Managing Remotely
140 companies answer 6 questions
Managing a remote or distributed team successfully requires good support, planning, and communication. Whether deciding if and how to get the team to meet in person or defining the line between vacation and flexible work, the management of a remote team has differences from managing traditional on-site teams. In our Managing Remotely section we ask top remote companies how they keep their teams running smoothly from thousands of miles away.
Do you have remote communication protocols for your remote workers?
Our focus is employee happiness and productivity. We do have communication norms especially when it comes to communicating with our customers. Assisting customers is and…
We try to avoid too many emails, instead using Trello to communicate, Skype for IM, Jing for training, etc. On weekdays due to the timezones…
We set communication norms by job function. Some team members, like customer service, are connected to the chat system throughout normal business hours. Others, like…
Do you organize remote team retreats?
Logistics are a pain, but the outcome is always worth it. Just allow plenty of time for planning and be frank with everyone that it…
Yes we do, and they are awesome. My tip would be to keep the work content to a minimum. A brief session on how the…
Our best teachers are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to Shanghai every year! This is the best way to allow the teachers to experience…
Do your remote team members meet in person?
Minimum twice a year for summer and Christmas Event
Yes, our entire team meets up once every year in the spring in a different part of the world for a week-long retreat. Past retreat…
We meet with our core team in person twice a year. It is somewhat of a retreat in that we work, and strategize but we…
How do you measure the productivity of remote workers?
At Toggl, we have a result oriented culture and everyone’s productivity is measured by their results. We have small teams working together: back end team,…
As an organization, we hire really driven people, set clear and ambitious goals, and check in on them regularly throughout the year, both formally and…
Since almost all of our communication is through writing, it’s easy to see who is making progress on their goals through updates on the P2s,…
What elements are key to successful working relationships with remote teams?
Communication is key. Keep the lines of communication open at all times, whether through regular meetings or just a quick check-in via instant messaging.
Communication is key. We are constantly emailing each other, cc’ing each other on emails to keep everyone up to date on the status of projects,…
Trust is a key element; you have to ensure that every member of the team trusts each other to do what they have agreed to.…
What is the hardest part about managing a remote workforce?
It’s about making sure there is enough time to actually support staff, and that there are effective processes around what we expect our managers to…
It’s harder to have a general “pulse” of your team. You can’t see their body language and moods as much on a day-to-day basis, so…
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How do you keep remote employees engaged and feeling part of the bigger picture?
We make our communication better by having daily calls and hangouts between team members. We get the entire team together at the GitLab summit once…
Each team that is working for a client takes responsibility for all the issues: financial stuff, agreements, customer relations, etc. Thanks to our policy, people…
Encourage transparency and company-wide visibility of information on Slack. Stick to good engagement habits such as regular one-on-ones. Consider also using some type of employee…
What is your BYOD policy for remote workers?
We do not provide any computers, cell phones, etc. since keeping inventory of items like that would be extremely expensive and difficult to retrieve at…
We let everyone choose their own devices, computers and operating systems, and reimburse a set amount for each employee every 3 years. We do have…
We provide all hardware and software. Just because you have remote employees does not make it OK to not provide everything they need. Our policy…
What is your time off policy for remote workers?
Unlimited. Take what you need – we don’t count your sick or vacation days.
We ask that everyone let their team members know about any planned time off with as much advance notice as possible. There’s not limit, but…
Take whatever time you need. We’re a ROWE environment.
What were your biggest fears in managing remote workers?
We did so much research before going remote that we were not too worried about making the change. Once we made the switch, we never…
My biggest fear is that remote work becomes too lifestyle-driven where people become complacent, too comfortable and chilled out. I still want us to be…
Accountability. The fear that people would simply flake, walk off into the distance, play video games instead of work. Sure they came true. And then…
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