Thanks to the latest advances in business technology, it’s never been easier for colleagues and co-workers to connect with one another. And yet, there are still some challenges with keeping your team on the same page. That’s largely due to the number of dispersed workers in today’s companies. These are any and all employees who aren’t present with the rest of the team—delivery truck drivers, field reps, warehouse workers, or even employees who are working from home.
To align all these dispersed employees, it’s important to do some remote management—and there’s business technology that can help with that! In this post, we’ll address some of the challenges and also some of the possibilities inherent to staff management in the age of remote employment.
Understand the Needs
First and foremost, it’s important to understand where your remote management needs are. You have some employees who you probably see often—but what about non-desk workers? These are typically the ones who don’t feel engaged or connected with the rest of the team.
These non-desk workers may fit any of the following criteria:
- They may be based in diverse geographic locations.
- They may make infrequent visits to the main office.
- They may have limited computer access during the day.
- They may have very few options for securely accessing key documents.
- They may find it challenging to communicate with their workplace peers.
Before going any further, it’s important to recognize the employees who struggle to connect.
Start Connecting Early On
Another key consideration for remote work management? Make sure you address it during the onboarding process. As soon as you hire a non-desk or remote employee, start helping them to feel connected. Some tips:
- Make sure you introduce these people to senior management members and department heads—with face-to-face meetings whenever possible.
- Give a full company tour, if possible. A virtual one will do in a pinch.
- Spend time with them—and your IT team—helping them understand all the tools and business technology solutions they have for communicating and connecting.
- Always be sure you hammer home the company’s mission and values. This helps foster a sense of belonging.
Embrace Mobile
Since non-desk workers obviously won’t have easy access to desktop computers, it’s vital to provide them with some lines of communication that they can access from their mobile devices. This is where it’s critical for your IT team to develop some robust remote work tools. Some examples:
- Ensure mobile-optimized versions of your business website, intranet, and any internal apps.
- Use brand apps for popular mobile tools, such as Dropbox or OneDrive.
- Invest in enterprise-level social networking apps—Skype, Slack, etc.
The bottom line is that your non-desk employees need every possible avenue to feel connected to the team—and you, in turn, need to provide as many options as you can to ensure staff management. That goes beyond just offering some apps and tools. It really requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses all the needs of your dispersed employees.
Learn More About Business Technology from Salient Networks
Whether you are seeking the best tools, trying to develop your strategy, or need an IT expert who can help train your team, Salient Networks is here to assist.
We are a nationally known provider of work technologies that improve team communication. We serve many different industries with wireless connectivity options, and would love to help develop the right options to keep your team connected.
To learn more about effective management of your non-desk employees, contact the experts at Salient Networks today.