Having your staff telecommute can do a lot to increase productivity and improve morale, but ground rules must be put in place to encourage accountability. Monitoring telecommuters is a necessity in this situation, because you need to have some way of verifying that work is getting done, and that employees are all on the same page.
Best Practices for Monitoring Telecommuter Employees
There are several proven ways of keeping track of telecommuter employees, methods that you should utilize to get the most out of your staff. These include:
Create a reporting system Each employee is responsible for getting certain things done. To ensure that this is happening, you need to have a system in place where telecommuters can report what they have done each day. This can be as simple as an email at the end of the day, or a call to a manager, or even a specific software solution for your industry. How you choose to do it will depend on your company, but a reporting schedule must be maintained, preferably daily.
Have regular hours Employees tend to get more done when they have a predictable schedule. Have telecommuters work the same hours as your in-house staff. This keeps them on the same page with everyone, and makes communication easy between telecommuters and the office.
Have them come in periodically Many businesses have telecommuters come in to work in the office a few days each week. This is a good way to keep these employees feeling like they are part of the company. Whether you have them come in and work in a team space, or in a designated office, they are likely to feel more accountable to the business if they feel they are part of the team.
Maintain regular face-to-face meetings Teleconferencing is great for an everyday communication solution, but it does not beat the face-to-face meeting for building trust and relationships. Have telecommuters come in and meet with their manager on a regular basis. A weekly meeting with the manager will help the employee know what is expected, and will allow the company to keep track of what work is getting done.
Keeping telecommuting employees in the loop, through regular communication and in-person contact, is the best way to keep track of what he or she is doing. Businesses that want to take advantage of all the benefits of telecommuters will maximize their returns through consistent, responsible monitoring.
Contact Hyperspace to learn about more options for ensuring productivity in the workplace.