| Technology is a powerful tool that will continue to | | | | their own time? |
| affect the working environment. The ability to | | | | -Communication - create guidelines on how you |
| stay connected no matter where the employee is | | | | expect them to communicate back to you on the |
| located, allows companies to be more flexible with | | | | status of their work. Do you want a report every |
| their business decisions and with employees. | | | | morning or weekly updates? |
| Most companies still operate from a physical | | | | -Accountability - be clear on their deliverables and |
| space though they are using technology and | | | | insure they stay accountable to those |
| incorporating a virtual employee model into their | | | | expectations. |
| business. Why would companies promote virtual | | | | -Bring them in on a regular basis to meet with the |
| employees? They can have access to talent that | | | | other employees. |
| don't want to move, can create a national sales | | | | ==>Communication |
| presence with minimum overhead costs, or a | | | | The most important element in successfully |
| benefit they offer to high performing employees. | | | | managing a virtual employee is communication. |
| Whatever the business reason, virtual employees | | | | Since virtual employees on not on-site, they are |
| are multiplying in work environments. | | | | often times feel left out in the communication hub. |
| As a manager, you already been faced with | | | | For them, communication about any business |
| challenges in managing your staff and the | | | | changes or projects is critical to their productivity. |
| workflow of your unit. What happens when you | | | | To insure they are happy with their virtual role, |
| are not able to physically see what an employee | | | | find avenues for them to stay connected with |
| is doing....how do you manage them? | | | | the other team members. For example, have a |
| ==>Ways to Manage | | | | company blog, intranet, or newsletter that can |
| -Make sure the employee is comfortable being | | | | contain business and employee highlights. |
| separate from the rest of the team? | | | | As a manager, you will need several forms of |
| -Do they have enough job knowledge to work on | | | | communication: email, telephone, conference calls, |
| their own with limited supervision? | | | | webcam and face-to-face meetings. Do not rely |
| -Have they executed effectively in the past on | | | | on email as your only form of communication. In |
| their projects? | | | | an email, a virtual employee does not have the |
| -Insure that they have all the tools they need to | | | | ability to read faces or listen to the voice tones |
| operate from their home. | | | | so can easily misread your message. |
| -Set clear job expectations - do you expect them | | | | Finally, since the virtual employee is not on site, |
| to be working the same time as the rest of the | | | | make an extra effort to communicate your |
| company or are they project driven and manage | | | | satisfaction with their work. |