One of the biggest trends to emerge from the pandemic is the move from the orthodox office-based 9-5, Monday to Friday, to new more flexible working arrangements. Typically, these are either a hybrid model of some days at home and some in the office, or, in other cases, fully remote.
Often it’s desk-based professional industries that are best suited to this kind of working, as there is usually no need to be in a physical office in order to do the job. One industry that falls into this category is accounting – a service-based industry like many others that has undergone a digital transformation in recent years, and in fact continues to do so – think Making Tax Digital (MTD).
With this in mind, you might think that the industry would be ripe for a remote working revolution, however, some previous research has indicated that accountants were in fact more likely to return to the office post-pandemic compared to other workers. Although there are no definitive statistics on this matter, it’s safe to assume that a large number of accountancy firms will have at the very least implemented hybrid working, with some going the whole hog into being fully remote.
For those charged with the task of managing a team of accountants, remote working brings a whole new set of challenges. Indeed, remote working can lead to issues with communication, project management and efficiency if this transition isn’t handled correctly. If you want to avoid these problems within your accounting team, here are some top tips on how to manage them remotely.
Tip #1: Use Software Tools
If you want to make your remote working environment a success, then you need to take advantage of software tools to streamline processes and make remote collaboration easier.
First of all, to ensure that all of your accountants can see the tasks they need to be working on and work together on important projects, you should invest in project management software tools like Trello, Basecamp or Teamwork. With this type of software, you can add and assign tasks, allocate resources, set deadlines and allow your team to contribute to relevant projects.
In addition, to keep workflows transparent and easy to follow, you should consider using cloud-based tools like Google Docs and Google Sheets. This will allow your accounting team to share files and therefore improve collaboration, and at the same time, you can keep track of what everyone is working on.
Tip #2: Prioritise Communication
One of the biggest drawbacks of remote working is that you can’t meet people face-to-face and spark spontaneous conversations, which are often the key to brainstorming new ideas and building strong relationships. However, this just means you need to be more intentional about embedding communication into each workday.
The best way to strengthen relationships in your team and communicate effectively is to use a variety of communication tools. These tools enable tasks such as video conferencing and instant messaging, and the most popular options include:
- Zoom
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Skype
Being able to instantly message team members is essential for allowing quick collaboration. However, for more in-depth conversations and team-building, regular video meetings are a must.
Commonly, successful teams will include at least weekly team meetings so everyone can discuss their work and get a sense of what’s going on with different areas of the company. However, make sure you don’t schedule unnecessary meetings as this will waste everyone’s time – some things should just be included in an email!
Additionally, managers should aim to schedule weekly one-on-one meetings with their team members to check on their progress and allow them to ask any questions they may have. This will help you smooth out issues before they get worse.
Tip #3: Set Clear Expectations
As a manager, you need to avoid micromanaging your team if you want them feel capable, independent and respected, but this doesn’t mean you can take your eye off the ball. Since you won’t be able to see everyone completing their work in person, you’ll need to think of other ways to ensure productivity is retained without constantly asking people for updates.
To do this, you need to set clear expectations and deadlines for each task so no ambiguity remains. Everyone should know:
- What they need to focus on
- Their deadlines
- The standards expected
- What they need
- How to find more information
- Who to communicate with
Once these expectations are clear, you can be confident that your team knows exactly what they should be doing. Instead of micromanaging them, you can simply keep track of deadlines, deliverables and standards.
Tip #4: Streamline and Standardise Processes
Setting expectations is important, but your team also needs to know how to best meet these expectations. Standardising key processes is a great way to ensure consistency and quality across the board.
For instance, you could create templates or showcase a previous example of exemplary work to make it clear how to approach complex tasks. Including checklists will also make it easier for your team to complete each task accurately and efficiently.
With streamlined and standardised processes, each accountant within your team will know exactly what to do, when to do it and who they might be working with. This will reduce confusion and increase productivity even when everyone is working remotely.
Tip #5: Establish a Chain of Command
If things go wrong or someone needs extra guidance, they need to know who they can turn to for help. In an office, it’s much easier to wander over to someone’s desk and ask a few quick questions, but when you’re working remotely, it’s harder to know who you should approach and when.
This is why you need to establish a clear chain of command within your team. If you have a clear organisational structure, everyone should know who they report to and who they can ask for guidance. Make sure you explain this organisational structure to new team members during the onboarding process, as this will help them find their feet.
Tip #6: Trust Your Team
Above all, if you want to make remote working a success, you need to trust your team. If you’re hiring people you can’t trust to get their work done, then why are you hiring them in the first place?
There’s no need to mistrust and micromanage your team if you can measure deadlines, deliverables and the quality of the work produced. As long as everyone can meet their deadlines and expected standards, you can simply trust them to do their work in a way that suits them. After all, adapting your work schedule to fit your life is one of the main benefits of remote work, so it’s no surprise that accountants across the country are looking for opportunities that offer this.
