Are your remote employees doing their best? What are the real indicators of their hard work? Measuring productivity, especially in a remote setting, is more nuanced than tracking presence in an office.

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Here's how to measure productivity of remote workers according to successful businesses that adopted the remote or hybrid work model.

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Top Tips for Tracking Productivity

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Numbers never lie. This is why our first two tips focus on collecting clear-cut data about your remote workers’ contributions and efforts. We also elaborate on the importance of breaking up the tasks into small portions and supervising the employees’ progress.

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1. Establish Clear Goals & Measure Achievements

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In order to be fair and collect the right data about each employee’s performance, you need to:

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1. Determine the metrics: Establish clear metrics and goals that are in line with your company's broader objectives. Focus on the output of employees rather than the hours they spend working.

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2. Set individual goals: Present concrete goals for each department and employee. Avoid vague requirements like "improve website traffic". Instead, set specific objectives like "increase traffic through SEO by 20% in six months."

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3. Measure the ROI:  Calculate the return on investment (ROI) of each remote employee's activities. This involves relying on performance indicators to evaluate how their work contributes to the company's overall profitability.

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2. Monitor Your Employees

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Streamline the attendance and activity tracking in your organization by relying on employee monitoring software. This way you will:

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• Enable remote employees to easily clock in and manage leave requests

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• Reduce HR's administrative burden

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• Facilitate accurate data management and productivity analysis

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• Be able to integrate extra hours into payroll and performance evaluations

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• Provide valuable insights for employee assessment and feedback

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• Monitor work hours and attendance patterns more efficiently

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Insightful is a monitoring tool that offers comprehensive monitoring of work for remote, hybrid, and in-office teams. It facilitates accurate time tracking and productivity analysis.

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In addition, Insightful features real-time visibility of employee activities and work patterns. This helps managers optimize schedules and ensure fair compensation. 

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3. Set Small Milestones

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Motivate employees by breaking large projects into mini milestones. This will also make task progress visible to supervisors.

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Keep in mind that this approach might not suit everyone. It's important to introduce it gradually, allowing employees to self-manage their milestones to avoid the feeling of micromanagement. Adjust this method based on the feedback to ensure it's effective and avoid overwhelming the team.

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4. Facilitate Effective Communication

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Open communication is the basis of a functional team. At the same time, it’s a prerequisite for a smooth monitoring process.

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To improve your communication with remote teams, try implementing the following methods:

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• Routine check-ins: Help employees prioritize effectively by inquiring about the top three projects in regular intervals. This way they won’t get sidetracked.

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• Regular meetings: Introduce regular team and individual meetings. Strive to create an environment where feedback and open discussions are encouraged.

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• Setting up communication rules: Establish communication protocols, encourage frequent video conferencing, and use standardized platforms (Slack, Zoom, etc.) to ensure smooth remote communication.

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Try to monitor progress without excessive check-ins since they can lead to a counterproductive "culture of urgency." So, set clear goals upfront to minimize the need for frequent surveillance.

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Bonus Tips: Supporting Remote Teams

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Establishing a sense of connection ensures that employees feel valued and trusted, and leads to increased satisfaction and productivity.

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This second part of our list contains three bonus tips that will help you maintain high morale and productivity in your remote teams.

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5. Foster a Positive Company Culture

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A positive company culture is critical for remote team productivity. Employees should feel connected and committed to the company’s values and goals. To boost overall motivation encourage participation in company-wide initiatives.

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6. Cultivate a Trustworthy Environment

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Trust between managers and remote employees is vital. Confidence that your team members will deliver, wherever they are, is a fundamental aspect of remote work management. To enhance mutual trust and strengthen collaboration facilitate regular feedback and open communication 

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7. Reward Hard Work

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Recognition boosts motivation. Several studies, including one from Oxford University, have confirmed that happy employees are 13% more productive.

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Remote setups don't hinder positive reinforcement. Monitoring tools, like Insightful, allow easy tracking of employee productivity. This, in turn, facilitates fair feedback and public acknowledgment of hard work, enhancing job satisfaction across the team.

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Conclusion

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Measuring the productivity of remote workers requires specific performance metrics and clear communication. By fostering trust and a positive culture, you can keep your remote employees engaged and productive.

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Remember—figuring out how to measure the productivity of remote workers is just half of your job. The other, equally important half is deciding how to reward dedicated employees and help those who are struggling. This is the only path towards sustainable and successful remote work.

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