Establish. Track. Report. Performance Goal Setting for Remote Employee Success

As more offices shift to a remote workforce, it can be challenging to ensure employee productivity without a physical presence in the traditional workspace. In most cases, working from home results in increased employee productivity, but if you want to make sure that your team is staying productive and working as a team, consider setting goals that align with the remote mentality.

If you are the one who establishes employee performance goals for your organization, then you know the importance of having your teams on the same page. When you provide clear, easy to follow goals your teams know what is expected of them. Setting performance goals for your remote workforce or just a set of remote employees should not be any different. If your organization is not experienced with a remote workforce, employee goal setting, and performance management, consider this: remote working is a growing trend (accelerated by the 2020 pandemic) in both small and big businesses that can and does make a difference.

Employees who work remotely tend to be self-motivated. A study by AND.CO and Remote Year shows that fewer than seven percent of employees felt the need to have a manager present to be productive. That being said, setting employee goals and providing guidance ensures that tasks are prioritized without onsite or in-office micromanaging to create positive outcomes.

Effective communication is key. When managers and employees are not on the same page, it is incredibly difficult to succeed as a team. Meet with each employee to discuss what is expected of them, and what their desired outcomes may look like. These discussions should include professional development and perhaps personal goals as well.

Goals and objectives should be specific. Make sure you and employees understand the milestones that are set to be achieved by the end of the month, the end of the quarter, and the end of the year. This will leave no room for confusion when clear communication is in place.

Goals and objectives should be measurable. If you don’t establish a set of metrics you want to achieve, how will you and your team know that the goal was completed?

Goals and objectives should be achievable. While you want to challenge employees, you don’t want to discourage them by setting goals that may not be attainable. This is why two-way communication is vital: employee feedback and interaction is significant to the goal-setting process. Monitor progress to ensure employees are on the right track; remember that goals and objectives sometimes need to be adjusted.

Setting employee performance goals that align with corporate goals provides and fosters company culture, which is important to a remote workforce. In other words, set goals that make sense for your employees that also make sense for the company in the short and long term.

Employee performance goals should have deadlines. It is impossible to effectively manage employee performance without expectations for completion. This also ensures clarity for the prioritization of projects and tasks.

Whether your employees are in the office, on the job-site, or working remotely in their homes, check-in on your employees regularly. This is more critical for those who you do not see face-to-face. The recommendation is to schedule a one-on-one meeting once a week in addition to regular team and project meetings. Managing, tracking, and reporting employee performance can be a daunting task. A performance management solution like LightWork® Software is a great tool to ensure corporate goals and employee objectives are established, tracked, and achieved. For more information about LightWork Performance Management visit www.LightWorkSoftware.com.