Managing Staff Remotely? Ask These Questions to Better Bond with Team Members

As many people managers have already discovered since COVID-19 turned business operations upside down, one of the challenges of remote working is keeping communication levels up. Even with the benefit of video-conferencing technology, what’s often missing from virtual manager / employee interactions are the visual cues such as facial expressions and body language. It’s therefore easy to overlook the nuances that can provide deeper insights into how your employees are really coping.

To combat this, managers may need to consider making some subtle changes to how they chat with remote-working staff members. Some well thought-out questions can help managers read between the lines, to help focus on issues that are left unspoken. Here are 8 questions to ask (with follow-ups), and what the responses may uncover.

With so much happening, it can be tempting for managers to bunker down and raise the drawbridge; however, this approach is not recommended as the consequences may be damaging. Now, more than ever, managers need to be mindful of how employees are coping with significant changes and doing everything within their power to make them comfortable with untested working conditions. Meaningful conversations that get “beneath the surface” are one way to build trust and confidence.

ELMO Software Cloud HR & Payroll can help HR professionals manage their workforce, even while operating remotely. As a cloud-based solution, ELMO helps employers manage their teams from anywhere at any time from a secure, centralised location. All employee-employer touchpoints are covered by ELMO’s suite, from ‘hire to retire’. This includes recruitment, onboarding, performance management, payroll, rostering / time & attendance, learning & development, and more. For further information, contact us.