If you’re looking for remote team management tips, you’re not alone. It seems as though the days of the office-based 9-5 workforce are long gone. According to a recent survey by the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) and BT Business, 91% of firms in Britain have at least one employee working remotely and a whopping 19% reportedly have 50% of their employees working away from the office.
With remote working on the rise, thanks in large part to the proliferation of cloud computing, getting to grips with remote team management has never been more important. If you are wondering how to get started, don’t worry, we are here to help with a few helpful pointers.
In this blog post, we’ll run through 5 helpful tech tips designed to help you manage a remote team and make the most of this incredible workforce phenomenon that is remote, flexible working. Enjoy!
- Stay in Touch
Technology plays a crucial role in remote working and management. In fact, without tech, working as part of a team from anywhere other than the office (and getting things done) would be incredibly complicated and impractical.
For employees – whether they are remote workers or not – to feel as though they are part of a team and act collectively, it is important for managers to create a true team dynamic. In order to do this, communication is key.
Online, cloud and mobile technologies allow employees and employers to communicate easily from any location in the world, so there really is no excuse for not keeping your team updated with the latest business developments. In today’s tech-oriented world, there are dozens of apps and software packages available to help you stay connected, so your options are virtually limitless. From video conferencing to good old fashioned e-mails, staying in touch with remote workers has never been easier.
- Get in the Cloud
Investment in cloud solutions is on the rise, with an incredible 64% of SMEs already making use of cloud-based apps, and take-up of cloud computing services up 15% in the past year alone. If you want to guarantee that your business remains competitive and ensure that your remote workers are as productive as possible, adopting cloud technology is a must.
Not only do cloud solutions allow businesses to branch out and connect easily with their audience, they also dramatically improve efficiency, business flexibility and make collaborating with team members easier than ever before.
Thanks to the creation of a whole host of workflow and file sharing apps, remote teams can benefit from sharing project updates, accessing active files and editing collaborations – all in real time.
- Track Progress
According to Inc Magazine, remote workers are 20% more productive when they are given projects remotely, and are also almost twice as likely to work beyond 40 hours per week. However, for businesses managing remote workers, staying abreast of each individual’s progress can be a challenge. Thankfully, rapid developments in cloud, mobile and online technology go a long way to help.
Keeping track of team progress doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few resources you might find useful:
- Trello – This free, visual project management tool organises projects into boards, giving every member of the team up-to-data information about what’s being worked on, who’s working on what and which stage of development each project is in. If you’re more of a creative, visual learner who absorbs information best through visual, or picture thinking, Trello is most definitely for you. It’s beautiful too, which doesn’t hurt!
- Sqwiggle – If you’ve ever worried about your remote workers feeling as though they are left out, or not part of the team, Sqwiggle is the perfect solution. An online workplace for remote workers, Sqwiggle allows remote workers to stay in touch and feel connected via video chats, ‘Presence’, and team chat streams. It’s so engaging and fun to use – your remote workers will never want to miss an online meeting again!
- Hosted Desktops
Hosted desktops allow users to access their desktops online, rather than via their local hard drive. One of the reasons this cloud computing solution is so popular is that is allows remote workers to connect the office ‘hub’ from anywhere with an internet connection, at any time of day or night.
Importantly, hosted desktops allow managers and business owners to quickly and safely communicate information and documents with their employees. Whether it’s adding files or editing projects, you can be sure that your workers will always be on the same page.
- Hosted Exchange
For any SME owner managing remote workers, Hosted Exchange services really are invaluable as a simple, cost-effective and secure means of keeping workers up to date with client and employee communications.
Hosted Exchange services give users access to their business e-mails, calendar, and contacts and are incredibly useful for remote team management because they enable truly connected working from any location in the world.
As well as offering flexible storage plans and access anywhere, anytime, Hosted Exchange services will also give you the added peace of mind of knowing that all of your remote workers have access to every single client e-mail, every piece of contact information and updated details of scheduled meetings. What’s not to like?
Conclusion
So there you have it – 5 simple remote team management tips. Remember, communication is key to successful remote management, so focusing on ways to improve how your business communicates clearly with remote workers is vital. Handled correctly, you will see productivity and efficiency rates soar.
What do you think? If you have any tips that you would like to share, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
Get in touch
If your business is looking for remote team management systems, look no further. Green Cloud Hosting provides secure UK Hosted Desktop, Hosted Exchange and Online Backup solutions for SMEs – all with 24/7 technical support. For more information, or to sign up for a free trial of one of our packages, get in touch today. E-mail info@greencloudhosing.co.uk or call 0161-979-0691. We are looking forward to hearing from you.[/wr_text]
