Why management skills are invaluable in the age of remote working

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses and companies all around the world have resorted to employees working remotely.

Managing a workforce in-office can be challenging at times, and even more so when employees are working from home.

Although establishing remote working policies in advance is always recommended, the uncertainty of the pandemic has made this level of preparation somewhat unfeasible.

This is why management skills are absolutely invaluable in the age of remote working. If you are considering enrolling in a Masters Of Management course, you've come to the right place.

Today, we have a look at the role that management skills play when working out of the office, so read on to find out more.

In order to fully understand the need for proper management, we have to first identify some of the common challenges of remote work.

Traditional office jobs require employees to clock in and out at the same time everyday.

This means waking up, getting ready and commuting to work on a daily basis. Other routines such as having a lunch break at a certain time every day also help to create a structure to the day which can sometimes be missing if an employee is working remotely.

When working from home, distractions are plenty and routine sometimes gets thrown out of the window. Many employees admit to struggling with time management when working from home which can greatly affect productivity levels.

Loneliness is another common complaint about remote working as employees inevitably miss out on daily interactions with colleagues and co-workers.

Over a long period of time, social isolation can cause employees to feel disconnected from their organisation and may even lead to increased intention to leave the company.

We're all human, and sometimes what we need the most is face to face supervision.

Without in-person supervision, employees may tend to struggle from the reduced access to managerial support and communication.

In some cases, employees may even feel that an organisation may be in touch with their needs, and thereby are neither supportive nor helpful in getting their work done efficiently.

On the flip side, this lack of face to face communication can be just as much of a problem for management that may struggle to ensure that employees aren't slacking off or working as efficiently as expected.

Last but not least, distractions can play a major role in the efficiency of remote workers.

With things such as children, pets, televisions, phones and even the refrigerator in close proximity, it is no surprise that many remote workers struggle to stay focused throughout the workday.

This may be further exacerbated if an employee doesn't have a dedicated or personal space such as a home office to operate from and has to instead contend with sub-optimal workspaces.

Now that we've glanced through the challenges of remote working, let's have a look at the role of effective management and its importance in a remote workforce.

Everyone has their own idea of what productivity looks like. However, everyone's idea of what productivity is may not be in line with company expectations and guidelines.

This is why it is crucial for management to set clear expectations from the get go. Not only will these expectations help the transition from office to remote, but they will also ensure that everyone is on the same tier of expected productivity and efficiency.

One of the most helpful things a manager can do in these unprecedented times is to ensure that they schedule daily check-ins with all employees via phone or video call.

Aside from providing face to face interaction, these routine check-ins are incredibly beneficial especially for employees who may be struggling with structure, routine and time management.

Keeping up with employee productivity and performance is paramount in the age of remote working.

Thus, productivity and progress metrics should be reviewed by managers and discussed on a regular basis.

Providing regular feedback to employees is essential in keeping them accountable, especially when they are working from home.

An effective manager will be able to accomplish this in order to boost productivity levels and improve employee engagement and motivation.

Remember how we talked about the crisis of lonely remote workers? Unfortunately, we are still in the middle of a pandemic which makes it challenging for managers to organise events for social interaction.

This doesn't mean that it's impossible, though. One of the most essential steps a manager can take in the age of remote working is to structure innovative ways for employees to interact socially, whether that be through virtual Pizza parties or get togethers on apps such as Houseparty or Google Hangouts.

While these types of events may not be as appealing as actually heading to the local bar, experienced managers of remote workers report that virtual events are a very effective way of reducing feelings of isolation and promoting a sense of belonging.

Last but not least, effective management skills also include ensuring that employees are listened to and given support when needed.

Times are challenging, and ensuring that employees' anxieties, concerns and worries are listened to is vital.

Research shows that a vast majority of employees actually look to managers for cues about how to react to crises, making it all that more important that managers are able to set some time aside to provide emotional support for their team.

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As you can see, effective management skills are an absolute necessity in the age of remote working in order to ensure that productivity levels are maintained and employees are well provided for both in the world of career and emotions.

Are you currently managing a remote workforce? Let us know some of your own tips for managing your remote employees in the comments!