I Manage an Entirely Remote Team — These Are the 5 Strategies That Helped Us Reach Maximum Productivity Explore human-centered ways of optimizing staff performance in a remote work setting.

Remote work is on the rise — it has been since the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 27% of businesses have their employees doing partially or fully remote work. While having a remote workforce comes with a number of benefits, including lower operating expenses and increased flexibility, it also presents certain challenges that are unique to virtual operations. Fostering personal connections between co-workers and maintaining open communication are undoubtedly more difficult when managing a remote workforce.

As the founder of Outpace, an SEO company with an entirely remote staff, I am no stranger to the challenges of remote leadership. My co-founder and I have needed to be very intentional about the way we manage our team to avoid miscommunication and lack of trust between team members. Over the years, we have developed strategies to overcome the obstacles associated with remote work and have witnessed a significant improvement in our team's ability to collaborate effectively and achieve the goals we set for them. The strategies we use at Outpace can be applied to almost any remote workforce and are designed to enhance staff performance by building trust and streamlining communication.

Related: 5 Ways to Build Remote Leadership Skills

1. Creating opportunities for connection

Connection between employees is vital to workplace productivity. Employees who are easily able to connect with one another are 3.6 times more likely to be productive than those who can't. In a remote setting, fostering meaningful connections between staff can be challenging, but it is possible.

For example, we encourage staff cohesion by organizing virtual game nights every month. The games we play are often centered around problem-solving and provide our employees with the opportunity to share light-hearted anecdotes and learn more about each other. Though they may seem trivial, activities like these help employees build personal relationships that enhance their ability to collaborate on a professional level.

2. Enabling real-time communication

Members of your team should be able to communicate instantly regardless of the distance that separates them. Utilizing software that enables different kinds of online communication is an effective way of facilitating teamwork. Instant messaging, video conferencing and email are all effective methods of communication, each suited to specific situations.

Instant messaging platforms, like Slack, are appropriate for simple questions that can be answered in a few words or sentences, while video conferencing is best suited for topics that require in-depth explanation and dialogue. Email, being the least expedient of the three, is appropriate for formal conversations that need to be documented.

3. Providing structure for teamwork

Creating standard procedures for remote collaboration can greatly improve productivity. For example, having morning meetings to discuss ongoing and upcoming projects ensures everyone is on the same page. Regularly scheduled group meetings save project managers the time of having to answer the same questions repeatedly and provide team members with a designated time period for brainstorming.

Another way to provide structure for teamwork is by implementing a standardized workflow. In other words, a series of steps and substeps should be established for common tasks so that team members are aware of the part they play in each project their organization undertakes. Workspace tools like Notion are an excellent way of organizing and assigning tasks. They provide team members with a complete overview of ongoing projects and allow tasks to pass easily from one person to the next.

4. Allowing flexible work hours

Research shows that employees with full schedule flexibility are 29% more productive and 53% more focused than employees with fixed schedules. Providing your staff with the option to adjust their working hours according to their needs can promote better work-life balance and increase motivation.

At my company, we allow our employees to adjust their schedules as needed, provided that they put in the expected number of work hours each day. This means they can finish early or late, break their working hours into manageable chunks or take longer lunch breaks. By granting our employees the freedom to adapt their schedules, we aim to create a sense of autonomy and communicate our trust in their ability to manage time effectively.

Related: Your Employees Expect Schedule Flexibility. Here's How to Give It to Them.

5. Adjusting to different communication styles

It should come as no surprise that different people have different ways of communicating. What clicks for one person might not make any sense to another. This means that a tailored approach is required for one-on-one interactions with remote employees.

For instance, a team member who tends to be detail-oriented will respond best to a comprehensive breakdown of your expectations for them when discussing a new project. By contrast, a big-picture thinker will respond better to a few general guidelines and a succinct summary of the end goal.

Despite being completely different, both communication approaches are aimed at achieving the same result: getting your message across. When employees have a clear understanding of what you want, they can complete tasks more efficiently and contribute to the smooth operation of your organization as a whole.

Related: How to Communicate With a Global Workforce

Unlock your team's full potential with intelligent remote leadership

The best way to ensure the productivity of your remote staff is by investing in them individually and collectively. Taking the time to get to know them and the way they work ensures better communication and more efficient task completion while providing opportunities for staff to get to know each other enhances collaboration and boosts morale. Moreover, implementing standardized procedures and communication channels facilitates teamwork and can enable your staff to take on more projects. Although managing a remote workforce comes with unique challenges, by following effective leadership strategies, you can make the most of what your team has to offer.