Virtual assistants (or VAs) are gaining popularity among employers all over the globe. It’s easy to see why: companies can save on equipment and office space while boosting overall productivity. At the same time, their choice of workers is no longer limited to their geographic location.

Managing people is still as complicated as it will ever be, though. Remote personal assistants may be working in different places, but the roles are the same as that of in-house workers. Metrics have to be checked, sales goals have to be met, and relationships have to be maintained all the same.

VAs may be working in different places, but their roles are the same as that of in-house workers. Metrics have to be checked, sales goals have to be met, and relationships have to be maintained all the same.

The good news is that teamwork can be efficient and successful despite the distance. However, accomplishing this doesn’t happen without difficulty. Finding ways to overcome the challenges should be a priority for employers.

Building trust

For any remote team that aims to be successful, trust is an important building block. Engagement and collaboration naturally occur when employees and managers believe they’re working towards the same goal.

This is hard-won in an environment where people don’t know or see each other. Because of this:

• Employers will worry if workers are doing their tasks or not.
• Remote assistants will wonder if they’ll be paid on time or at all.

Tip: Be transparent about project updates, payment timelines, pay rates, workload and working hours. Also, consider holding a virtual meeting regularly to ensure expectations are communicated properly and encourage everyone to share their ideas.

Tracking productivity

It’s simple to measure the performance of employees in sales roles, but what about those in specialist roles? Determining if someone is pulling their own weight or is being underutilised gets complicated in a flexible work arrangement.

With a lack of face-to-face supervision, it’s possible for some team members to slack off. Others may also risk burnout because they don’t know when to stop working or what their boundaries are in terms of responsibilities.

Tip: Set weekly (if not daily) goals for each worker and check-in with them regularly. This works to gauge their progress as well as to determine if they require more time and resources. Using time tracking software is also a good idea to be able to cross-check their reports with screenshots.

Communicating effectively

Employers are responsible for keeping their employees informed. In a traditional office, making important announcements could be achieved by calling for a short meeting on the spot but this isn’t possible with a remote team.

If team members are working different shifts, there’s a need to think about the most convenient time for everyone. Emails can work for distributing information but it doesn’t make for quick conversations about minor queries.

Tip: Establish a dedicated channel for communication among people working on the same project or are part of the same department. Tools such as Trello, Zoho and Teamwork enable smoother collaborations.

Managing stress

There will always be that one ambitious virtual professional who works long hours. As nice as it might be to have someone so dedicated, it can negatively affect team productivity in the long run.

How? If the workload is too much to handle, the worker won’t be able to interact with others as much and may begin to feel isolated. Their stress levels will increase and affect the quality of their work and their overall performance.

Tip: Evaluate how each person is doing in meeting company expectations. If someone underperforms, it could be because their workload is too much for them to handle (instead of poor time management). You may have to arrange additional virtual assistant solutions to share the tasks.

Cultivating company culture

A company’s culture is sometimes shaped without much input from a manager or employer, but this usually happens in an office setting. Even so, it can’t be discounted that mobile workers may want to be part of one despite loving the flexibility of their jobs.

Do you want to build an offshore virtual assistant services team that’s known for its high energy? Or would you want to foster a professional culture? Either way, it’ll take more than a concentrated effort to cultivate a culture that reflects your business values.

Tip: Try to schedule an annual get-together where team members can meet in-person. If the distance between members is too great to make this possible, a virtual movie night or video conference calls while out bowling would work nicely.

What else can be done to manage a remote team better?

Good leadership skills are valuable in managing a remote team. Hence, before following the tips discussed above, work on becoming a better leader first. Building trust, communicating effectively, and cultivating a healthy work culture tend to follow naturally once you have.

A smarter idea would be to leave it all in the hands of an offshore staffing provider like Remote Workmate. In addition to helping you outsource staff, we also provide full support in managing your team of Filipino virtual assistants.

Our talent pool can handle nearly any online job you have in mind.