{"id":8977,"date":"2021-10-19T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T10:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=8977"},"modified":"2026-01-29T11:29:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T11:29:19","slug":"hr-managing-remote-teams-effectively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/hr-managing-remote-teams-effectively\/","title":{"rendered":"8 HR tips for managing remote teams effectively"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t8 HR tips for managing remote teams effectively\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Remote work has been on the up for years, with most forward-thinking companies offering this kind of flexibility, at least in some capacity, long before we ever heard of coronavirus or thought about the new normal.<\/p>\n

According to Gartner, 90% of HR leaders<\/a> believe employees will be able to work remotely beyond the pandemic.<\/p>\n

While most organisations have had employees working from home at some point over the past couple of years, they may have done so thinking it was a temporary arrangement rather than a long-term reality.<\/p>\n

At this stage in the game, it\u2019s worth reviewing your processes to make sure you can support dispersed teams while keeping productivity and motivation levels high.<\/p>\n

Managing remote teams is not without its challenges.<\/p>\n

A challenge with remote working is achieving that sense of connection and interaction that you get so easily in the physical workplace when you\u2019re in the same location.<\/p>\n

Address this by communicating regularly with your employees. And make that communication two-way; ask for feedback and show that you\u2019re listening to their needs as an employer.<\/p>\n

As an employer, you need increased visibility over what\u2019s happening, and staying organised becomes one of your top priorities.<\/p>\n

When it comes to managing your employees, you\u2019ll find that some may feel isolated while working remotely, while others might find themselves feeling demotivated, distracted or disengaged.<\/p>\n

In this article, we cover eight tips to help you when it comes to effectively managing your remote team:<\/p>\n

1. Get virtual onboarding right<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Stay connected<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Ditch manual processes<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Balance flexibility with visibility<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Prioritise employee wellbeing<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Switch to self-service<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Reward and recognise your people<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Pay on time, every time<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tDownload your free Remote Working guide<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n

1. Get virtual onboarding right<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s true what they say about first impressions \u2013 you only get one shot at making them.<\/p>\n

As you hire more remote staff, why not make setting up an account on your HR platform<\/a> part of the onboarding process?<\/p>\n

Collect e-signatures, get your new hires added to the system, and away they go with all the information they need to hit the ground running.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the ways you can make sure you give remote hires the warmest possible welcome:<\/p>\n

Make the most of your virtual meeting tools<\/h3>\n

While it might be tempting to turn the camera off on some days, ask your team to make the extra effort to welcome new teammates with cameras on.<\/p>\n

A minor detail, but it makes all the difference.<\/p>\n

Consider a buddy-up system<\/h3>\n

Ask a member of the team to be your new recruit\u2019s guide through the first few weeks of work.<\/p>\n

Knowing that there\u2019s a designated person on hand to answer questions and share the ins and outs of the business will be a big help.<\/p>\n

Create a clear onboarding plan<\/h3>\n

Use a project management platform or, better yet, the onboarding tool that comes with your cloud HR software<\/a> to prepare a clear roadmap for their first few weeks with you, including links to essential reading and vital information about the business and the plans in place for the next quarter.<\/p>\n

Schedule in informal chats with key people from across the business so they\u2019re aware of your new hire and vice versa.<\/p>\n

2. Stay connected<\/h2>\n

Staying connected is a must, remote working<\/a> or not.<\/p>\n

But when you\u2019ve got employees scattered across the globe, the clarity, frequency and timing of your company announcements take on a renewed importance.<\/p>\n

Effective communication helps foster a greater sense of belonging and builds connections at work, and you need more frequent communications to do that in the absence of real-world interactions.<\/p>\n

Need to make a company announcement? Cloud HR software makes it easy to share critical company communications through well-designed, targeted, messaging tailored to suit your audience.<\/p>\n

High-priority or emergency communications, including anything surrounding coronavirus restrictions, could even be sent directly to your employees\u2019 work mobiles or on their personal number if they\u2019ve shared those details with HR.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just about the news and updates.<\/p>\n

Encourage your managers to organise casual video hangouts and team-building activities, creating an opportunity for everyone to unwind, catch up, share a laugh, and keep in touch with their team.<\/p>\n

This helps combat the isolation sometimes felt by remote workers and is especially important for new starters who are just starting to get to know the business and their colleagues.<\/p>\n

Top tip: Embrace feedback and take action<\/h3>\n

Use your HR system to check your communications analytics regularly, and if engagement levels aren\u2019t where they should be, find out why.<\/p>\n

Continuous feedback from your employees gives you valuable insights into what kind of information they need, what formats they enjoy most, and what didn\u2019t quite work for them and why.<\/p>\n

Respond to that feedback and take an iterative approach to improving your communications and boosting your engagement.<\/p>\n

This shows your people you\u2019re not only listening but acting on what they have to say.<\/p>\n

3. Ditch manual processes<\/h2>\n

When it comes to admin, there\u2019s little that can strike fear into the heart of an HR professional like the sight of paperwork piling up \u2013 whether that\u2019s on a desk or in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Holiday requests, expenses, overtime, new starters.<\/p>\n

The list goes on and everything seems to need your attention as soon as possible. Add a remote workforce<\/a> into the mix, and things can quickly get out of hand.<\/p>\n

Automating your admin allows you to streamline day-to-day tasks that are notoriously repetitive and \u2013 let\u2019s face it \u2013 boring.<\/p>\n

With cloud HR, you can create a single system of record for all your data, making it easier to manage core HR operations.<\/p>\n

From recruitment<\/a> right through to engagement, employee management, payroll and beyond, all the information you need is in one place, ready for users to access according to their individual permissions.<\/p>\n

Cloud HR software also eliminates the kind of mistakes that crop up when you\u2019ve got a combination of manual data entry and a dispersed workforce in the mix.<\/p>\n

Having one system of record for all your employee data means you can easily manage core HR operations such as recruitment, employee management and payroll.<\/p>\n

Use the time you\u2019d typically spend scrutinising spreadsheets to look at easy-to-read reports packed with data that you can use to make timely, informed staffing decisions.<\/p>\n

4. Balance flexibility with visibility<\/h2>\n

From increased childcare duties to pets, building works, and general distractions that come with working from home<\/a>, people need more flexibility to shape their workday around life commitments.<\/p>\n

With that, employers need to maintain visibility on what their teams are working on and when they\u2019re in the office without making employees feel as though they\u2019re not trusted.<\/p>\n

A feat easier said than done.<\/p>\n

HR managers need a comprehensive view of all the tasks, processes, communications and organisational structure of their workforce \u2013 and this needs to work remotely and efficiently.<\/p>\n

With the pandemic in play, there is the additional need to track coronavirus-specific absences on top of regular ones, on top of the need to be able to access these services on the go, across devices.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where cloud HR software swoops in again to save the day.<\/p>\n

Your workforce can access it from any device with an internet connection, wherever they are in the world.<\/p>\n

Many come with handy tools to help you manage shift scheduling, so managers have a straightforward view of everyone\u2019s availability, any changes to the schedule, and leave requests \u2013 all from the palm of their hand.<\/p>\n

5. Prioritise employee wellbeing<\/h2>\n

One of the great perks of having all your admin automated is that the time you free up can be used to give more attention to your employees\u2019 health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Making sure your people have the support they need is always important but becomes even more so in challenging times filled with uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Isolation was one of the most widely reported side-effects of working from home through the pandemic. There are ways you can help as an employer, namely through a combination of the following:<\/p>\n