Has your management team struggled the past few months to effectively manage your employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic? As your company makes the shift to remote work, it’s essential that your managers understand the importance of adopting new practices and protocols in keeping employees fully connected and engaged. Remote work environments require that your managers know how to navigate this “new normal” and are empathetic to employees’ needs.  

Here are some ways in which your managers can create a work situation in which every member of your team can feel comfortable during this uncertain time:   

Promote regular face-to-face communication.

While in-person interactions are off the table, video conferencing is the next best way to foster face-to-face communication with employees. Managers who maintain a personal connection with their team members will be able to better connect with them on many levels – from overseeing their performance to understanding their current challenges on the job. Implementing a standing weekly video-call is an instrumental way to keep manager-subordinate relationships strong while giving employees a chance to connect with one another.  

Set team-oriented goals. 

Though employees likely have their own individual performance goals, setting common goals shared by your entire team is a great way to promote a sense of connectedness. Managers who promote realistic goals among their employees will keep their teams on track to be more productive with their work, as well as focused on the most important priorities. As team-oriented goals are met, managers can enhance morale among employees by celebrating their progress and giving them more motivation to keep performing at a high level.  

Be responsive to employees’ needs.

Managers who are responsive to employees’ questions or concerns will demonstrate a commitment to their team’s success even under remote circumstances. Whether it’s promptly addressing a tech issue or providing on-the-job training, paying attention to employees’ needs will build trust and credibility between your staff and management team. This can greatly improve the culture of your organization, even as employees are working off-site.  

While managing remote employees can certainly come with its own set of unique challenges, being mindful of the tips above can have a major impact on the team’s engagement levels, performance and job satisfaction.   

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