The IT Challenges of Managing a Remote Team

Over a period, the hybrid and remote work model has been extensively studied and documented. While many organizations were hesitant to switch to remote work, the pandemic forced them to make the transition. This gave them the chance to see firsthand the advantages of remote work, including reduced office space and operational overhead costs. Additionally, employees reported higher levels of engagement and overall satisfaction once freed from the confines of their physical workspaces.

Naturally, managing a decentralized team presents unique challenges. Although some organizations may have discovered a successful remote work strategy, many others experience diminished productivity, staff turnover, and communication barriers. This post will explore the obstacles inherent in the remote work environment, the role of IT in supporting it, and what steps IT experts can take to assist businesses in supervising remote workers.

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Top Challenges of the remote workplace

Communication

While many people consider communication as the main challenge of remote work, it's unclear whether this is an actual issue or just a difference in how people communicate. Although remote communication options are abundant, traditional spontaneous communication such as chatting around the water cooler or visiting a co-worker’s office is not possible in remote settings. Nonetheless, there are ways to maintain casual communication even at scale, such as utilizing tools like Slack in the workplace. It's a misconception that all communication must be planned and scheduled. So, the challenges of remote work can be addressed with creative solutions.

Team cohesion

Managing in-office staff and remote workers equally can be a challenge for some businesses. In-office employees have more face-to-face interaction and may receive additional attention or perks. Consequently, remote workers may feel disconnected from the rest of the team. To create a more inclusive work environment, businesses can take steps like including remote workers in meetings and providing meals delivered via UberEATS during office lunch.

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Micromanaging

Some managers may feel the need to excessively monitor remote employees due to the physical distance between them. However, repeatedly checking in, asking for constant updates, and providing unwanted feedback can hinder productivity instead of helping. Rather than focusing on minute-to-minute activity, it is recommended to adopt a leadership approach that prioritizes achieving goals. While occasional check-ins can help, building a culture of trust is essential for success when managing remote workers, instead of resorting to micromanagement.

Building trust

Establishing trust in a remote work setting is a mutual process that requires both employers and employees to take initiative. As the primary representatives of the company, it is the responsibility of management to foster an environment of empathy and support for remote workers. Building a cohesive team is also essential, and virtual team-building activities such as online social events or games can help achieve this goal.

Productivity

One major concern for businesses transitioning to a remote work model is whether their employees will remain productive. This often leads to micromanagement, which can be counterproductive. Instead, it's best to introduce project management software to help track progress and milestones. While IT professionals are familiar with these tools, other departments may not be. Introducing a suitable software solution can help empower management to monitor work without resorting to constant updates from employees.

Workload management

The loss of face-to-face interaction poses the challenge of accurately assessing employee workloads. Achieving a balance where each employee is neither overworked nor underworked is difficult, even in a physical office setting, let alone in a remote one. Therefore, managers must actively seek out ways to assess workloads and prevent employee burnout.

Engagement

Maintaining employee engagement can be a challenge when working remotely. While it may not be a major issue at the outset of a remote work transition, it can become problematic over longer periods of time. Certain individuals may feel disconnected from others and the company's purpose without face-to-face interaction. Providing consistent feedback, recognizing good work, and taking steps to help remote workers feel connected to the company's vision can help address this issue.

Boundaries

When working from home, it cannot be assumed that employees are always working or reachable. In comparison to a physical office, remote work loses the advantage of being able to clock out and leave work behind at the end of the day. As a result, the boundaries between work and personal life can become blurred in a home office. It is the employee's responsibility to manage this dynamic within their own home, but employers can aid by establishing set hours for remote workers to be available for calls and meetings. Additionally, employers should avoid contacting remote workers outside of normal business hours.

Distractions

In an office, the environment can be more easily controlled to minimize distractions, but remote workers may face various obstacles while working from home. Pets, children, games, and TVs are just some examples of distractions that they may have to deal with. To promote a focused work environment, employers can suggest remote workers to set aside a designated space in their home for work purposes only. Additionally, organizations have found that providing incentives for quality work and attendance can help promote productivity in general.

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How To Easily Set Up and Manage Remote Teams

To effectively support telework, it is important for a business owner or IT professional to plan their approach. This helps to prevent any potential disruptions, such as downtime, decreased productivity, or the introduction of cybersecurity risks. A good starting point is to create a clear outline that documents how the remote work model will be configured and implemented.

With the rise of remote work, it's becoming increasingly important for businesses to provide secure and reliable network access to their remote workforce. If you're looking to set up remote network access for your organization, here are seven steps to help you establish an effective system:

1. Identify Your Remote Users To start, you need to know who your remote users are. Are they individuals, remote networks, or both? This information will help you determine what kind of remote access solutions you need to implement.
2. Connect Your Users In a hybrid environment, you'll need to connect your mobile users, telecommuters, and office users. You can do this by choosing the right remote access solutions such as thin-client, web-based application, or client/server.
3. Define How Users Will Connect to the Network Once you've identified your remote users and connected them, you need to establish how they will connect to your network. This will depend on the remote access solutions you have chosen.
4. Determine Support and Remote Access Software Ensure you have the appropriate Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools to support your remote users. These tools should make it easy for you to provide remote support and fix issues on the fly.
5. Establish Effective Data Backup Policies Your remote users need to have effective data backup policies in place to protect their work. Ensure you test these solutions regularly to ensure they work when needed.
6. Set Up Security and Authentication Security is vital when it comes to remote access. Ensure you have firewalls and VPNs in place to protect your network. For added security, enable IPSec and/or SSL encryption.
7. Educate Your Users Invest time in educating your remote users on how to use the tools and systems provided to them. This will help them avoid potential security risks and work more efficiently.

By following these seven steps, you'll be well on your way to setting up an effective remote network access system for your business.

Boundary Less IT Management with RMM

The move towards remote work and telecommuting presents a variety of unique obstacles, particularly with respect to the technology and tools utilized to support it. IT departments must adjust not only to the company's data flow but also guarantee the security and continuity of operations for all employees, regardless of their location, as businesses adapt to remote work. To meet this need, many organizations employ managed service providers who are armed with remote monitoring and management (RMM) software and PSA that allow them to safeguard and troubleshoot every device on the network, regardless of their location. In summary, the contribution of managed service providers in maintaining a successful remote work environment cannot be overstated.