Top Five Methods for Keeping Track of Remote Staff

More and more businesses offer remote work as an option for employees. Many tasks performed at the office at a computer can easily be completed at home, and employees appreciate the flexibility of being able to work from home.

To ensure your remote workforce stays productive, you need a way to track each employee’s hours and guarantee they put in the right amount of time each day. Here are five ways to implement remote employee monitoring for your business.

1. Use Collaborative Software for Project Tracking

Overseeing remote employees involves ensuring that everyone is on the same page for the projects you work on. Collaborative software helps you set expectations for each person involved in the project, and the entire team can see where each part stands. Your remote employee will have to stay productive and engaged to be part of the workflow.

2. Communicate Your Expectations

Since remote employees do not see their supervisors at the office, they may receive less feedback than their peers. Set aside time to offer insights on what your remote employee is doing well and areas for improvement. This feedback will help them focus their work time and make them feel appreciated, motivating them to work harder.

3. Check In on Their Hours Regularly

Make sure to monitor time sheets for your remote employees. Even for salaried remote employees, you may want to track hours to ensure they reach maximum productivity. When looking at remote hours worked, check to make sure:

• Times line up with when you know they were at their desks
• Any paid time off has been recorded properly
• They are diligently tracking hours each day and not just putting up 40 for the week

4. Track Results, Not Just Hours

The biggest issue for remote employees is staying on task when there are many distractions around the house, from children who require care to dishes piled in the sink. Yet many businesses become so focused on tracking productivity that they neglect to look at the results.

Sometimes projects take longer than you initially anticipated. If your remote worker is producing great results, you can feel confident they are putting in the time to get the job done.

5. Use an Automated Hours Tracker

You could trust your employees to record their own hours using a paper-based method. But you won’t see the hours they record until the end of the pay period. An automated option offers a much better indicator of how much time they’re putting into the job. For example, many apps can track the time your employee spends working from home using an easy-to-use interface.

BCM Payroll Services, Inc. offers an online swipe clock feature that makes tracking online staff easy. Contact us to learn more about our remote staff options and other payroll services for businesses in Maryland and Pennsylvania. To get started, reach out online or call 717-264-7374.