People like to work remotely. What’s not to love about running reports while sipping coffee in fuzzy jammie pants? And what’s better, remote workers tend to be happier, more loyal, and more productive (again: jammie pants), while also saving their companies money on things like office space and utilities. But managing a remote workforce does have its challenges. You’ll need to hire the right people, keep them in the loop, build loyalty, and keep tabs on their performance, and you’ll have to remember to do this for employees you don’t see every day.

Hire smart

The most skilled worker on paper may be the best choice for the office, but may not be the best choice for a remote worker. Successful remote work is all about soft skills, like accountability, time management, communication, and initiative. So how can you tell if your candidate has these? Pay attention to body language and initiative during the interview, use skills and personality assessment tools, and check references. While some soft skills can be improved, the core competencies should already be present in the remote worker you hire.

Communicate

Don’t leave out your remote team! They should be included in all collaborative efforts, including shared project-management and communication platforms, as well as FaceTime in to the company all-staff meetings. If you have employees working in different time zones, try not to schedule these meetings at 2am their time. Use your company’s mission, vision, and values to inspire remote employees to do great and meaningful work.

Foster loyalty

Increased motivation, productivity, and loyalty can all be gained from a happy remote employee. But first you have to get them there. So, how’s your company culture? Are you empowering employees to take initiative and to manage their work proactively? Are you embracing remote employees as part of your culture, as important as any other team member, rather than letting them be the weirdos nobody really knows? You can help foster loyalty by including remote employees in a culture they feel proud of. Hold meetings and events where remote employees can talk with leaders, in-office employees, and fellow telecommuters. Use your communication platform to encourage employees to get to know one another through shared interests or cat memes. Try staging an area where employees can pull up the profiles of fellow workers, including their photo, job title, location, and personal interests.

Monitor performance

This doesn’t mean micro-manage performance. But you should take the pulse of your remote employees’ progress and morale at regular intervals, lest it flatline. So first, set clear expectations, including job-performance metrics and communication guidelines. Keep an eye on individual performance and team dynamics to see if tweaking is required. Make sure your remote employees are getting the support they need to do their jobs, and regularly solicit their feedback. Also offer your feedback to help streamline processes.

In conclusion

Remote workers can be awesome; they can even be your most productive and loyal employees! Just don’t leave them to languish. Be sure to embrace them as part of the team, and manage them as you would any other employee—only remotely!