There’s no getting around it: this pandemic is forcing more and more people to work remotely. A survey conducted by Seyfarth Shaw Law Firm shows that more than 65% of employers are making arrangements to give in-office employees the ability to work from home.
Business owners have debated the benefits of having remote employees since Zoom became a thing. “Won’t people slack off if they’re working from home?” you might think, “Am I just paying George to sit in his PJs all day?”
Well, your employees might be wearing pajama bottoms, but they’re still getting their work done.
Believe it or not, this “new normal” isn’t bad news for your agency. In fact, remote workers are about 35 – 40% more productive than their in-office peers. Employee satisfaction is higher overall as well, which leads to less turnover. And if that wasn’t reason enough: organizations could save an average of $11,000 annually for every part-time telecommuter.
Even if you know the value of remote work, implementation is another beast entirely. I’ve been working and managing remote teams for 4 years. In that time, I’ve learned how agency leaders can keep their sanity while managing a remote team.
If you’re new to the world of agency telework, check out these 5 curated tips to help you manage your team more efficiently.
5 tips for managing a remote marketing agency
1. Choose the right technology stack
Set yourself up for success right out of the gate. Make sure you have the right software and hardware for remote work.
The hardware you’ll need is pretty straightforward: a laptop, secure wifi, and preferably a cell phone. If your employees don’t have this tech (which would be weird in 2020, but it happens), you’ll need to front the cost. Or, if you ask employees to use their personal devices for work, offer a stipend to cover the cost. It sucks, but it’s the right thing to do to keep everyone productive.
That was the easy part.
Software can get overwhelming because there are a lot of options out there. Check out this list of my favorite software for tasks like project management and video conferencing.
Though they all serve a similar purpose, there are some unique features to each software, so do your research to find the best option for your business.
Project management software
- Asana
- Teamwork
- Monday
- Outlook
- Gmail/G Suite
Chat
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Discord
Video conferences
- Zoom
- Google Hangouts
- Go To Meeting
Scheduling tools
- Calendly
- Boomerang Calendar
- Doodle
Time tracking
- Toggl
- Harvest
- TSheets
Collaboration
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- OneDrive (Microsoft)
- iCloud (Apple)
2. Focus on KPIs, not butts in seats
Key performance indicators, or KPIs, are metrics that evaluate the success of your business objectives. Attrition rates, team effectiveness ratios, and project delivery times are common productivity-focused KPIs.
Remote employees are more satisfied with their jobs and are less likely to leave than their in-office peers. In part, this may be because employers are more focused on their output, rather than petty things that don’t matter—like the time spent in front of a computer screen.
So what, exactly, should you be tracking to ensure your remote team remains productive?
The (not so easy) answer is: It depends.
Your KPIs will vary depending on your overall business goals, as well as your employee responsibilities and individual goals. The good news is, there are plenty of resources to help you take your business goals and convert them into individual KPIs.
Once you have your KPIs figured out, you also need to establish a review schedule so you can make sure you (and your team) are on track. Your review schedule will vary based on the timeline for each KPI. For example, your annual KPIs should be reviewed monthly, your monthly KPIs should be reviewed weekly, and so on.
3. Tell your clients what’s happening
Let’s be honest: we’ve all been getting hard phone calls lately. And you’ve got to make a hard phone call to your clients. Be honest and upfront on where their account is at. This is critical to help you manage their expectations.
This means explaining that all in-office meetings are off the table for the foreseeable future. Some clients really like face-to-face interaction, but you’ll need to stress that (for now) it’s video calls only.
Let them know whether they should expect delays as you transition from in-office to remote work, and if there are any changes that need to be made to your contract. And, of course, let them know if you will be remunerating them for their trouble.
4. Give your employees confidence
These are trying times. A lot of people are getting furloughed and even fired because of the pandemic. You need to help your employees feel confident in their jobs so they can focus on client projects, and not worrying about their livelihood.
So what’s the best way to boost your team’s confidence?
Transparency.
Lack of communication makes people feel uneasy. Right or wrong, we humans tend to assume the worst. This is why it’s crucial that you keep your team in the loop. It may be hard for some employees to transition to the remote world—help them feel connected by keeping those lines of communication open.
There’s something to be said for genuine appreciation, too.
People are feeling anxious right now—worried about their health and the health of their loved ones. It can be hard to remain focused given everything that is going on. Letting employees know you appreciate their efforts can go a long way to boost their confidence.
5. Get creative
If you have a business that relies on in-person contact, you aren’t doing well right now. So what does that mean for you? Is all hope lost?
Of course not!
It simply means that it’s time for you to think outside the box. What can you do to stay afloat? Can you do direct mail? What about virtual marketing events?
There are so many options out there to help you hold your in-person meetings or events in the digital space, and many of them are free. Try options like:
- Augmented and/or virtual reality
- Video conferences (literally—as in, musicians are doing conferences on video chat)
- IGTV
- Watch parties (through Facebook or Netflix Party)
- Regular coworking sessions to keep your team connected (these aren’t “meetings”, but simply people working on their projects while connected)
Figure out what would work best for your agency and implement it, boss!
The Bottom Line
There’s no doubt that managing a remote agency has its own challenges. Understand that there will be some growing pains if you have an in-office team that’s suddenly working remotely. By giving your team the right tools and support, you may be pleasantly surprised at just how much your agency can flourish, even during these difficult times.