Remote teams are a part of the post-COVID era, especially in areas where work is done with only a computer. Even though some, like Amazon, now require their employees to work on-site again, many modern firms find it unnecessary. Managing remote teams differs significantly from managing teams that work on-site.

The most common concern is that you do not always see the employees, so you don’t know if they are productive. Besides that, there are many other issues.

However, remote work still has benefits, so it is not inherently a wrong setup. It may even be better for your company by winning employees time from commuting and giving them freedom. In that case, you should know how to navigate the challenges associated with remote work.

This article will explore remote teams’ different challenges and the solutions to these problems.

Monitoring the work of employees

The number one concern remote work managers have is the inability to see what each team member is doing. Which task are they working on? Are they even working or doing chores like laundry at home?

Yahoo! and Best Buy had these issues when they tried remote work. The leaked memo from Yahoo! said, “Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.” It insinuates that some employees are slacking off or not working as hard as they should. They had too much freedom. This accountability problem pushed these two companies away from remote work setups.

A quality work management platform can solve this issue. Tools like Uku provide you with a time tracker that records time spent on specific tasks. Furthermore, you can assign specific tasks to specific people and set deadlines. It makes it difficult for an employee to falsify working hours. Managers can monitor their employee’s work by task, client, topic, etc. Everyone’s workload is visualized easily.

Enhanced communication simplifies collaboration

Communication could also be a roadblock in remote work setups. Suppose the members aren’t certain about which tasks have been finished and which ones they need to do and prioritize. It could hamper the team’s productivity.

Yes, you can send emails to one another. However, if those emails are sent only to specific people, other members will still be unaware of the situation, and those emails can still be misinterpreted.

Thus, a single platform where everybody can send and see messages and task progress is essential. Concerned team members can raise questions for clarification. Since all employees will see these messages, replying to their questions will make things clear, ensuring everybody is on the same page.

There are many platforms or apps to enhance communication within a remote team, for example, Slack.

Slack for remote team collaboration

Slack is a communication app for accountants that divides work between channels and direct messages. It’s also free, making it reliable for small businesses. However, you can pay for an upgrade and get more features.

Tip: Use different Slack channels to maintain the “coffee corner” chats. A remote team must maintain the same culture as an office team.

Enhancing security among remote teams

Security is a significant concern for remote teams. You don’t want anyone outside of the company to gain access to your files and servers. Likewise, you wouldn’t want cyber criminals to be able to intercept sensitive information.

Considering this, using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is wise. It encrypts the connection between the remote worker and the company’s internal network, enabling employees to access company servers, intranets, and databases securely.

Many providers offer VPNs with free trials, enabling users to test their services before committing to a subscription. This can be particularly beneficial for remote workers seeking a reliable and secure solution that meets their needs without any upfront cost.

Tackling loneliness in remote teams

Working in an office also means you belong to a community of people with things in common. Not having that community around can make loneliness a problem among remote employees. Many of them will be alone at home. They have to work for hours, and their situation could cause boredom or loneliness. It also makes them crave social interaction.

Accounting firm managers should consider this because an unhappy workforce will inevitably be unproductive or underperforming. It is the manager’s responsibility to take care of employees’ mental health, not just for the sake of the company but also for their sake as individuals.

As a solution, you could host virtual office parties or team lunches. You can also schedule a team meetup if some team members live close. Another way is organize a yearly getaway for all of your employees. It does not have to be a trip to the Caribbean, but it could be a meetup in a local resort. These could add fun to the otherwise monotonous life of a remote worker.

Camaraderie between employees

Camaraderie and teamwork are important for the team’s productivity, efficiency, and overall performance. Relationships are easier to build in in-office setups than in remote work setups. Being able to see each other and spend time with each other gives an advantage.

In remote work, people see each other mostly in monthly or weekly video call meetings. These meetings may not last very long, and not everyone gets involved in some.

That said, you should maximize these meetings to strengthen the bond between the team members. One way of doing it is by giving the team members who excelled that week or month a shoutout. Ask them to give a short message so that other members can also hear their voice and see their personality. It also gives employees a chance to interact with one another.

Conclusion

Managing remote teams is more challenging than you think. Things that aren’t much of a problem in on-site work, like communication and camaraderie, suddenly become issues.

However, remote work has many benefits for both the company and the remote workers. Therefore, you should not give up on it too quickly. Instead, you should learn how to navigate these challenges. For that, you need to be resourceful and innovative. Tools like Uku can be used to solve communication and accountability issues, while a VPN can solve security issues.