Remote work best practices for managers

Prepare the environment

First, make sure that your employees' workspace and tools are appropriate so they can do their work under optimal conditions. In short, do they have a desk and the resources they need to carry out their tasks properly?

Encourage them, in particular, to set up a dedicated spot for their job at home if possible, and to make sure they are comfortable. If it falls within your scope, don't hesitate to suggest suitable solutions for designing a pleasant workplace.

On top of that, as a manager, it is advisable to pay attention to ergonomics. Look into whether it is feasible for the company to offer the service of an ergonomist at home. An ergonomist's role is to adapt workstations to promote the health and well-being of users. Remember that physical problems caused by poor posture can cost the organization dearly!

Would management also be open to reimbursing the purchase of specific devices that ensure comfort and functionality? Accessories such as telephone headsets or adapted chairs can be especially appreciated.

In short, make sure employees have everything they might need and are well set up to do their work properly and efficiently.

Stay connected

Another remote work best practice is to keep in touch with your employees.

When working remotely, it is easy to become isolated and gradually drift away from your team. As a manager, you may need to make more of an effort to preserve those bonds.

So schedule regular meetings with your talent, both to discuss the work to be done and to exchange news and have more informal conversations. One-on-one meetings and team meetings are essential to take the pulse and stay connected.

But it isn't enough simply to hold meetings. They also have to be relevant and of high quality! Taking into account each person's needs and professional requirements will be essential.

A wide range of tools and platforms help maintain a good connection: Skype, WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, Zoom, Google Meet and Hangouts. Identify the ones that seem most appropriate to you. Use them to make document sharing and joint work easier, but also for fun and lighthearted exchanges. For example, you can take the opportunity to send jokes or memes on Fridays ahead of the weekend!

Track tasks

Tracking the progress of tasks and milestones is another best practice to put in place for remote work.

But above all, remember that to have high-performing employees, you first have to establish effective communication with them. With that in mind, clearly define your expectations and create formal remote-work procedures.

Be sure to schedule regular meetings with all team members in order to follow the progress of projects. Some online platforms can also help, such as Slack and Basecamp. They make it possible to identify at a glance the completed and current tasks, as well as to measure their progress.

But be careful not to fall into micromanagement, where you would closely monitor and control your employees' actions. This type of management sends the message that you see them as irresponsible and that you doubt the quality of their work.

A climate of trust is nevertheless essential to foster the engagement, mobilization and loyalty of your talent.

Tracking should instead be used so that the whole team stays aware of the progress of shared projects. It also allows you to make the most appropriate decisions and to adjust tasks where necessary.

Finally, don't forget to express your recognition to your employees! Short on ideas for doing so? Get inspired here.

Facilitate teamwork

Another remote work best practice is to facilitate collaboration. It is important to find new ways to ensure optimal collaboration and foster productivity, despite the physical distance.

Fortunately, some digital tools are a great help for collaborative work, such as shared-document systems and exchange platforms.

In addition, periodic team meetings make it possible to maintain a shared vision of roles and to align efforts in the same direction.

Foster team cohesion

Beyond team spirit, you will have to foster cohesion in order to maintain or develop a healthy climate.

As a manager, try to find creative ways to bring members together virtually. So plan activities outside the work setting. Of course there are the famous virtual happy hours, but you can also step off the beaten path.

Why not organize a hockey pool in which colleagues create their own team with NHL players and follow the points accumulated in the games to crown a winner at the end of the season? Or schedule yoga sessions over Zoom during lunch hour, or online escape games.

These types of activities stimulate cohesion and foster the development of bonds between people, even when they are not present in the same office.

Encourage disconnecting

The issue of disconnecting while working remotely has been raised for a few years now. It is a safe bet that it will become even more present in the future.

The right to disconnect refers to the possibility for employees to unplug their professional digital tools outside of working hours.

Having your office at home creates a porous boundary between work and personal life. By constantly having our professional tools within reach, it is easy to make ourselves available at all times. This creates a feeling of guilt or an obligation to respond continuously to requests.

As a result, mental load and anxiety increase. Be careful not to fall into this trap!

As a manager, it is your responsibility to encourage this disconnection. On one hand, by avoiding sending messages outside office hours, and on the other, by asking your employees not to do so either.

In addition, suggest periods of unavailability during working hours in which they can disconnect to focus on tasks or take real breaks. They will only be more effective for it!

You can set up a calendar system in which everyone notes the times when they are not available for calls, instant messages and meetings.