Technological advancements are changing the shape of the modern workforce and facilitating more remote work opportunities across industries. According to a recent study conducted by International Workplace Group, 70% of employees now have the ability to work remotely, at least part of the time. The structure is yielding great benefits for employees, with an Indeed.com survey reporting improved work-life balance, reduced stress, fewer absences and sick days and improved morale. Whether people are trying to avoid a long commute or striving for increased flexibility in their lives, research shows the number of remote workers is largely on the rise each year, and employers are proactively seeking strategies to enable remote work without taking away from company culture or output. 

While “telecommuting” can offer a plethora of advantages for the employee, it can present a number of challenges for managers. These challenges don’t have to become roadblocks if the proper strategies are put in place. Here are some of the most common challenges remote managers and teams face and how to solve for them. 

Challenge: Maintaining productivity.

Effectively promoting efficiency and overseeing daily tasks from afar may be difficult when employees do not have direct and daily contact with their manager to provide feedback and keep workers on track.

Solution: Managers should start by establishing expectations for their team to ensure each member is on the same page. They can help employees stay on task by implementing a variety of different measures such as assigning progress deadlines for longer-term projects, having employees draft to-do lists for the week and submitting daily work reports to recap what they’ve accomplished each day. Managers may also want to consider devoting 10-30 minutes several times a week for “office hours” to provide feedback and guidance in real time.

Challenge: Strategic communication. 

When corresponding primarily by email, there may be a lack of meaningful discussions or time for brainstorming new ideas. There is also a bigger risk of messages being miscommunicated or misinterpreted.

Solution: Managers need to keep an open line of communication between themselves and their team members to ensure that everyone stays connected. This also helps team members build relationships with one another. Managers can implement this in a variety of different ways by scheduling video conferences, creating an exclusive space for team correspondence by using services such as Slack or by working to meet in person on a regular basis.

Challenge: Forging meaningful relationships.

It may be difficult to bond with a manager or co-workers and develop a strong level of trust with one another if you don’t often see each other face to face.  

Solution: Prioritize strengthening bonds by making the most of in-person interactions. Oftentimes, the team believes that their time together must be focused on getting more work done. While necessary at times, what is often overlooked is the importance of carving out moments to strengthen relationships and learn more about one another. Finding the balance between work and relationships allows leaders and their employees to learn more about each other’s strengths, weaknesses, priorities and communication styles. While managers will always want to make sure time together is well spent, investing time into the relationship component improves the overall work effectiveness when the team is apart. 

Despite some of the challenges outlined above, the flexible structure of working remotely can be an invaluable environment for employees to grow and thrive professionally. If strategies like these are implemented by managers, it will ensure that, as a group, everyone can effectively and efficiently accomplish their goals while creating an opportunity for managers to show their support and respect for each individual. 

Claire Bissot is Managing Director of CBIZ Human Resources Services.

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