9 Tips for Managing Remote Employees in Small Businesses
Today, many businesses utilize remote freelance employees to help increase productivity, and to outsource tasks that can be completed independently. Hiring remote full-time employees can also be an excellent way for businesses to gain access to talent around the world, rather than limiting their talent pool to certain regions. Advances in communication software like Slack have made it easier to collaborate across distributed teams—but managing remote employees still presents considerable challenges, ranging from trying to establish rapport, to ensuring that remote employees are well-equipped to become as productive as traditional employees.
To help reduce the learning curve associated with successfully managing remote employees, we spoke with 9 small businesses that have expertise in this area, and asked them to share their best tips for establishing a successful working relationship with remote employees.
Accessibility Partners tip: Be mindful of those with disabilities
Dana Marlowe, Principal Partner, Accessibility Partners
Sina’s Desk
I don’t just work with one remote employee, I have about a dozen! I manage a few teleworkers, and we provide the budget to create their own workstations, but leave it up to them to choose their own arrangements. At Accessibility Partners, we are firm believes of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and have implemented a strong policy.
With a staff comprised of people with disabilities working all over the country, we let them make their own accommodations for productivity. Within Accessibility Partners, we’ve seen that when an employee purchases an item like a tablet, computer, or phone, they can create a device that truly works for them.
We want all of our workers with disabilities to be successful and productive, and they know what works for them. It’s unfair and impractical to assume a one-size-fits-all mentality with technology, and sometimes you just have to trust a user. They know their abilities and situation better than anyone and our workforce is extremely productive because of it.