In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover key stats on remote worker productivity, common struggles managers face, and actionable solutions to boost productivity for distributed teams.

The Productivity Problem: Stats and Struggles

Recent data reveals the complexities of optimizing productivity for remote employees:

• 22% of companies say measuring remote employee productivity is their biggest struggle.
• 65% of remote workers struggle with collaboration and communication.
• 69% of employees admit to wasting time while working remotely.
• 87% of remote workers feel more productive at home. But only 47% of managers agree.

Why do remote workers struggle to remain productive? Here are some of the most common issues managers’ report:

• Lack of oversight – Without being able to physically monitor employees in an office, it’s much harder for managers to prevent distractions and ensure work gets done efficiently.
• Isolation – Remote workers often feel disconnected from their team and company culture. This lack of socialization and collaboration can negatively impact motivation.
• Communication barriers – Technical issues, time zone differences, and lack of face-to-face interaction make it harder to collaborate effectively. Miscommunications happen more frequently.
• Distractions at home – Remote workers must resist distraction from kids, pets, chores, and more. Self-discipline is required to stay on task.
• No separation between work and life – Remote workers struggle to set firm boundaries between their professional and personal lives. Working from home blurs the lines, leading to burnout.
• Measuring meaningful output – Managers tend to rely on simple metrics like hours logged and tasks completed rather than evaluating work quality. This fails to provide a complete picture.
• Lack of technical support – Remote workers often lose productivity waiting on IT support and troubleshooting technical problems on their own. Having reliable tools is critical.
• Employee monitoring concerns – While oversight is needed, workers may resent strict monitoring like screenshot captures or video surveillance. Managers must find a comfortable balance.

Tracking Productivity: Tactics and Technology

Boosting remote worker productivity requires a multifaceted approach. Below we outline actionable strategies and tools managers can implement:

1. Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Remote workers need clarity on what they should be achieving. Set SMART goals that align to business objectives and key results. Define quantitative and qualitative success metrics for goals. Communicate availability expectations and response time requirements.

2. Foster Communication and Collaboration

Actively work to prevent remote teams from feeling disconnected. Encourage employees to overcommunicate progress and seek clarification, especially when collaborating on projects. Make use of digital tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Asana, and Zoom to enable real-time discussion. Host regular video calls for social facetime.

3. Track Time and Progress

Gain visibility into how remote teams spend their time. Use time tracking software like Time Tracker to have your team track their hours remotely. Review reports regularly to verify time investments and identify efficiency opportunities.

4. Prioritize Wellbeing

Prevent burnout by encouraging remote employees to take breaks, unplug after hours, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Consider providing wellness benefits like gym memberships, meditation apps, or mental health counseling. Emphasize work output over hours logged.

5. Leverage Asynchronous Communication

Accommodate remote workers across different time zones. Utilize tools like Slack, Trello, and Asana to facilitate communication that doesn’t require real-time discussion. Empower employees to work when they are most focused and productive.

6. Automate Repetitive Processes

Look for ways to automate repetitive tasks like data entry, documentation, and reporting. Tools like Zapier, IFTTT, and Integromat can connect apps to streamline workflows. Evaluate processes that can be optimized or eliminated altogether.

7. Conduct Regular Check-ins

Don’t just rely on progress reports. Schedule weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with remote employees to provide feedback, recognition, and guidance. Ask about any roadblocks or issues impacting their work. Check-ins help build trust and keep teams feeling motivated.

8. Encourage Peer Learning Opportunities

Capitalize on the diversity of skills across remote teams. Enable employees to share expertise through mentoring programs, lunch-and-learns, documentation, and more. Dedicate time for peer knowledge transfer during meetings.

9. Monitor and Refine Processes

Continuously assess what’s working and what’s not. Encourage remote workers to share feedback on their biggest productivity challenges. Use tools like surveys and focus groups to identify areas for improvement. Refine processes frequently based on learnings.

10. Set Up Proper Equipment

Provide remote employees with essential hardware like laptops, monitors, headsets, and keyboards. Offer tech support and equip workers to troubleshoot basic issues on their own. Proper tools and infrastructure prevent productivity lags.

11. Recognize and Reward Success

Motivate remote teams by calling out great work. Highlight productivity gains publicly. Incentivize goals through rewards like gift cards, additional PTO, or company swag. Celebrate wins virtually.

12. Lead by Example

Managers set the tone for productivity expectations. Be available when expected. Meet deadlines consistently. Don’t burn out your team with unrealistic demands. Set up your own home office properly. Learn productivity best practices yourself first.

Manage Remote Teams with Time Tracker

Time Tracker can optimize productivity for remote teams by allowing teams to track their hours spent on projects and tasks. This will provide visibility into how remote teams spend their time with automated time logs. Our comprehensive time tracking platform gives managers the oversight required to keep remote teams productive. Become the leader your distributed team needs to thrive in the future of remote work and try Time Tracker’s free 14-day trial.

The post Here’s How to Track Productivity of Remote Workers appeared first on eBillity.

In this blog, we’ll explore various solutions to improve team building for remote workers, with a special focus on the transformative potential of digital tools.

Craft a Team Building Action Plan

If you are to successfully improve team building for your remote team, you’ve got to start with crafting a team-building action plan.

Start by defining the specific goals for your remote team-building efforts. Here, you’ll need to consider what you want to achieve, whether it’s improved communication, better trust, increased morale, or enhanced problem-solving skills.

It’s best to mention that for this first step to be successful, you’ve got to inspect the current dynamics and challenges of your remote team. You might need to conduct surveys or in-person meetings to gather feedback from your team.

Having determined the objectives and understood current dynamics, you can now select appropriate activities.

Virtual Team Building Activities

There are team-building activities that you can weave in to bring a bit of fun into your remote employees’ day. These include:

1. Scheduling Weekly Virtual Chats

Consider scheduling weekly virtual meetings for remote teams as these provide opportunities for team members to connect, communicate, and build stronger bonds, despite the physical distance.

To successfully implement this strategy, start by setting clear objectives for the virtual chats. This could be, for instance, team building, project updates, or simply social interactions. Starting with a clear objective means that you can successfully guide the content and structure of said meetings.

Further, when scheduling weekly virtual chats, you need to choose a suitable time and duration. Here, you ought to keep in mind the time zones and availability of the different team members. An insider tip would be to aim for a consistent day and time each week and keep the meetings reasonably short.

For these weekly virtual chats, make sure you select the right video conferencing tools that support interactive features like screen sharing, chat, and breakout rooms.

Once set up, start each meeting with a brief icebreaker or team-building activity. This should create a positive and interactive atmosphere. Go further and encourage open discussion by encouraging the members to share their thoughts, ask questions, and seek input from other members.

Regular weekly virtual chats are a powerful tool for remote teams to stay connected and build strong working relationships. Remember to start with clear objectives, and structure, and emphasize open communications.

2. Create Separate Channels for Team Building

An insider tip is to create a separate channel or space for team building within your remote team’s communication platform or tool. In doing so, you ensure that team-building activities and discussions aren’t drowned out by work-related conversations. What’s more, these dedicated channels ensure that all team members are aware of team-building activities and events. The outcome is streamlined event planning.

Additional benefits to having a separate channel for team building include:

• Clear communication
• Greater sense of community
• Greater participation
• Positive team culture

3. Inject the Right Games into Workdays

Introduce some levity into your workdays with a few games. These games can build camaraderie, strengthen communication, and boost team morale. Some of the games you could play with your remote team include:

• Virtual Trivia
• Online Escape Rooms
• Virtual Scavenger Hunt
• Pictionary or Charades
• 30-Second Pitch
• Virtual Poker Night
• Collaborative Online Games like Among Us, Minecraft, or Fortnight

Offer Peer-to-Peer Learning Opportunities

A great way to improve team building for your remote teams is to offer peer-to-peer learning opportunities. The latter has a host of benefits including:

• Knowledge sharing and skill development
• Enhanced problem-solving
• Improved collaboration
• Increased engagement
• Customized learning

To achieve peer-to-peer learning, start by identifying areas of peer learning. This could include skills related to the job, soft skills, tools, and software, or even personal development. Thereafter, create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their expertise. You should then consider creating a peer learning framework which could include regular peer-led training sessions, knowledge-sharing forums, or mentorship programs.

Budget for Occasional In-Person Meetings

To complement your virtual team-building efforts, consider making plans for occasional in-person meetings. Specifically, consider allocating some resources for in-person meetings as part of your team building for remote workers’ strategy. With face-to-face interactions, team members can build stronger personal relationships, foster trust, and camaraderie, and overall, enhanced cohesion.

Besides, these meetings create an opportunity for team bonding through shared experiences. When the teams engage in team-building exercises, share group meals, or go on a recreational outing, there’s a possibility that they can build lasting connections.

Consider including some training or development activities at these in-person meetings, such as hands-on workshops or team-building exercises. When conducted in person, these have been proven to be more impactful.

Additionally, consider celebrating milestones at these in-person meetings. The shared celebration of success boosts morale and reinforces a sense of accomplishment.

Finally, occasional in-person meetings bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds. This provides the opportunity for cultural exchange. Oftentimes, the outcome is a deeper understanding of each other’s perspective.

Time Tracker: Your Teamwork Accelerator for Remote Success!

In the remote work ecosystem, team building for remote workers is paramount to success. Time Tracker by eBillity offers a powerful solution that not only enhances team scheduling and notifications, but also significantly improves teamwork among remote teams. By simplifying the coordination of team meetings, project deadlines, and training sessions, Time Tracker ensures that the team operates seamlessly. The real-time notifications provided by Time Tracker keep team members informed and connected, encouraging effective communication and collaboration. Whether you’re coordinating virtual team-building activities, sharing project updates, or scheduling training sessions, Time Tracker is the linchpin in enhancing teamwork and building stronger connections within your remote team. Embrace this opportunity to streamline your remote team’s communication and collaboration by starting your 14-day free trial today!

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