Why Should You Beware of Micromanaging WFH Employees

With remote work now a preferred work method for many employees, managers and team leaders alike are having problems managing these employees. Research shows that remote work does not always guarantee high productivity, so some managers micromanage their team to prevent it.

However, micromanaging work-from-home employees has serious drawbacks for the team and the company and here’s why you should curb micromanagement:

Employees Lose Their Trust

One of the significant issues micromanagement brings to a company is the loss of trust. For employees to stay in a company, they must feel that they are trusted by their managers and valued for their work. A micromanager prevents employees from making decisions and gives them the impression that the manager does not trust them to do their tasks well. Without trust, your employees will be disloyal and even consider leaving the company.

It Causes Lowered Productivity

If you constantly look at your employee’s work and actions throughout the day, your employees must keep changing their workflow to adjust to your exacting standards. As a result, they will lose time to work on the task you gave them and, eventually, lose their confidence in their skills to complete it. It will also make it difficult for these employees to share their insights and ideas if they know another way to complete your request.

High Turnover Of Employees

You will also notice a high turnover of employees if you are a chronic micromanager. Employees want a manager who can support them and allow them to work in peace, not managers who will always breathe down on them. They will quit even if they want the position. High turnover will cost your company a lot of money because you must constantly hire and retrain new staff.

Morale Is At An All-Time Low

Micromanagement will reduce your team’s autonomy and cause them to lose confidence in their skills. As a result, they will lose their desire to work hard and be proud of their work. They will only work to achieve what you demand them to do and not go over that.

No Teamwork

There is no teamwork in a team run by a micromanager. For teamwork to exist, the team must have open communication, and each member must be given the right tasks they can confidently do. However, a micromanager will stop this since they will not or will not delegate the tasks properly and only criticize the team for not doing what they told them to do.

If you want your team to succeed in achieving your targets, your managerial style shouldn’t be one that will affect your team’s fortitude. Micromanaging your team will only make your team slowly lose their drive as you are on them like a bully, and they won’t feel comfortable working even if they like the job. Make sure to listen to your employees, give them a clear set of rules and check up on them occasionally. By trusting them, they will take note of it and perform beyond your standards.

Trying to make remote team more productive? Here is how you can do that without firing anyone:
7 Ways to Spot the Traits of Effective Remote Employees
5 Great Tips to Build a Strong Culture Among Your Remote Team
Is Remote Work Right for Your Company?

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