Managing a virtual company
A manager’s perspective:
Travelling to-and-from work has always proven to be hectic for me. Not to mention the fuel prices which keep increasing.
I have found managing a virtual company to be far more effective and rewarding. Not only does it save precious time and the hassles associated with travelling, it improves the income of my employees and guarantees me effective work.
As a manager of a virtual company, the overhead costs of the company are decreased. I also don’t have to worry about employees being late to work. As an additional bonus, they take fewer sick leaves and this increases productivity.
From remotely managing my company, I have found the following steps to be helpful:
Clear Roles – Before hiring someone for a particular position, I always make sure that I have a clear role defined for that person. This helps me create a list of all responsibilities that my employees have been given and further, the employees know whom to contact for a particular question. For each responsibility, there is a name, contact number, email and work schedule listed.
Detailed workflow – The teams should thoroughly understand their responsibilities. I always ask them ways in which the team can better function and this helps work efficiency and increases productivity.
Good yet strong work policies – I always try to make sure that everyone stays on track. If I want my employees to work at a particular time, I make sure they log-in a few minutes prior by setting up a reminder. There is certain time tracking software available that lets me know who logged in when. Normal practices are implemented such as wishing everyone ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’.
A ‘feel-at-home’ environment – The virtual environment is where my employees spend a lot of time; so I make sure that they are always comfortable doing their work and in case of any queries, then I am always there to help them.
Communication is the key – For an effective business, it is essential that employees communicate with each other and with me. Meetings are essentials to make sure everyone is on the same page. Group conferences on Google Hangouts are very helpful. This further provides a platform for the employees to pitch in their inputs. This helps me listen to what they have to say and helps me gauge the problems they might be facing.
Training – I always make my employees know that training is available for them to better their work and keep updating themselves with the latest in technology. A list is put up with details on the various kinds of training available.
Recognition- As a token of my appreciation, I provide my employees with public and private accolades. This lets them know that their work done is being noticed.