7 Ways to Build a Stronger Connection to Your Remote Workers

When employees are working remotely, it may be difficult to find what they really need to ensure their success. Here are some of the ways to help connect to and build stronger relationships with your remote employees.

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1. Help them continue to learn. Leaders must think of themselves as coaches. Ask any leader, and they will tell you that they got to where they are because of the many people that have affected their lives in a positive way. Communicating frequently as you coach serves a dual role—building skills and building stronger relationships. A trusting relationship opens the door for honest conversations. 

2. Be a good listener. Sometimes being the boss really means less talking and more listening. Extraordinary managers solicit feedback, listen to opinions, and act on that intelligence. The more we listen the more we “hear” things that help or hinder people’s moving forward. 

3. Follow up. We all get busy. But employees should always be a top priority, particularly when they’re offsite.  Don’t ignore them or their needs. They need direction, deadlines and timely feedback. It’s also helpful to do a debrief at the end of a project so you can discuss what went right and what needs improvement.

4. Get plenty of face time to build trusting relationships. Whether it is in person, over the phone or a video conference, successful managers hold one-on-one meetings with each of their direct reports. If your employees are in the office less, coordinate your schedules so that you are at work when your employees are there. This could be a set time each week or during "core hours" when everyone is present (if your company operates that way). Talk about real issues of importance to employees, the work or the company in general.

5. Be available. When you have an open-door policy or “management by walking around” you get to know employees and they you, building rapport.  To achieve this same relationship with remote workers,  make yourself available when they text, email, or call in to speak to you. Or call back immediately. Treat your employees with the same priority you would your customers.

6. Hold ad hoc meetings. Check in with employees regularly. When they know you’re available, they’re more apt to let you know things they need or tell you about issues in the field. A quick call is the best way. With video conferencing services, you can speak with multiple people simultaneously over video. Or you might consider services like WebEx, Zoom or Go To Meeting that allow white boards, polling, interaction and tools helping you to know who is paying attention.

7. Stay social. Feeling detached from others is possibly the biggest hurdle remote workers must overcome. This is where a good manager can have an impact. Set aside time to regularly keep your team members in the loop on company events, and consider having a virtual "stay connected" lunch or happy hour to talk about topics that may not be work related. 

Telecommuting is not without its tradeoffs, and the risk of invisibility is certainly one of them. But when you treat employees with the same high level of respect given to in-office workers, they will go over and above expectations for you.