Managing field staff requires high levels of organisation and strong communication if you wish to be successful. It can certainly be more challenging than managing office staff, particularly if you don’t have much experience in managing remote workers. Over the years, we’ve worked with many companies, ranging in size, to help them improve the way they manage their field staff. Here are our top tips for success:
1. Implement a clear and reliable communication system
The key to field service success is to have frequent two-way communication between your office and field staff on a daily basis. A system must be put in place in order to rapidly communicate new pieces of information across your workforce. Field service software solutions, like Husky, allow you automate your communication process and help to connect your staff with one another, wherever they may be located.
2. Delegate jobs to the right people
As a manager, it is vitally important that you understand your staff members, and know all their strengths and weaknesses. Equipped with this knowledge, you will be much more likely to delegate jobs to the best-suited employees. Not only will this improve the quality of your service and customer satisfaction, but also your staff members are likely to feel more engaged in their roles as they will be making use of their most valued skills.
3. Understand each job role you are responsible for managing
As well as understanding staff members and their skill-sets, you should also take time to learn about each job role you are responsible for. Knowledge of each job role will allow you to understand the complexity of the role and the workload of each employee. As a result, you are likely to be more empathetic to your staff and you will have a better gauge on whether their performance is up to scratch.
4. Acknowledge top-performers
Management isn’t just about telling your staff what to do and “bossing” them around. Not in the modern world anyway. Positive reinforcement in the form of praise or rewards will help to boost the confidence and morale of your workforce, leading to improved job performance. Field service software solutions, such as Husky, make it easy for you to identify the top performing employees in your business by offering insights into the work they’ve completed and the amount of time each job took.
5. Lead by example
As always in any management position, it is your job to lead by example. Clear communication starts at the top and will likely filter down through your employees. Give your workforce the foundations to succeed by supporting them on a daily basis and behaving professionally.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for taking the time to read our article. We hope you now have a better understanding of how you can effectively manage your field staff. If you have any questions regarding the topics discussed in this article, or any questions relating to field service software, please do not hesitate to get in touch. A member of our friendly team will always be happy to help!
