We’ve always talked about hiring new remote team members. However, there’s an equally important aspect that also deserves attention: employee termination.
I know you probably don’t like to talk about letting go of your employees and that’s understandable. Terminations can be complicated AND expensive. But just like onboarding, it’s an inevitable stage of the employment cycle.
However, it should be a last resort rather than your first course of action. Should you and your employee go through a rough patch, termination isn’t necessarily the best way to resolve it. There are still ways to avoid such an outcome. Let’s take a look.
Clear Communication From Day One
Effective communication can do wonders for your business, especially within your team. And one of the ways to cultivate this is to inform each member of your expectations and goals from the moment they join the company.
Working remotely can be isolating, especially if you’re still new to the company and don’t know anyone yet. Because of this, your employee might find it difficult to reach out and clarify things. Hence, it helps to be proactive by being as clear and straightforward about their roles and deliverables early on.
Lastly, always be vocal about your objective for every project, but do give your team members enough leeway to do things their way.
Oh, and don’t forget to turn on your camera when you meet them on their first virtual day at work. It’s always nice to put faces to names, after all.
Always Honor Employee Contributions
Genuine appreciation goes a long way, especially for employees who are working remotely. Since you can’t pat them on the back or shake their hand, be sure to give them a few simple words of appreciation and recognition.
Although your employees earn a living when they join your company, they’re also investing their time and effort to help grow your business. And if they do that well, there’s no reason not to tell them so.
Employees who feel appreciated tend to stay loyal and dedicated to a company. Thus, always take time to honor your hardworking employees. And if you have the budget for it, you may want to add some monetary rewards too.
Include Remote Work in Performance Reviews
Remote work is real work. Many employers tend to have separate performance reviews for office-based workers and their WFH counterparts. However, this shouldn’t be the case.
The nature of work has greatly evolved and we have seen how remote work has enabled businesses to survive and even thrive in the midst of a global pandemic. This just goes to show that employee contributions go beyond the traditional office setting.
When employees feel that their work matters, they are more likely to do well. Including remote workers in your performance reviews will make these more inclusive. Furthermore, they’ll help your employees evaluate their own work and see which areas they can further improve.
You can prevent unnecessary terminations with these tips. However, no matter how good of a leader you are, there will come a time when you’ll realise a member is no longer a good fit for the team and that’s okay. The remote workforce is broad, especially if you know where to look. *wink* *wink*
Remote Staff has been providing Australian SMEs and entrepreneurs like you with skilled remote workers from the Philippines since 2007. On top of that, we also assist with the onboarding process. So whether you just started looking or are trying to fill in a recently vacated remote work position, we have the right person for you.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
