More than ever before, businesses need an effective policy for managing both local and remote workers while keeping their productivity up.

The whirl of changes that occurred following the outbreak of COVID-19 might have a lasting impact on our country’s work culture. Some businesses are opting to keep many — and, in some cases, all — of their employees in remote working arrangements. And moving forward, job candidates may be more likely to expect robust work-from-home policies from potential employers. Regardless, having processes in place to manage employees, wherever they are located, is a necessity for businesses.

Whether you intend to keep more workers remote or bring your team back into one space, make sure you hit these notes in your processes for managing employees.

Clear Communication
Coordinating with remote workers is a bit more complicated than walking over to an employee’s desk for an in-person conversation. Instant messaging or video conferencing platforms may help reduce the distance barrier for remote teams. You’ll need to make sure your team is equipped at their workplace with a microphone, webcam, and any other necessary tools to help facilitate easy communication. You may want to encourage all employees to use the same communication platforms.

Staying Efficient
A potential detriment of your team working separately is the possibility that they feel as though they aren’t part of a team and that might have an impact on their productivity. Having strong communication processes can help maintain performance, improve efficiency, and foster a strong team dynamic, which can be especially important for remote workers. Set a cadence for your workers to have regular check-ins with teams or managers.

Being a Team
Maintaining company culture is important — even more so when your employees are physically distant. Find new ways to come together and keep your company connected. Holding all-staff meetings and virtual “get-togethers” through video conferencing platforms is a good start to keep employees connected. Finally, be sure to continue recognizing and rewarding notable milestones with your whole team present.

While managing remote workers or entire teams isn’t a new task for all business, having detailed processes for managing both local and remote employees may be more important than ever in the post-crisis world.

Find more resources for implementing a work from home policy for your business.