Do you trust your employees working from home to deliver at the same level they would from the office?
Whether your team is hybrid or fully remote, if you manage a team that clocks in from home at least part of the time, you’ve likely asked yourself this very question. And you wouldn’t be alone. Today, many companies with remote workers use some form of employee monitoring to track productivity levels and try and catch slackers or rule-breakers in the act. The use of electronic worker surveillance systems has become increasingly common, with 50% of larger companies implementing them in 2023, according to Gartner.
While there’s no legal issue with employers using tracking tools, too much monitoring can seriously backfire. In fact, according to Sage Journal, these tracking systems can actually lead workers to act out by taking more breaks, disregarding instructions, and purposely working at a slower pace. And a recent Glassdoor survey found that 41% of workers say they’re less productive when their work devices are tracked. Point being, when employees feel like they’re being monitored, it can actually harm productivity and defeat the very purpose of the monitoring.
So, how can you ensure your team is productive while still maintaining a sense of trust?
Address the issue head-on
Be open and transparent with your team members when it comes to this touchy subject. Acknowledge the fact that many employers across industries are concerned about employee productivity when working from home while emphasizing that you want your team members to feel trusted and respected. Make it clear that you’re not here to monitor or micromanage them and that your goal is to establish a collaborative partnership where open communication and honesty are embedded in your team dynamics.
Schedule recurring check-ins
When you work from home, it’s important to have weekly syncs with each of your direct reports to maintain a sense of connectedness, even from afar. Use this time to check in, find out how projects are going, and uncover where they may need your help or guidance. Globally, roughly 20% of employees report experiencing a lot of loneliness, per Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report, so these recurring meetings can help you build more meaningful relationships with your team members, improve communication, and ensure they have the support they need.
Ask for weekly updates
Encourage your team members to send you a weekly message with updates on all the projects they’re working on. Doing so promotes accountability, grants you the visibility you need to feel confident things are moving forward, and enables you to effectively advocate for them. These updates don’t need to be super lengthy or detailed – a brief bullet point summary of their progress and any roadblocks they're facing suffices. Since you don’t have the same level of day-to-day visibility you would in an office setting, emphasize that this is for their benefit so that you can acknowledge their achievements, vouch for them when relevant, and ensure they have the resources they need to succeed.
Be a present leader
According to a recent Achievers survey, three-quarters of workers say recognition would inspire them to be more productive. So, make sure you know what your team members are working on to ensure you can maximize engagement and efficiency through meaningful feedback, support, and recognition. Pay attention to exciting projects your employees are taking the lead on and the ways in which they navigate obstacles so that you can reach out when they do something great and spotlight their achievements in larger forums when relevant. Also, when managing a remote team, it can be helpful to check in here and there with other stakeholders who work closely with your team members to get a more well-rounded perspective.
Promote resource-sharing
Effective cross-team collaboration is crucial to ensuring there aren’t isolated pockets of information and that you’re maximizing everyone’s time, even from afar. So, use team meetings to get everyone on the same page, brainstorm solutions to roadblocks, and promote resource-sharing. Encouraging your employees to share best practices and learnings can be a real game-changer when casual coffee chats and pre-meeting small talk aren’t as feasible. When possible, try using a work management platform to make it easy to share resources, provide real-time status updates, and keep team members aligned on ownership and progress.
Prioritize results over timing
Remember that at the end of the day, what matters most isn’t how many hours your team members are glued to their work each day – it’s about the quality of the results they deliver. So, don’t get caught up in tracking their time or testing to see exactly when they’re available. If your team members are delivering excellent work on time, that’s a great sign, and it’s reason enough to trust them.
That said, if you start to feel like they’re not working full days at home, rather than penalizing them, try to find new opportunities to get them feeling excited, motivated, and challenged during their work days.
