Managing online staff has to be one of the most difficult things to do. It’s hard enough trying work with people you can physically direct, people who you can’t see is a whole new ball game. Starting an online gig and recruiting an online staff can be exciting at first because everyone (including you) is ready and eager to produce. When the excitement wears off and issues start springing up, all productivity springs to a jolting stop.
The major problems of managing online staff are listed below with remedies deemed fitting for each identified issue.
MISCOMMUNICATION
Any kind of relationship borders on effective communication. Unintentionally sending the wrong message across could stir all sorts of misunderstandings. It’s also the same for misunderstanding a message or reading more meaning to it than is inferred. This is mostly the case when you try passing messages across through email (which is common for online employers)
Remedy; instead of written messages via mail or other mediums you should try video calls. Technology has made it rather easy for communication to flow among people from all parts of the world with little to no costs or efforts. Take advantage of this opportunity. Video calls are so much better because then you’d be able to see beyond words; you’d read expressions as well.
BLURRY ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS
Employers are mostly to blame for this as they don’t clearly inform members of their staff what exactly their job description is. Online staffs end up doing what they want to or what they feel they should be doing having no clear lines of the roles they ought to play.
Remedy; employers should take the time and pains to specify what role each member of their staff is playing. It could be in form of a schedule; assigning jobs to different people based on their skills and abilities. Ensure to ‘clearly’ state the roles and have them write or print out the schedule so they are always reminded.
POOR INCENTIVES
Most online employers seem to be of the opinion that if you’re willing to work online, you must be desperate so they believe that they can get away with paying peanuts. Almost all employers seem to have the desire to pay their employees peanuts, more so with online bosses. The workers in turn due to lack of ‘juicy’ incentives are not moved to optimize or maximize output instead they do an average job than they could do.
Remedy; this is something you can resolve by actually acknowledging that the members of your staff are invaluable. Treat them with respect and accord them rewards and wages they deserve. I understand that online jobs are not exactly lucrative (at first) but if you’re good at what you do and even better at networking, in no time you’ll be raking in mega bucks. Treat your staff right.
These are not the only problems when it comes to managing an online staff but are the most common problems encountered. If you haven’t experienced it yet, take measures to avoid conflicts of any kind. On the other hand, if you’ve somehow found yourself smack dab in any of these situations, you should consider the remedies proffered.
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