Five strategies for retail businesses still struggling to switch to remote work

Due to the pandemic, many retail companies had to switch to working remotely. Remote work is still growing among companies with physical offices and it seems that it’s here to stay. 

For many people, staying productive and maintaining balance when working remotely can be very challenging. You must equip your home office with all the tools, maintain communication as if you were in the office, and many more things. 

Luckily, here are the five strategies to help you stay productive when working remotely in retail.

Employee monitoring is underrated

It’s challenging for remote managers to ensure their teams in the office work to their fullest potential. Without tracking their activities, retail managers can’t be sure what happens throughout the day.

Fortunately, many software solutions enable managers to monitor their employees’ activities.

Here is what you can do with the help of the remote work monitoring software: 

●      Track attendance and simplify payroll

●      Improve employee productivity

●      Handle budget more carefully

●      Asses employee output

●      Provide feedback

●      Manage project timelines effectively

Human mistakes often lead to payroll inaccuracies. Luckily, using remote work monitoring software with the time tracking function helps with that, so the employees will be satisfied knowing they are paid correctly because of the accurately recorded hours.

Employee monitoring increases productivity and helps you handle your budget better.

Monitoring software gives retail managers a better sense of their employees’ needs, while employees get more feedback about their performance. These are great benefits because a lack of feedback is among the top pain points of remote workers.

Educate, educate, educate

Education is the key to succeeding in the modern workplace. Learning isn’t just something that happens in courses, seminars, and schools.

It’s also happening between employees during exchanges, brainstorming meetings, and concrete knowledge transfers. However, education becomes difficult when working remotely.

It’s good to get the whole retail company to share knowledge by communicating effectively, but occasionally, you should also try getting some external knowledge.

Try inviting a special guest or organizing a training program. Always keep them updated about the latest tools and trends, and give them the training to manage all of that effortlessly.

There are also some good old tools your team should know how to use. For instance, they need to learn how to use programs like Excel. In this case, on site Excel training taught by an expert is a great solution if your team struggles to understand this program.

Be visible and approachable

Not all employees can go fully remote. They may not be mentally prepared to endure days without human interaction.

So, make sure you set up regular video chats and check up on your team. A remote manager is the one that builds a support system for their retail team while also holding them accountable for their actions and performance.

You need to build trust and maintain transparency through open and frequent communication. Ensure that your employees have a supportive and positive work environment.

Prioritize one-on-one time with your employees, give them the feedback they need, and jump on the call whenever they need a piece of advice or a suggestion.

One-on-one time gives your team members a chance to address any issues they might be afraid to bring up in group meetings and cannot discuss elsewhere.

Delegate work responsibilities

One of your primary duties as a team manager is to delegate work responsibilities and tasks.

Delegating tasks can be more challenging if you are managing remote workers. You should have a detailed plan of everything that needs to be done. So, identify the work and break it into smaller tasks to make it easier for your team members.

You need to set clear expectations of what counts as a completed task and delegate tasks to adequate team members.

Think of who is best suited for which project and update them frequently. If it helps, use a task management tool. With a task management tool, everyone knows what they need to do.

Discuss everything with your team, and give them all the resources and information they need. Set a schedule for calls to communicate about progress, and don’t forget to add the deadlines on your retail work projects.

Include everyone

Try to get every team member to express their thoughts or ideas at each meeting.

It doesn’t always have to be work-related, but getting everyone involved will help them feel they are valuable members of the retail company. Communication makes teams stronger.

Spending time with your employees in person every once in a while is essential to keep them included and connected. If you hire new employees, you should consider training them in person to make them feel more welcomed.

Also, use video chat meetings regularly. They may not be the same thing as communicating in person, but they’re an easy and effective way to strengthen bonds and build better relationships.

Conclusion

There’s no need to be worried about shifting to remote work. With so many ways of communicating online and helpful tools, you’ll find that remote work can be fun just as if your retail team were in the office with you.

Remote working has many benefits, and by learning to be productive and manage your time well, you’ll see all the advantages of your home office. Follow these tips and make your remote work enjoyable.