Working remotely has become a global trend across various industries. Nowadays, managers are looking to hire people from all over the world in order to diversify their workforce and take advantage of the massive, ever-growing talent pool. When you have an increased variety of employees, ideas can be easily exchanged and an increased number of original approaches will be used. 

While remote work is one of the best ways to diversify your workforce and increase effectiveness, there are some rules you must keep in mind as you grow your business. Always make sure to research your potential employees very well so you can understand how they manage their time. Once you can trust that their time-management and organizational skills are above-par, you can practically guarantee that their level of output will be satisfactory.

Here are some tips on how to increase your employees’ productivity from remote managers with plenty of experience in leading location-independent teams and diverse workforces.

“Communicate clear expectations” – Kari Alvarado  

You will need an online platform in order to communicate with your remote workers. Make sure you pick the right one! Choose a user-friendly, easily accessible platform, preferably not too expensive. Don’t give them too much to worry about. Some good platforms to choose from are Project Management, Team Chat, or Work Hub.

Besides choosing a proper digital workplace, make sure you communicate with your employees properly. Give them all the details that they need, quickly respond to their messages, and be as helpful as you can. Be clear with your expectations. If you set a certain deadline, don’t expect them to hand anything in beforehand. Be structured when giving instructions.

“Randomly check-in with your team” – Gordon Marsh

If you think that some of your employees might need some extra help, randomly check on them. Ask if there is anything you can help them with. They will be highly appreciative of your interest and put in a lot more effort to deliver the right assignments at the right time. You have no idea how much my employees’ productivity has improved since I started checking in on them. They feel supported and important, and that’s all that matters.

“Hold your team accountable” – Michelle Beck

If your employees do not deliver their tasks on time, you must teach them to do so. The first two times they are late, give them a heads-up that less pleasant consequences are going to follow if the same thing happens again. If they are late a third time, put a tax on their accounts. Increase the tax as many times as needed after the third time. For instance, if the first penalty is $5, increase it by $1 or $2 every time they are late. That will definitely keep them accountable – nobody likes losing money!

“Set up meetings and expect your team to show up” – Annette Baker

Do not overspend time sending millions of notifications after setting up a meeting. You must trust your employees. Expect them to show up, and if they don’t, have a serious conversation with them. Remind them of your expectations. Be calm and calculate everything beforehand. Getting angry or annoyed is always a bad decision, especially with remote teams where it’s easy to misread texts, emails, or messages.

“Meet your team in real life” – Jacob Pittman

A great way to develop good relationships with your employees is meeting them in real life. Chatting or Skyping can be fun (and it is definitely helpful), but you can create better connections when you meet the people you work with. Meeting up can be the start of a delightful friendship, who knows? I always meet my remote workers, and I realized they become more productive after we see each other in real life. I think that they respect me more.

“Don’t ask for too much” – Terry Cox

I am sure your employees are well aware of what they got themselves into from the moment they accepted the job position. Anyhow, do not request more than necessary from them. Don’t exploit them and make them feel bad about their work. If they couldn’t take more than two tasks per day because of time-related concerns, understand and support them. You must be there for them if you want them to be productive.

“Trust your staff” – Robert Webster

Trust is crucial when it comes to remote working. If you constantly bother your employees with endless concerns and instructions, how are they supposed to be productive? You hired them because you thought they are suited for the job. Don’t put pressure on them. Trust them.

“Reward your workers” – Stephanie Norton

People work better and faster when they get rewards! It’s important to congratulate your employees from time to time and make note of their progress. Be enthusiastic about their advancement, and offer them small praises. You could give them a bonus every now and then or offer vouchers. Whatever you choose, make sure you consistently say “good job” when they’ve done something right!

Conclusion

Improve your employees’ productivity by trusting them, communicating properly, asking for as much as they can handle, and respecting their work. Make sure you congratulate them from time to time and hold them accountable for their mistakes. By doing all of these things, you will increase productivity and consequently grow your business.