Remote or hybrid working is a flexible arrangement which allows employees to do their job from a location outside the traditional office. This could include working from home, co-working spaces, cafés or even different cities or countries. 


Since the pandemic forced most businesses to adopt home-working policies overnight, employees have now come to expect this as an option as it can vastly improve work-life balance and job satisfaction. If you’re considering switching to remote work, find out how it could benefit your business and the best way to manage your teams. 


What are the benefits of remote working?

  • Increased flexibility: Employees can create a work schedule that suits their needs, balancing work and personal responsibilities.
  • Cost savings: Employees can save money on commuting, meals and specific work clothing.
  • Better balance: Less time commuting or at the office allows families to spend more time together or work on their wellbeing – exercising and cooking healthier meals.
  • Carefree commutes: No daily commute reduces stress, saves time and is more eco-friendly.
  • Boosts productivity: Many find remote working eliminates office distractions, helping improve focus and time management.
  • Tackles turnover: Remote working can improve employee satisfaction, increase hiring and retention. 
  • Continuity: Businesses can now stay operational more easily during holidays and disruptions. 


Tips to help manage remote teams


Set expectations

Once you’ve made the switch, make sure you outline a clear remote work policy that includes communication protocols, working hours, technology requirements and how you’ll support the team. Even though you’re not side by side, you still need to define measurable goals, KPIs and expectations for remote workers to ensure productivity and accountability. 


Talking technology

To help you collaborate and stay in constant conversation, communication tools are your friend. Whether you opt for Slack, Zoom or Microsoft teams, they all have features that mean you can instantly chat, call, send files and schedule meetings. Being able to communicate will ensure people still feel part of a team and can ask questions if they need help.


Be flexible

Hybrid working often goes hand in hand with being more flexible. Unlike logging in from home, flexible working means being less rigid about work hours, appointments and deadlines. You can set core hours, when everyone needs to be in, but allow people to work earlier and finish later or vice versa. This gives your team even more freedom to align their work and personal schedules for better job satisfaction.


Support their set-up

To work effectively, your team members will need a good at-home set-up. From comfortable (and not back-breaking) chairs to second screens, a mouse or keyboard – there are plenty of gadgets that will make remote working easier. Consider giving employees an amount to buy the right kit or contributing towards it, as they shouldn’t be out of pocket or struggling with bad tools through no fault of their own.


Keep cybersecurity in check

When your entire business is online, staying safe and secure in the digital world is even more essential. For that reason, it makes sense to use a VPN which protects company data even when employees are working from different areas. Two-factor authentication also adds an extra layer of security for work accounts by requesting a code or biometric confirmation.


Carry on the culture

It can be hard to maintain an exciting company culture when you’re all working in separate silos. Consider hosting online events like quizzes, team building, companywide catch-ups or daily calls to discuss the day ahead. It’s also important to organise check-ins and reviews to support staff progress. In-person social events like dinners, drinks and sporting activities are always a winner too.


Stay connected

Business phones are a great way to help you stay connected without employees having to pay from their own pocket. Choose a network that offers affordable business plans so you don’t overspend. If your team travel abroad, you’ll also need packages that include international roaming. Using eSIMs for remote workforces has many benefits – there’s no need to switch to a physical business sim, they’re protected by encryption and the network can be switched remotely.


Easy onboarding

When the world went remote, people were concerned how that would negatively impact new starters. Without someone to shadow and learn from, how would they develop? Counteract that by putting a rigorous onboarding process in place. When they join, run digital induction classes with key people across the business, offer video tutorials, e-learning and mentorship programmes.


Track productivity

Nobody likes a micromanager. If you trust your team, you don’t need to follow their every move or dictate how and when they manage their projects. However, it’s still important to check that the business is productive and profitable. To track productivity, without being invasive, you could use tools like Time Doctor and Hubstaff or scheduling platforms like Trello and Monday.com to monitor tasks.


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