Management Tip of the Day: Evaluate Remote Workers Fairly

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   TIPS   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile APRIL 4, 2013 Evaluate Remote Workers Fairly We tend to trust what we can see, which makes it difficult to evaluate employees who don't spend time in the office. Here are three ways to make sure you're being fair in your assessment of remote workers: Don't focus solely on results. Virtual managers are often tempted to look at outcomes because employee behavior is not as visible. But that's just asking for trouble: Remote workers could easily be tempted to cut corners. Engage them. Ask telecommuters to suggest performance metrics that assess both their results and behavior. Compare apples to apples. Use the same standards for all employees doing the same job to minimize any favoritism toward those who have greater face time with you. Don't inadvertently slight telecommuters for raises or promotions because they're "out of sight, out of mind." Today's Management Tip was adapted from "Evaluating the Employees You Can't See" by Keith Ferrazzi. Read the full post and join the discussion » Share Today's Tip: FEATURED PRODUCT HBR's 10 Must Reads on Teams (with featured article "The Discipline of Teams," by Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith) HBR Press Most teams underperform. Yours can beat the odds. If you read nothing else on building better teams, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review archive and selected the most important ones to help you assemble and steer teams that get results. Leading experts such as Jon Katzenbach, Teresa Amabile, and Tamara Erickson provide the insights and advice you need to: (1) Boost team performance through mutual accountability, (2) Motivate large, diverse groups to tackle complex projects, (3) Increase your teams' emotional intelligence, (4) Prevent decision deadlock, (5) Extract results from a bunch of touchy superstars, and (6) Fight constructively with top-management colleagues. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Tip: PREVIOUS TIPS Make Yourself an Expert Strike the Right Tone in Your Writing Keep Your Company's Secrets in the Digital Age Reframe a Tough Interview Question Make Your Mission Meaningful When You Become the Boss, Build Your Credibility Get the Most Out of Your Q&A Expand Your Company's Innovation Network Reduce Stress with Self-Compassion Don't Sandwich Negative Feedback All Previous Tips BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR's 10 Must Reads Boxed Set HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations HBR Guide to Better Business Writing HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "Management Tip of the Day" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)