How to manage remote employees: Common challenges and solutions

As remote work becomes a lasting part of how modern teams operate, it’s impacting how companies find and support talent. Remote work opens up access to a wider talent pool, helping HR and business leaders build diverse, high-performing teams without being tied to a single location. 

But with that flexibility comes challenges in managing remote employees. Distributed workforces can sometimes lead to gaps in connection, communication, and team alignment that hold people back.

To stay ahead, it’s important to spot these challenges early and tackle them head-on. When your people feel connected to each other and to your mission, collaboration flows easily—and your culture stays strong across time zones.

Why is it so important to manage remote work challenges?

Strong remote management turns distributed work into a strategic advantage. When teams are aligned, supported, and connected, remote work can drive engagement, innovation, and performance. In fact, working remotely can improve people’s performance by 13 percent, and over 60 percent of managers note increased motivation from those who work from home. But without clear communication, shared expectations, and a sense of belonging, even the most capable teams can struggle to stay productive and motivated.

Organizations that invest in thoughtful remote leadership empower their people to thrive—no matter where they work. The result is stronger team cohesion, higher retention, and a culture that fuels continuous growth and innovation.

Common challenges of managing remote employees

While managing remote team members isn’t always easy, you can overcome management challenges with the right approaches, tools, and leadership mindset.

1. Establishing reliable communication for teams and projects

Without in-person cues, it’s easier to miss updates, misread messages, or delay decisions—especially across regions or time zones. Communication gaps can lead to confusion, duplicated efforts, or stalled progress, making it harder for remote teams to stay connected and aligned.

Solutions

With the right tools and habits, remote teams can stay aligned, reduce duplication, and maintain momentum. 

• Establish clear communication standards that support async collaboration and healthy remote work etiquette across languages or locations
• Use defined channels for specific purposes, like chat for quick questions, email for summaries, and video calls for complex topics
• Document key decisions in shared multilingual platforms so information doesn’t get lost
• Set clear expectations for response times and availability
• Establish core working hours to ensure some overlap across time zones
• Record key meetings and organize them for easy access

2. Promoting work-life balance

Remote work offers flexibility, but it also makes it harder to switch off. Some team members stretch their hours to wrap up work even after clocking off. Over time, that “always on” mindset leads to burnout, lower engagement, and preventable turnover, especially when managers can’t spot the warning signs early.

Solutions

To help your team maintain healthy boundaries and avoid burnout, focus on creating a culture that supports balance, clarity, and trust:

• Establish clear boundaries through defined working hours and encourage breaks throughout the day
• Consider regional holidays and time zone differences when scheduling meetings
• Model healthy behavior as a leader by respecting time off and avoiding after-hours messages
• Create a culture that values outcomes over hours worked by focusing performance evaluations on results rather than availability.
• Encourage the use of status indicators in communication tools to signal availability and implement “no-meeting days” to allow for focused work

3. Managing interpersonal relationships

Remote work can make it difficult to build and maintain strong interpersonal connections. Your remote team members may miss opportunities for spontaneous interactions that build rapport and create social capital. New team members may also struggle to integrate into existing team dynamics without the benefit of in-person onboarding. 

Solutions

Remote work changes how teams connect—but it doesn’t have to limit relationships. While spontaneous in-person moments may be fewer, there are still plenty of ways to build trust, encourage camaraderie, and strengthen team bonds. 

Improve virtual connection by: 

• Scheduling regular virtual team-building activities that feel natural and engaging
• Creating dedicated chat channels for non-work conversations
• Setting up intentional onboarding and regular touchpoints so new joiners feel welcomed and included from day one
• Pairing team members for virtual coffee chats or buddy systems
• Celebrating personal and professional milestones virtually
• Hosting optional social events that accommodate different time zones and preferences

4. Providing the right technology and tools

Technology infrastructure can become tricky in remote work environments. Inadequate tools frustrate team members and make it harder to contribute to the team. Ensuring everyone has access to necessary hardware, software, and internet connectivity presents logistical challenges, especially for global teams.

Security and data protection concerns increase with remote work, requiring additional tools and protocols to protect sensitive information across home networks and personal devices.

Solutions

The right technology empowers remote teams to do their best work—seamlessly and securely. Reliable tools, strong connectivity, and easy access to essential systems help professionals stay productive and connected, wherever they are. For multi-national teams, setting up a consistent tech foundation ensures everyone can contribute without friction.

Security is just as important as accessibility. With thoughtful protocols and the right safeguards in place, companies can protect sensitive information across home networks and personal devices—building trust while supporting flexibility. 

Here are a few strategies for successful remote tech use:

• Create a core tech stack with remote work tools that support collaboration, communication, and productivity needs specific to remote work 
• Establish technical support protocols and training programs that account for different time zones and technical skill levels 
• Implement security measures like VPNs, password managers, and multi-factor authentication to protect company data
• Provide stipends or equipment allowances to ensure all team members have appropriate workspaces and tools

5. Maintaining company culture

Company culture often comes to life through everyday interactions and shared experiences—but in remote environments, those moments don’t always happen organically. Without a physical space to bring people together, remote teams might start to feel siloed or less connected to the broader mission and values.

Solutions

When remote professionals feel connected to the company’s values and mission, they’re more likely to stay engaged and committed. With thoughtful culture-building efforts, organizations can ensure that every team member—whether remote, hybrid, or on-site—feels like a valued part of the journey.

You can intentionally develop core company values by: 

• Documenting and communicating company values explicitly, connecting everyday work to the organization’s broader mission 
• Implementing recognition programs can highlight contributions aligned with company values
• Scheduling regular all-hands meetings that include culture-building elements alongside business updates
• Using your HR platform to create digital spaces where team members can share successes, challenges, and personal milestones

6. Prioritizing security and data privacy

Home networks, personal devices, and public spaces create data protection risks that don’t exist in controlled office environments. Ensuring consistent security practices across distributed teams becomes more challenging, especially with teams spanning different jurisdictions with varying data protection laws.

Without proper security protocols, remote work can create significant liability and business continuity risks.

Solutions

Secure remote work starts with trust and the right safeguards. As professionals work from home networks, personal devices, or even shared spaces, protecting data becomes more complex—but not impossible. With clear protocols and smart tools, companies can create a consistent security experience across jurisdictions and time zones. And when people feel confident in their tools and practices, they can focus on what matters most—doing great work. 

Improve your security practices by: 

• Creating clear security policies specifically for remote work scenarios
• Providing necessary tools like VPNs, password managers, and secure file-sharing platforms to maintain some level of security
• Conducting regular security awareness training tailored to remote work scenarios, addressing home network security, public Wi-Fi risks, and physical document handling
• Developing incident response plans that account for remote work scenarios just in case any security breaches occur

7. Providing access to important information

When knowledge is easy to find and share, people can collaborate more effectively and move faster. However, in remote settings, inconsistent documentation or scattered systems can create silos that slow teams down. When information lives in too many places—or only in someone’s head—teams waste time tracking it down, repeat work unnecessarily, or miss key context that impacts decisions.

Solutions

Intentional knowledge management—supported by clear processes and the right tools—eliminates friction. It empowers people to access what they need, when they need it, and focus their energy on creating value instead of searching for answers.

Modern HR platforms play a key role here, helping teams centralize documentation, create repeatable processes, and keep information up to date.

Here are a few ways to make knowledge-sharing a natural part of how your remote team works:

• Establish central repositories for documentation, with clear naming conventions and search functionality
• Create documentation standards and templates that make information consistent and accessible across all languages
• Encourage knowledge sharing as part of standard workflows, recognizing and rewarding documentation contributions
• Schedule regular knowledge-sharing sessions where team members can present their expertise or recent learnings

8. Seamlessly onboarding and training new hires

Without face time or spontaneous desk chats, new joiners may miss the context that helps them feel confident in their role. It’s harder to absorb culture, ask questions in the moment, or build early connections across the team. That lack of structure slows time to productivity and can leave new joiners feeling adrift.

Solutions

While new joiners may not have spontaneous desk chats or hallway moments, they can still feel supported, connected, and empowered when onboarding is intentional. It’s not about replicating the office experience, but designing a better one for the way we work today. Here are a few suggestions for effective remote onboarding and training:

• Build a repeatable onboarding process that extends beyond day one 
• Include role-specific milestones, mentor pairings, and scheduled check-ins throughout the new joiner’s first few months 
• Offer training in multiple formats, like video walkthroughs, audio messages, and written text to support different learning styles
• Offer opportunities to build relationships early on through virtual coffees, scheduled intro calls, and cross-functional shadowing to help people feel like they belong

<< Execute remote onboarding with a free employee onboarding template. >>

9. Maintaining compliance with global teams

Employment laws, tax regulations, and data protection requirements vary by location, creating compliance risks for organizations with distributed teams. Tracking working hours, leave entitlements, and classifications becomes more challenging without visibility into team members’ daily schedules.

Without proper compliance management, organizations face potential fines, penalties, and legal challenges.

Solutions

Businesses that stay ahead of regulatory changes avoid risk and build trust and resilience across their global workforce. You can: 

• Create location-specific policies that clearly outline what applies in each region
• Use HR systems to track working hours, leave, and contract types in one place
• Lean on local experts or global payroll partners to comply with local employment laws
• Use automated HR tools to flag risk areas and reduce manual reporting

10. Limiting personal distractions

Working from home offers flexibility, but it also introduces a different set of distractions. From family responsibilities to household tasks, professionals often balance personal and professional demands throughout the day. Without clear boundaries or routines, it can be tough to stay focused—and that can impact both productivity and wellbeing.

Solutions

What may seem like a performance issue is often an environmental challenge that can be addressed with the right support. Try these strategies to help your people create a work-friendly environment away from the office:

• Encourage people to set up a dedicated workspace, even if it’s just a corner of the kitchen 
• Offer tips on proven focus techniques like time-blocking or the Pomodoro method, and recommend apps that block distractions during the workday
• Make it clear that breaks are expected, not discouraged, for both work-life balance and improved productivity
• Allow flexible hours so your people can choose to work hours that work for them—some people work best early in the morning, while others need more time before diving into deep work

11. Tracking and improving team member productivity

Remote team members may also feel pressure to appear busy rather than focus on meaningful outcomes. Without the visibility of a shared office, some professionals may overcompensate with constant online presence, quick responses, or long hours—all of which can lead to burnout and missed priorities.

Solutions

In a remote work environment, traditional “time in seat” metrics give way to a more meaningful approach: outcome-based evaluation. This shift empowers managers to focus on results rather than activity, building a culture of trust and autonomy. It also gives people the flexibility to do their best work in the way that suits them.

Support this shift by:

• Setting clear goals that are aligned with both team and company objectives
• Using key results (OKRs) or weekly deliverables so everyone knows what success looks like
• Tracking progress in shared tools, like project boards, timelines, or regular check-ins to maintain visibility without micromanaging
• Making performance reviews future-focused, tying feedback to progress and growth rather than time spent online
• Celebrating impact, not hours, by recognizing contributions that move the business forward

Give your people the space to get work done, while still creating visibility into what’s moving forward and where support is needed. When success is measured by outcomes, not busyness, remote teams stay engaged, motivated, and aligned.

12. Determining dress codes

Remote work naturally blends the personal with the professional, which can sometimes create uncertainty around what to wear for video calls, client meetings, or in-person offsites. Without clear expectations, people may feel unsure about how to show up professionally while still being themselves.

Solutions

Rather than relying on unspoken norms, providing clear, flexible guidelines helps everyone feel confident and aligned. Dress codes don’t need to be rigid—they just need to reflect your culture and support consistency, especially in client-facing roles.

• Offer role-specific recommendations, like business casual for external-facing professionals and more relaxed attire for internal meetings or creative roles
• Have leaders model appropriate dress for different settings to help set the tone and reinforce your brand
• Encourage authenticity, allowing team members to express themselves while still aligning with the occasion and company values
• Include dress guidance in onboarding, especially for hybrid or in-person events, to remove guesswork and help new team members feel prepared

13. Taking different approaches to DEI&B

Remote work opens new doors for flexibility, but it also changes how people experience diversity and inclusion. When collaboration happens mostly on-screen, some voices can be unintentionally overlooked—especially those who feel underrepresented. And when visibility is tied to physical presence, proximity bias can limit growth for remote professionals.

Solutions

To build a more inclusive culture, focus on practices that spotlight every team member’s value:

• Use structured meeting formats like round-robin check-ins or shared docs to invite input from everyone
• Offer multiple ways to contribute—live, async, written, or verbal—to match different working styles
• Pair people with mentors based on growth goals, not location, to ensure equal access to guidance
• Run regular anonymous inclusion surveys to uncover trends and opportunities for improvement
• Define and share clear advancement criteria so that growth paths are transparent and consistent

14. Providing adequate professional development opportunities

Without regular in-person time with decision-makers, remote professionals can sometimes feel disconnected from their growth journey. Traditional development paths—like shadowing or informal networking—may not always translate online.

Solution

With intention and structure, career growth can thrive anywhere. Support development with strategies designed for distributed teams:

• Create personalized development plans that align individual aspirations with business priorities
• Provide learning stipends or access to flexible online courses to support self-driven upskilling
• Schedule dedicated career conversations—separate from performance reviews—to explore long-term goals
• Give remote team members opportunities to lead high-visibility projects and showcase their strengths

<<Download a free employee development plan template to help your people grow.>>

Improve remote team management for a stronger company culture 

The future of work is flexible—and organizations that excel at remote management are better positioned to attract, engage, and retain top talent. Tackling remote work challenges with thoughtful, people-first strategies helps create teams that are not only functional but also connected, motivated, and high-performing.