The past year has taught us many lessons and bought about many changes. One of the most significant developments was the move towards remote working and learning. This came about because many offices, businesses and schools shut their premises during the crisis.

While restrictions are lifting following the pandemic and the forced office closures that caused, many companies are choosing to continue with remote working

Working from home might seem like fun for workers and an ideal way for businesses to save money, but for managers, it can be a minefield.

There are many challenges when it comes to managing a remote team, and you need to make sure that you overcome them if you want to achieve business success.

If you’re managing a remote team, then here are some practical tips to help you get the most out of them.

Hire A Managed IT Service Provider To Deal With Tech Issues

Technical issues can cause chaos at any business, whether it’s office-based or remote. However, when your staff work remotely, they might not have immediate access to support to get things back on track.

Also, remote working means that all of your team is spread out and works from their own homes, usually on their personal Wi-Fi networks and possibly their own devices. This could cause security issues for your company’s data. If you choose outsourced IT support with extensive experience and a wide range of services, then you’ll be covered no matter what happens. For instance, the Birmingham based IT service GeekGuru has the skills to offer a wide range of IT support to remote businesses, including Cloud technology support, third-party liaison, IT security and more. Consider checking out their services to see if they could benefit your remote team. 

Provide Clear Communication Channels

Remote work can lead employees to feel isolated. It can also mean that the chain of command and point of contact both become blurred. This can lead to miscommunication and other issues that could be detrimental to your team’s success and productivity.

As such, you need to make sure that your team has clear channels of communication and that each member knows who to contact. Consider designating each member a specific supervisor so that they know they can get the support they need when they need it.

Set Achievable But Challenging Targets

Every team needs goals, but for remote employees, these can be more important than in-house staff. That’s because there are more distractions when you’re working from home, and it can be harder to feel motivated. If you don’t set targets, then your team’s productivity could fall as a result. As a team manager, you need to make sure that you set achievable goals that require hard work and commitment. Don’t make the targets too simple, or your team won’t stretch themselves. Equally, if your goals are too hard to achieve, then your staff might feel de-motivated by them. So, work hard to find a balance and keep adapting to ensure you get the best out of your employees for many years to come.