The past year has continued to rock the way we do business and forced us to pivot yet again as new and unexpected challenges were thrown our way. One of the biggest areas where many leaders are still struggling is managing offsite employees. Remote and hybrid teams are here to stay and leading them takes a different set of skills.
What are some of the top issues managers report when it comes to leading remote employees? Here’s a look at four of the top struggles. Do any sound familiar to you?
- Internal Communication Problems: There’s no question that communication is a huge issue when managing remote employees. According to a study by Gallup, 71% of remote employees reported that they’re not actively engaged with their business. And 85% reported the communication they receive on the job isn’t enough.
- Supporting Employees From a Distance: The relationships you developed working in an office can be hard to maintain when you’re staring at each other on a screen every day. Some workers are more forthcoming with the challenges they’re experiencing on the job or at home, while others are more private and many be struggling in silence. Some of the biggest struggles workers report is loneliness, collaboration difficulties, distractions at home and staying motivated. Employee wellness has become a huge issue for organizations.
- Lack of a Company Culture: Those face-to-face interactions we were so used to a couple years ago are quickly becoming a thing of the past. It’s also made building and maintaining company culture even more challenging. A lack of company culture can mean there’s very little comradery, workers may not feel heard or recognized for a job well done and so much more.
- Tracking and Measuring Performance: Managers are faced with two big challenges when it comes to tracking performance: making sure employees are completing their work and that they’re using their time efficiently and appropriately.
Organizations also report challenges with scheduling and time zone issues, onboarding new remote workers and developing and maintaining trust.
The struggles that arise from managing a team while you’re physically apart can ruffle the feathers of even the most seasoned leader. What challenges are you experiencing with leading a remote team? How have issues changed or developed over the last year? Leah M Joppy and Associates can work with you to identify challenges, develop a practical and reasonable action plan and collaborate with both leaders and employees to implement it. Follow through is also important, so we continue to check in on what’s working, what’s not and what we can do to fix it. Call us at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com to learn more.