The popularity of office work is going down every year. Now that people have learned that they can work from home, they expect that convenience from places they decide to work. The number of people working remotely in 2020 has grown to 4.7 million people as a result.

The question is, can you use the same management techniques when people are working from home?

Managing a remote team takes a different skill set than managing one from an office. Keep reading to learn how to manage a remote team the right way.

Use Project Management Software

It’s hard enough to keep projects organized when you have everybody in one place. If you have no system in place when you’re remote, you’re setting up your business for a disaster.

One of the best tips for managing a remote team is to set up an online project management system. Your software will provide your employees with a place to check on the status of projects, get updates, and figure out what tasks need to be accomplished next.

Give People Flexibility

The days of spending a straight eight hours at work are coming to an end. The flexibility of remote work has shown people that they don’t have to work a typical eight-hour workday. They can split that time up during the day.

Your employees are likely to experience different emergencies as they work from home. Make sure you give them the flexibility to take care of their home life. As long as they get their work done, you shouldn’t have a problem when someone needs to take care of an errand.

Avoid Off-Hours Work

It’s tempting for people to go above and beyond when they work from home. Your personal and work-life can start overlapping, so it doesn’t seem like a big deal to sit back down to get something done.

Encourage your team to resist this temptation. To help with this, make sure you don’t assign any work and expect it to be completed during the evening.

Don’t Micromanage

Many managers think they have to keep an eye on their employees when they aren’t in the office. They try to install invasive monitoring software on their team’s workstations. However, there’s a better way to do things.

Instead, trust your team to do their jobs. Make sure they have the tools they need to be successful. You’ll learn who your top talent is when you give them a chance to shine.

Invest in Meeting Software

Yes, it’s possible to handle your workload by email. The problem is that people are social creatures. Working from home can be isolating and can impact employee performance.

Invest in instant conference call software to hold meetings and give your employees some face-to-face time with each other. You can also use this time to check in with people to make sure they have everything they need to do their jobs.

Managing a Remote Team Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

It’s important to remember that working on a remote team isn’t only a change for you. Your team will need to learn a new way to handle their jobs. Use the tips above to make managing a remote team an easy and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

If you want to learn more about the tools of the trade for remote work, head back to our blog. Our latest posts cover what work tools you need to succeed.