Advice for managing a remote team

Anita Tweats, founder of The Finance People, has compiled advice to help companies get the best out of their employees as they work from home.

Anita said: "If you have the technology in place, then that’s a good place to start. The next step is to be clear on what you expect but at the same time trusting the team to work well, efficiently and manage their own time.

“It is also important to be mindful of employees wellbeing. Make sure they stick to set hours and don’t go over. Also encourage them to have regular breaks.”

Be clear on expectations

Working away from the office is less structured and employees need to be clear on what’s expected from them. Agree working hours and availability. Do you want staff to work office hours or is a degree of flexibility built in? If hours are more flexible, be clear who’s working when and make sure staff know if you need them to be contactable during office hours. Discuss daily and weekly tasks, key projects and deadlines to ensure all work is met and completed in time.

Technology

The technology has to be in place for home working to really work. Invest in reliable equipment – you don’t want staff waiting hours for files to download or having conference calls on crackly lines.