How to Manage Employees Working in Different Time Zones?

Having employees from different timezones is one of the effective ways to have diversity in an organization. It also brings different perspectives and experiences that help companies approach things from various angles. But, managing a workforce that is spread across the globe, and operates in different time zones, can be challenging. It makes tasks like communication, scheduling, and collaboration more difficult.

When the collaboration among remote employees is poor, then there might be chances of miscommunication or lack of coordination. These things can negatively affect company culture and reduce employee retention as well. The following tips will help you manage your employees working in different timezones and increase their productivity.

Tips for Managing Employees in Different Timezones

Here are the 6 best tips to manage your remote employees working in different timezones:

1. Communicate About Timezone Boundaries

Employees who are located farther away from their company office might find it hard to say ‘yes’ to every meeting they are invited to. Especially when the meeting is scheduled outside of their working hours. So you should respect their timezone boundaries, communicate about the same, and check their preference for meetings. Communicating with your remote employees will help you and your team to understand and solve their timezone-related issues.

2. Set Clear Expectations and Deadlines

Since you will not be able to be with your employees in real-time, it is necessary for you to set and explain your expectations from them at the very beginning of any project. Employees should also be provided with the schedule and deadline for any task so that they can analyze the target work beforehand. If they have any queries, a mutually suitable time should be assigned for a meeting to discuss them. Thus, setting weekly objectives along with their deadlines can keep the workflow going, regardless of the time zone differences.

3. Introduce Flexibility

Employees working remotely in a different timezone, tend to have their preferred working hours where they are more productive. One of the main reasons employees from around the world prefer remote work is the flexible working hours they get for their work. That is why, while managing remote employees, it is necessary for you to provide flexibility and implement different working hours for different people. By utilizing this advantage in the company’s favour, you can get the employees to contribute more towards the company’s objectives and targets.

4. Use Tools to Streamline Processes

To ensure the productivity of remote employees, the availability of right tools is crucial. With the right tools, remote employees can stay connected with their team members and work more efficiently. Some of the essential tools for remote work includes:

• Communication tools like Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype to keep communication among remote employees more effective.
• Employee management tools like a cloud based HR software can be used to keep various types of employee data and provide features like mobile apps and employee self service to improve employee experience.
• Project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Jira to help your employees complete their tasks within deadlines.
• Cloud storage and sharing tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Onedrive to allow employees to access and share files from anywhere.

These tools are great for the company too, as it enables them to keep track of employees’ work, team-wide updates, and streamline the project across the team.

5. Use a Software for Managing Employees’ Attendance

When managing employees from different time zones, it can be difficult to track attendance accurately and ensure that every employee is working according to their assigned working hours. However, a remote attendance software with multiple time zones feature can help you ease this difficulty. With this software in place, you can accurately track your employees’ attendance, ensure that they are working on the hour they are supposed to, and help prevent time theft.

6. Encourage Team Building Activities

Building a strong team can be difficult when your employees are working in different time zones. But, at the same time, it is necessary to have a cohesive team to achieve your organization’s goals. So, you should focus on strengthening your team’s coordination by implementing online team-building activities such as icebreakers, virtual happy hours, and team challenges. These activities can help employees feel more connected and engaged with the team.

Conclusion

Managing employees is always difficult for any HR professional, especially when they have to manage employees from different time zones, but with the right knowledge and guidance, it can be done efficiently. The above-mentioned tips can help you not only to manage your employees efficiently but also to increase their productivity and dedication towards their work and company as well.