Telecommuting continues to grow in popularity, especially with IT professionals from the millennial generation. In fact, letting your staff work remotely remains an important differentiator between tech organizations competing for the top talent. You need to consider offering this perk to hire the best in the industry.
Keeping your remote IT workers engaged, however, takes a deft hand from management. With that in mind, here are a few ideas sure to help your telecommuters stay inspired and productive when outside the office. Leverage these insights to build a more efficient staff, no matter their location.
Forging Trust Between IT Telecommuters and Their Managers
Studies reveal that nearly two-thirds of all telecommuters worry they aren’t perceived as working hard when not in the office. It is important managers take the steps to forge a level of trust with their remote IT workers. Regular communication plays a key role in building this trust between telecommuters and their employer.
Holding an online meeting at the beginning of each day helps keep everyone on the same page – wherever they reside. This really becomes important if your company follows the principles of Agile for project work. Additionally, ensure your managers acknowledge great work from telecommuters while providing timely and meaningful feedback.
Set Results-Based Goals for Remote IT Workers
Leverage results-based goals for your telecommuters, as it makes it easy to track their work. The best managers understand this basic fact for all their direct reports. Ultimately, it matters that the work gets completed on a timely basis, irrespective of the hours spent on the task.
Personalized goals, made in writing, are another key to success when managing your remote staff. Additionally, make sure to clearly define responsibilities on your team. Again, strong communication helps in this regard.
Using the Right Tools Also Matters
A proper toolset also makes a big difference when managing IT telecommuters. A great communication tool, like Skype or Slack, needs to be part of the equation. Leverage a chatbot for inter-team communication with the added benefit of running builds, tests, and deployments.
Time-tracking tools also make sense, especially if you still manage projects by hours worked. Also, help your remote workers set up their home workspace properly. In essence, it is an extension of the company’s own office space.
When you need advice on building a great tech staff at your company, talk with the insightful team at Venteon. As one of the top IT staffing agencies in Michigan, we also maintain a list of the top candidates in the area. Connect with us today!
