How to manage employees who don't work in the office

Trust is the key when using 'virtual' workers. Image: Nokhoog Buchachon Free Digital Photos

Traditional performance management methods have not adapted to reflect this change and so it can be hard for managers to find their feet or feel they are in control of their staff.

Karen Luyt from the University of Pretoria, who has studied the impact of 'virtual' staff on the role of managers, found that physical distance should not erode trust.

Here is some advice for handling 'virtual' staff:

• Managers must show a willingness to trust their employees to perform. Often managers feel if the staff are not there they are losing control or impose external monitoring, which is not a good thing. Gavin Olivier, a partner and managing executive at performance agency LRMG, says micro-management is not a solution. "The key is to stay connected through regular interaction and to ensure performance feedback is open and honest. Employees need to feel trusted while still having the flexibility to work," he says;
• Feedback, says Olivier, is crucial. Workers need to keep their managers informed and copied on discussions and e-mails to reinforce trust;
• When employees do not play by the rules, there is a loss of trust, which tends to lead to micro-management, says Luyt. Trust must be rebuilt to repair the working relationship;

• Whatever the nature of the relationship there should be more trust than control, says Luyt. "If the employee is given the freedom to deliver autonomously, the manager is able to build trust through good relationships and staying involved. The individuals, in turn, are transparent about their actions and deliver on time," she adds.

Source: Business Times via I-Net Bridge