Tips to keep employees productive while working from home

Many organizations now see remote working as a logical precaution for their employees. Remote work is no longer an option but a necessity. Still, many managers and their team members are finding it difficult to adapt to this new work style, as they were not prepared for such a long duration.

 

If you are still facing difficulty in adjusting to this new norm, here are tips that can help you overcome this issue and set yourself up for success.

 

 

Transparency with your expectations

Managers must outline expectations for their teams. This includes defining the scope of work, outlining deliverables, and setting deadlines for each task and project that the team is working on. Managers should also specify to employees working from home that they should be available for calls, chat, and emails when required during working hours.

 

 

Avoid micromanagement

Micromanagement restricts the ability of micromanaged people to develop and grow, and it also limits what the micromanager's team can achieve, because everything has to go through him or her. And It's not good practice for managers to continuously pester their subordinates to check what’s going on. Instead, both can agree on specific and measurable goals. If goals are met and deliverables are made on time, managers shouldn't worry too much about where and how.

 

 

Provide your team with reliable tools

‍Equip the team with the right tools to help them stay connected and productive. Organizations can make use of time management apps, messaging apps, and even video conferencing apps to help the employees in their work remotely.

 

 

Effective communication strategies

In order to have a productive team while working from home, the organization needs to effectively communicate. Advanced communication technology like instant messaging services or video conferencing can help to a certain extent. However, mastering the art of communicating with your workers is of utmost priority. Some ways to ensure effective communication with remote working employees include defining individual and team goals, creating collaboration opportunities, encouraging feedback, and minimizing interruptions.