Last week, we wrote a blog about the benefits of remote work — for both the employer and the employee. And we frequently talk about the pros of working remotely, for people looking for ways to keep their job while managing cancer treatment or long-term side effects post-treatment. 

But for managers, how can you best supervise an employee who works off-site?

A recent article from Fast Company recommends managing by goals and outcomes — not by face time.

Even in a traditional office environment, face time is not a good measure of whether an employee is doing a great job. Instead, as the article suggests, it’s better to evaluate performance by goals and outcomes.

Below are some suggestions of how to do that:

• Schedule weekly meetings with team members to discuss accomplishments and priorities for the past and following week.
• Establish quarterly goals with your employee to keep him/her focused and productive.
• Create a program to track time spent on projects.

“When people work remotely, the managerial focus shifts from how much time they spend in the office to what they’re getting done every day.”

If you’re looking to hire remote workers, we also highly recommend checking out FlexJobs.com.

For more helpful resources for managers, download a free copy of our Manager’s Toolkit.