You have a mobile workforce, or you’re thinking of sending your current office employees on a virtual mission with a new work arrangement. Studies show that your decision to allow your team to work remotely is a good one. Not only does it reduce stress and lead to lengthened staff retention, it also increases productivity. An article by the Financial Post titled ‘How do I manage a mobile workforce?’ explains it clearly: setting your employees ‘free’ to work virtually can be a benefit to all parties involved. You save money, they stay happy.

However, that’s only if you do it right.

When managing a mobile (a.k.a. virtual) work force, it is important to implement procedures and technologies that will keep employees motivated. But at the same time, these procedures need to allow your employees to feel the freedom and trust that comes with being a virtual worker. Yet, keeping them connected to your company’s core mission, values and profit goals is where the balancing act comes in. Here are some ideas, to give a few examples:

Make it a point to communicate daily: we’re not living in caves anymore, so use your BlackBerry’s, iPhones or old-fashioned regular handsets to call one another, even if on the road (of course, using hands free mics!). Find out what each employee is doing today and what challenges they may need your help with, or how you can involve other team members into the picture. If you have a lot of employees, this can take up a large chunk of your day, but it’s an important step.

Have a central touch down point: being virtual doesn’t mean not having a headquarters at all. Virtual office services should also come with a business address plan and centralized phone number that your employees can call to for assistance when needed, be it to look up a phone number or find out how to fill in a form correctly. Have a dispatch or virtual administrative assistant by the phone to handle the incoming calls of your team, and to relay those messages to the right people.

With a professional virtual office service, you should also have a place where mail can be sent to and picked up, so your employees know there is a physical location they can go to for picking up supplies, pay cheques and other company-related things. If the headquarters is your house, you not only risk security (who knows who’s coming along with your employees and learning how to enter your home at a whim), you also project an unprofessional image and an awkward situation when your work life interferes with your private life. When you have a mobile work force, keep the office separate from your home for your employee’s sake.

Have regular in-person meetings: virtual offices are mostly ‘invisible’ and run by technologically advanced phone systems, but they do have a brick and mortar aspect. Even if you need to rent an hourly boardroom or meeting space, it is important to have staff meetings at least once a month, if not weekly. This will keep your team cohesive and everyone will stay in the loop and not feel out of touch with the company, especially when changes occur.

The above are only a few of the guidelines to maintaining a mobile team. There are also technologies to consider, such as mobile apps, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), cloud computing, CRMs and many others that can help your team communicate with you as effectively as you communicate with them. However, you set the best example by taking the lead with the above points.

Author Bio: Queenie Ormidale works with Central Park Business Centre, which has been offering Vancouver office space, administrative services and virtual offices to businesses since 1986. You can republish this article without this last sentence so long as you credit the author with a link to their website at www.executivesuite.ca

Category: Business Management
Keywords: virtual, mobile, team, work, force, workforce, office, communicate, technology, phone, procedures