. While this may create some initial friction, managing a remote team requires you to have all the evidence, and by putting the onus for this evidence on the employee, you’re empowering them to take a proactive role in what their work from home role will look like.

Tip 3: Encourage and Develop Good Writing

Managers and employees who have difficulty with the written word will be challenged. The ability to express thoughts in writing is extremely important in any remote environment. It is a major form of communication.

Tip 4: Maintain Clear Expectations

Goals and strategies must shift during any challenging time. It is extremely important that the new goals and expectations are clearly communicated. It is not “business as usual” and you are inviting failure if you act as if nothing has changed. Managing a remote team is a huge shift from an in-office team, and pretending that it isn’t is a recipe for disaster.

Write up clear target points and review them with the team. Be honest and encourage questions. Even a virtual team needs to understand the level of performance that is expected of them in order to meet expectations.

Tip 5: Plan Some One-On-One Time

Periodic one-on-one time is important so that managers understand the emotional status of their team members. People handle change in different ways and some members of your team may be struggling with more than the new work environment. Lack of social interaction may have a strong impact on certain individuals. It is important to recognize this and provide help. Perhaps your insurance company offers a mental health program that employees can use to deal with new emotions that they may not understand, but a great first step is encouraging team interaction through the communication channels you’ve settled on.

Tip 6: Don’t Hide From Unfortunate Facts

If there have been layoffs and furloughs you should speak about them. Your team may be wondering if they are next. If this is not a concern, reassure them that this is not the case at present so they do not unnecessarily worry. If their position is in danger of a layoff or furlough but not imminent, assure them that the company is doing everything they can to avoid this. A remote worker does not have the ability to feel out the atmosphere of an office, so if an employee is prone to thinking in worst case scenarios, this must be addressed early and often.

Tip 7: Be Mindful of the Managers

So, what about the managers? Managers will need training to understand and work in a remote environment. Managers have emotions too and it is just as difficult for a manager as for employees to adjust when drastic change comes about quickly. Suddenly, what they know is different. While most tips for managing a remote staffing team focus on the rank-and-file employees, your managers are going through those same changes, potentially to an even more impactful level.

Tip 8: Provide The Best Technology You Can Afford

Managers need technology in order to manage effectively. It is essential that managers are provided the tools that they need to manage remotely. Reporting, a strong ATS and team collaboration tools are valuable investments that must be made if a manager is being asked to meet company goals.

Tip 9: Don’t Rely on the Tools To Do the Work For You

Avoid hiding behind technology. It is important for employees, managers and chief executives to align technology with results. Technology is a tool to help bring about expected results, not the entire means by which results can be determined. Human influence is imperative. Make those phone calls. Talk to employees, clients and candidates. Use technology to manage and supplement those interactions rather than solely relying on technology to be the total interaction. In an entirely-digital era, adding the human factor to your workflow can make all the difference in terms of retention, engagement, and profitability.

Remote teams have become a part of almost every company and it is crucial that this new way of working be embraced. Companies need to understand that technology plays a major role in ensuring that teams continue to collaborate. Technology can be used or abused so recognition of this issue will be important in order to establish a fulfilling and productive long-term remote team environment.

Ultra-Staff EDGE is a full-featured business solution with components for front office, back office, web suite, mobile, data analytics, scheduling and labor dispatch. Learn more about Ultra-Staff EDGE staffing software.