Working virtually at home, at a coffee shop or anywhere else there’s Wi-Fi — is a growing trend in the United States. In the past two decades, the volume of employees who have worked at least partially by telecommuting has quadrupled and now stands at 37%. A significant driver of this stems from VPN technology making it easy to access work systems from nearly any computer. This makes it possible to recruit from almost anywhere in the world, and it’s no surprise that many startups are built with remote teams. From a corporate perspective, it opens up the pool of candidates, and by offering remote work capabilities, it’s a way to retain current employees and boost job satisfaction through a better work-life balance. Here are a few tips on how to successfully manage remote employees.

  • Have regular one-on-one catch ups, including updates and career discussions
  • Establish formal and informal communication channels
  • Create a social on-boarding platform for team members
  • Use video communications such as Skype, Google Hangouts whenever possible
  • Encourage camaraderie through in-person meetups at least twice a year
  • Focus team members on goals and accountabilities
  • Provide technology that supports communication and collaboration
  • Measure the quality and quantity of outcomes
  • Use talent management tools to optimize performance and potential