Today, there is a challenge that every business owner must face — how to oversee out-of-office staff. Whether you are a new or veteran entrepreneur, this looks difficult to navigate. But it doesn’t have to be. Just implement these 10 tips for managing remote employees… 

My Top 10 Tips for Managing Remote Employees

Between outsourcing jobs and more people remote workers, you are going to have to manage remote workers at some point

SO BEING A GREAT LEADER IN-PERSON IS NO LONGER ENOUGH TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.  

Failure to manage remote teams effectively results in drops in productivity and revenue. 

There are key differences in the approach used to keep your team motivated and focused while they are remote. 

After going through a few years of the pandemic, I discovered these strategies to keep both my companies and employees winning… 

Establish Strong, Clear Communication

The first of my tips for managing remote employees seems obvious, but it is critical… 

CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TEAM TO STAY CONNECTED. 

That sounds overwhelming — especially if you are a larger organization. But you don’t have to bombard every single person with emails and calls. Nor do I want you micromanaging.

Instead, set up team leaders who are responsible for relaying your communications. Then, reporting the information to you. 

This makes everything streamlined. Then, everyone gets the data they need and stays focused on their projects. 

Still, there are times when you need to have the whole team together… 

Hold Mandatory Zoom Meetings

In my office, we hold company-wide team meetings every morning — which also include all of our remote employees.

AND, ALL STAFF THAT IS NOT IN THE BUILDING MUST HAVE THEIR CAMERAS ON.

Why? Well, there are a few reasons: 

  • It allows them to participate in real-time with team-building.
  • Consistency creates company culture and boosts morale. 
  • You can see employee engagement

With that in mind, I want to note that you only celebrate success and wins in these large meetings. 

Improving downward statistics is done by and with the department responsible. Similarly, performance and corrections are handled one-on-one and with human resources. 

On that note, let’s move on to some tips for maintaining standards while managing remote workers… 

Keep the Same Discipline for Remote as On-Site Staff

Discipline is a top skill that both you and your team need to succeed. So, my third tip is just as straightforward as it sounds… 

If you have a professional dress code, insist remote employees dress professionally…

In the same way, have your out-of-office staff clock in and out for meal breaks… 

I could come up with examples forever, but you get the picture. 

The idea behind this is not to be a control freak with arbitrary rules. It is so your remote team is in the same mindset to get to work just as if they were coming into an office building each day. 

MAINTAINING A CORPORATE STANDARD IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIPS I CAN GIVE YOU FOR MANAGING REMOTE EMPLOYEES!

Nevertheless, the next one is even more important… 

Collect Statistics on EVERYTHING

I talked about how important it is to have statistics on everything in my article on outsourcing jobs. 

STATISTICS HAVE JUST AS MUCH AN IMPACT ON EFFECTIVELY MANAGING YOUR REMOTE WORKFORCE. 

These measurements tell you who is productive as well as who may need help. After all, numbers don’t lie. 

Also, your employees have the chance to correct themselves when they keep a record of their stats. 

The more data, the better. Include them when you implement the following step… 

Overcommunicate with Remote Employees

Look, there is no such thing as overcommunication. There is such a thing as unnecessary communication, but we’ll get into that later. 

For now, don’t be afraid to distribute information over and over again. That is the only way your team has clear expectations when you manage from afar. 

You’ll want to make sure that you overcommunicate things like:

  • New product details.
  • Offer specifics and inclusions
  • Delivery plans for products and services
  • And, company policies 

Alongside all these messages, you must ensure that your directions don’t get lost in endless email chains… 

Enforce Communication Protocols

As I just mentioned, overcommunication is never a problem — but, useless replies and irrelevant data are. 

THEREFORE, THERE NEEDS TO BE RULES AND SET EXPECTATIONS FOR HOW INFORMATION IS SENT THROUGHOUT THE COMPANY. 

That means you have to enforce some of my earlier tips for managing remote employees. Such as making sure team leaders are reporting directives accurately.

At the same time, don’t mass email everyone. Send appropriate messages to the right departments or groups. 

Otherwise, people’s inboxes get uncontrollable and they start to tune you out. 

The last thing I will say on this subject is to let the whole team know when to use “Reply All.” That can get tiresome very quickly… 

There is a difference between communication and just words. But sometimes, you have to use your intuition to be a great business owner… 

Listen to Your Gut & Just Call 

This step might seem strange, but hear me out…

At the end of the day, the remote employees you manage are regular people with outside lives. So sometimes, you have to check on how they’re doing — even if it is just an “off-feeling.” 

THOSE MATTERS ARE NOT BEST ADDRESSED THROUGH INSTANT MESSAGING!

So if you notice someone’s stats are down, they seem to be struggling, or they have just been on your mind — Just call them! (Better yet, follow up with video calls when you can.)

The worst-case scenario is everything is fine and you showed interest in someone else’s well-being. In the same way, you should regularly get your remote team members’ input… 

Incorporate Your Remote Team’s Ideas

Don’t get me wrong, you shouldn’t run your company like a democracy

Despite that, great business owners know what they are and are NOT experts in. 

For that reason, it is a smart idea to have your employees weigh in on work policies related to their areas of expertise and working remotely. 

After all, they are the ones performing these duties day in and day out. You can get valuable input that by making their jobs easier creates more productivity. 

Nevertheless, our next topic is not a particularly pleasant one, but it is to protect you… 

Keep Track of Company Equipment and Records

It goes without saying that we all want to have faith in people — especially those we have work for us. But the fact of the matter is that not everyone has your best interests at heart. 

So, this is not one of my tips for managing remote employees, it’s a non-negotiable…

CREATE SYSTEMS TO TRACK DOWN, RECORD, AND SECURE COMPANY RECORDS AND EQUIPMENT REMOTE TEAMS HAVE ACCESS TO.  

This policy is not only for “bad” employees, by the way. It also is incredibly valuable in the case of natural disasters, insurance claims, lost laptops, or similar situations. 

KNOW WHO HAS WHAT AND WHERE IT IS. 

However, I want to give you one last tip for managing remote employees before you go… 

Final Tip for Managing Remote Employees

The final and most important of my tips for managing remote employees is a core element of successful entrepreneurship… 

LEAD BY EXAMPLE!

Therefore, having great communication, accountability, and outstanding work ethic starts with you… 

If you find that you are having a hard time doing so at the top, it won’t flow down to the rest of your team — remote or otherwise. 

Because of this, I created my 10X Mentor Program to help business owners like you get access to my team and me. That way you can learn everything we do to ensure we keep winning. 

You can check it out here.   

That aside, these 10 tips for managing remote employees are powerful tools to navigate this new business frontier. 

Use Them and Be Great,

Grant Cardone

Disclaimer: This content is intended to be used for educational and informational purposes only. Individual results may vary. You should perform your own due diligence and seek the advice from a professional to verify any information on our website or materials that you are relying upon if you choose to make an investment or business decision. Investment, real estate, and business involve great risk and there is no guarantee of performance or results.We are not attorneys, investment advisers, accountants, tax professionals or financial advisers and any of the content presented should not be taken as professional advice. We recommend seeking the advice of a financial professional before you invest, and we accept no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage you may incur.

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Star of Discovery Channel’s “Undercover Billionaire,” Grant Cardone owns and operates seven privately held companies and a private equity real estate firm, Cardone Capital, with a multifamily portfolio of assets under management valued at over $4 billion. He is the Top Crowdfunder in the world, raising over $900 million in equity via social media. Known internationally as the leading expert on sales, marketing, and scaling businesses, Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 business books, including “The 10X Rule,” which led to Cardone establishing the 10X Global Movement and the 10X Growth Conference, now the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world. The online business and sales educational platform he created, Cardone University, serves over 411,000 individuals and Forbes 100 corporate clients throughout the world. Voted the top Marketing Influencer to watch by Forbes, Cardone uses his massive 15 million plus following to give back via his Grant Cardone Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring underserved, at-risk adolescents in financial literacy, especially those without father figures.