Remote work is nothing new. Many law firms pivoted to flexible workplace policies before the pandemic, and nearly all have followed suit to at least some degree in the years since. The opportunity to work from home can be seen as a benefit to many employees. It can also be a way for your law firm to reduce its office footprint and save money.
Benefits aside, there can certainly be challenges to managing a virtual workforce. Here are some key areas to focus on if you have staff working remotely either just occasionally or on the regular.
7 Tips for Managing a Remote Law Firm Staff
- Set clear expectations: When your team knows exactly what’s expected of them, everything runs a whole lot more smoothly. Communicate clearly and frequently your expectations, including work hours, deadlines, and deliverables.
- Use technology to stay connected: With video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management tools like Notion, there’s never been an easier way to stay connected with your remote team members.
- Establish a regular check-in schedule: Out of sight should not mean out of mind. Schedule regular check-ins with your team members to ensure that everyone is on the same page and to address any issues or concerns.
- Encourage open communication: In addition to regular check-ins, encourage your team members to communicate openly and honestly with you and with each other. This is one of the best ways to foster an environment of trust and collaboration.
- Provide ongoing feedback and support: Not only does this help them improve their skills and achieve their goals, but positive support also helps prevent burnout.
- Focus on outcomes, not hours worked: While law firms are intrinsically focused on billable hours, most often it’s not about the hours worked but the outcomes achieved that really matter. When collaborating with your remote team, encourage them to focus on the outcomes and results they achieve, rather than the number of hours they work. This can help to reduce stress and increase productivity.
- Build a strong team culture: A strong team culture is one that fosters collaboration, mutual respect, and a shared sense of purpose. Celebrate successes and support each other during challenging times.
Allowing some flexibility with where and when your staff works can benefit everyone in your law firm, but remote work should be paired with an effective technology solution in order to align your strategy and goals. Our team at Honeycrisp can help. We focus solely on providing support for Apple-loving law firms and are standing by to help you with your firm’s technology needs. Give us a call today to learn more.
