More and more companies are moving to a remote or hybrid workforce and the tech industry leads the way with an estimated 68% of workers that work from home. With this shift in how businesses operate across the globe, it is important to know how to manage a remote global team that may work in different time zones, have different values, or speak a different language.
Truss provides a global hiring and employer of record (EOR) platform that helps U.S.-based tech companies find talent in Central Asia. And it may go without saying, but when you hire employees a world away, that they will most likely work remotely and you may not know where to start. That is where Truss comes in — and we have created a Manager’s Guide to Remote Work to help get you started
Contact Truss today to learn more about our services for hiring tech companies!
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How To Manage Remote Employees
Are you hiring a remote team in Central Asia or Eastern Europe? Do you need to learn how to manage remote employees? We may be able to help with this quick guide to managing remote global employees — but the first thing you need to understand is the challenges that remote employees will face, how you can combat them, and what you can do to better manage a remote team
Challenges of Managing Remote Employees
- Communication — Communication or a lack of communication is a primary challenge of remote work that you will need to learn how to manage. Email is a valuable tool for communication — it does not always mean that you will receive a rapid response for pressing issues. Chat tools like Slack, Trello, and Basecamp or video conference tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams can help with this challenge.
- Work Schedules and Tracking — How are you going to schedule your remote employees who live and work in different time zones? In extreme cases, your remote employees may work in a time zone that is the exact opposite of your own, which impacts communication and working with clients. The time zone difference can also make tracking hours a challenge for managers that can be mitigated by time-tracking apps.
- In-Person Oversight — When employees work from home, there is no in-person oversight, which can lead to a disconnect with management and may lead to a dip in productivity. To combat this challenge, managers can implement daily or weekly check-in calls, not necessarily for the purpose of employee reviews, but to see how employees are doing, check on specific projects, or listen to employee concerns.
- Culture — Businesses that employ remote workers overseas will have to contend with cultural differences in the workplace. This can create a disconnect between employees and managers. Take the time to learn and understand the cultures of your employees, prioritize communication, and understand the work styles of different cultures and employees to develop a management style that works for each individual.
- Isolation and Mental Health — Remote work can create a sense of isolation and lead to mental health challenges for employees. Managers need to be aware of this and take action to combat these mental health challenges — actions that may include virtual happy hours, virtual pizza parties, and virtual get togethers with employees.
READ MORE: The Mental Health Challenges of Remote Work
Tips for Managing Remote Employees
- Regular Check-Ins and Feedback — Establish regular check-ins with your remote employees, whether daily or weekly. This will aid in communication, allow you to check the status of projects, provide regular feedback for employees and their work, and check on employee health.
- Effective Communication — No matter what methods of communication you choose to use, it is important that it be effective. Are regular emails good enough for your team? Do you need to use a chat tool? Find the right tools for your team and ensure that all of your remote employees know how they work and understand the expectations for effective communication.
- Set Clear Expectations — Maybe the most important thing you can do as a manager of a remote team is to set clear and concise expectations. Establish guidelines for employee availability, communication, and deadlines that will help you and your team avoid confusion and accomplish tasks.
- Promote Teamwork and Work-Life Balance — Not everything has to be all work all the time. Virtual team bonding activities or virtual happy hours help employees relax and get to know each other better and work better together on joint products. This can be fun within the work space and is a great way to help promote a healthy work-life balance.
- Trust Your Team — Above all else, you need to place trust in your remote team. You cannot look over the shoulders of your remote employees, you need to trust them to make the right decisions in how they conduct themselves at work and trust that they will find the best way to work and accomplish goals on their own. You can guide them along the way, but you cannot do the work for them and need to trust them.
READ MORE: How To Recruit a Global Remote Team
Hire a Remote Team in Central Asia with Truss
When it comes to hiring remote employees in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, Truss has the tools, knowledge, and experience to help you find the perfect fit for your tech company. We know managing a remote team may present a challenge for you and your team and may be uncharted territory — and we want to help. We have created this Manager’s Guide to Remote Work to help get you started and better manage your remote workforce.
Contact Team Truss today for more information on how we can help you recruit and hire a remote team in Central Asia!
