There are many advantages to having remote workers. You skip many of the overhead costs of maintaining offices and help your business gain footholds in other geographical areas. But managing your remote workforce has its own challenges. Without physical proximity and face-to-face interactions, bosses and workers may feel distant, fail to communicate, and have different agendas.

How can you beat these challenges with your remote employees? Here are five ways.

1. Use Video

Employees may have a hard time feeling involved when they don't actually see anyone they work with - particularly their boss. Everyone, including other remote workers, becomes just a faceless voice. Combat this disconnect by making use of video chatting technology rather than only traditional phone call conversations. Just make sure that the conversations remain productive by using reliable video technology and equipment.

2. Chat Casually

Think about how you interact with workers in a traditional office setting. People stop and chit-chat about their weekend over the coffee machine. They notice other employees feeling unwell, having personal appointments, taking lunch with their spouses, or wearing Halloween costumes. Small social encounters help people feel more connected to one another and help everyone learn about each other as friends.

Remote workers have none of that, so take the time to have friendly, non-business conversations. Engage a little at the beginning of a call or meeting, and chat again before you hang up. Ask casual, non-invasive questions, and offer up some clues as to your own life and personality as well.

Include remote employees in company festivities by sending holiday gifts, preparing a video presentation, or having a virtual ugly sweater contest. In short, be friendly and welcoming.

3. Be Clear

Another easy thing to lose when you don't work in the same physical space is clarity about agendas, objectives, and methods. Since remote employees will be working independently most of the time, make sure that you're all on the same page before turning them loose.

Ask clarifying questions. Double-check timelines, expectations, formats, and parameters. Write out instructions or guidelines rather than relying solely on oral direction. Check in regularly. And be available whenever remote workers have additional concerns.

4. Show Respect

If you want remote workers to stay, don't take them for granted. Many virtual employees love the freedom that this type of work provides, but they do still want to feel the benefits of working for your company.

Show an interest in your employees and in their careers, grooming them to take on new projects or offering coaching. Don't overwork them, and conduct regular reviews with additions of benefits and raises. Be on the side of your distant employees just as much as traditional ones.

5. Be Proactive

Communication with remote workers doesn't usually happen by accident. You must take the lead in keeping the lines open - perhaps more open than in a traditional setting.

If you have an open-door policy with employees, don't trust that this will be sufficient to get virtual workers in touch. Instead, schedule weekly and monthly one-on-one meetings with each individual - and be flexible about what you'll discuss. Be available at times convenient for the employees as much as you can.

Schedule meetings as a team as well. Have a regular team meeting with video so everyone can feel like they know each other. Link in other employees when it's logical, perhaps by adding them to a conference call or video chat already in progress.

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