Having your workers switch to an off-site work location can feel like a daunting task, especially if you’ve already established an efficient, large-scale workforce from an in-house command center. The change comes with increased communication, management and performance-tracking challenges that can throw a booming company’s growth into the red if not properly managed.
See how you can make a smooth transition with an all-in-one workforce management system.
1. Key Goal-Setting Tactics
To accomplish company-specific goals, set similar responsibilities for employees within the same department to give your workers a competitive edge and allow them to check where they’re falling behind. Create a list of Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound goals, also known as S.M.A.R.T. goals that your employees can accomplish throughout the workday, and supervisors can review with workforce optimization tools for accuracy. At the end of the week, your management team can compare the information with performance metrics and see where individual improvements need to be made.
2. Effective In-house Communication
Scheduled daily check-ins are key to keeping in touch with employees and making sure everyone is present to work. Team calls or one-on-one calls offer an opportunity for supervisors to provide a briefing or for employees to express their concerns and ask questions before they begin their work.
Offer a variety of communication tools such as e-mail or instant messaging in case issues arise or the work requires a visual demonstration. In case of an emergency, make sure to provide ideal times throughout the day for employees to contact your supervisors. When your workers are taking a break, they can enter a “water cooler” channel to vent with fellow coworkers or discuss daily happenings.
3. Provide Opportunity for Improvement
Some employees feel like finding company information is an added obstacle when working from home, since they can’t often hold the phone and ask a nearby coworker. A discreet e-mail from a remote coworker can also lead to misunderstandings, false relays of information or a hangup in communication with the customer.
Instead, companies should provide their remote workers with an inquiry database to refer to when they run into problems. If supervisors feel that a specific employee requires additional training to improve a skillset, they can schedule a time for them to complete an easy-to-use, interactive coaching tutorial. Having a basic understanding of company best practices can drastically improve employee performance and get them out of a jam.
4. Track Performance Metrics
It’s a much more difficult task to target and address problems if your company is transitioning into remote work for the first time. The lack of direct interaction between supervisors and employees creates a sort of “gray zone” where you don’t see the reasons for a workflow inefficiency. Look for a workforce optimization tool that offers a personalized customer service platform that operates from a central command point, monitors each inbound/outbound interaction and securely stores the data in real-time. Check a wide range of metrics on a team or individual basis, so you can automate the management process and maintain a positive customer service front even if working from afar.
5. Offer Bonus Incentives for Improved Morale
The development of an employee’s professionalism is largely attributed to the feedback they obtain from their supervisors, reaching company-specific goals and their job satisfaction. However, without an incentive to grow, remote workers can easily become bored and distracted on the job.
You can increase a worker’s willingness to succeed and improve each customer interaction by offering bonuses for outstanding performance. Use an individual or team-based performance metric system that gives you the flexibility to set up monthly or even weekly competitive prize challenges, which can make remote work much more enjoyable and improve your worker’s overall morale.
Complementarily, you can provide care packages to employees working at home. These packages are often very encouraging to those who receive them since they are a sign that you care about your team.
Optimize Your Remote Workforce & Improve Customer Satisfaction
Whether you’re interested in starting remote work within a new company, switching to remote work from an established company or simply require a solution to better manage your offsite staff, a workforce management platform can assist you in achieving your goals.
