{"id":18421,"date":"2018-03-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srv662288.hstgr.cloud\/blog\/why-having-an-open-door-policy-with-your-remote-employees-is-critical\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T23:52:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:52:48","slug":"why-having-an-open-door-policy-with-your-remote-employees-is-critical","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.outbackteambuilding.com\/blog\/why-having-an-open-door-policy-with-your-remote-employees-is-critical\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Having an \u201cOpen Door\u201d Policy with Your Remote Employees Is Critical"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Want to know how to build a strong team of remote employees you can trust? Find out how an \u201copen door\u201d policy can help you maintain successful working relationships with employees you don\u2019t regularly see in person.<\/h4>\n

As a manager, the \u201copen door\u201d concept isn\u2019t a new one. Many leaders take this approach to show employees that they\u2019re approachable, available to offer support, and welcome any questions.<\/p>\n

But how do you have an \u201copen door\u201d policy when you don\u2019t physically have a door?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Director of Events at Outback Team Building & Training, Jules Joyce, provides insight on this question and more in the latest episode of our podcast, Outback Talks: The Employee Engagement Podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jules has worked with a remote team for the better part of the last decade, and has developed systems to help her effectively manage employees who she doesn\u2019t see in the office every day. Continue reading to learn more about the insights she has to offer, or hear straight from Jules herself by listening to the episode below.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let the fact that you don\u2019t see your team every day get in the way. Try to communicate and keep an \u2018open door\u2019 policy…let them know that you are there and available for support.”
<\/i>\u2014 Jules Joyce (Director of Events, Outback Team Building & Training)<\/cite><\/strong><\/p>\n

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How to Build an Awesome Remote Team You Can Trust<\/h4>\n\n\n

When you don\u2019t see your coworkers every day, it can be challenging to build the trust necessary to operate as a high-performing team. So, how can you get around the challenges of not working in the same office space?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are Jules Joyce\u2019s top five pieces of advice on how you can build an effective remote team. <\/p>\n\n\n

1. ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION<\/h5>\n\n\n

First and foremost, Jules assures that you can build solid relationships with employees you don\u2019t spend time with by simply letting them know that you offer open communication. Jules calls this approach an \u201copen door\u201d policy. She encourages all remote managers to give their teams the opportunity to approach them through various communication channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet them know that it\u2019s not troublesome or a hassle for them to reach out to you,\u201d says Jules, who has witnessed employees struggle because they didn\u2019t want to \u201cbother\u201d her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jules explains that if you provide the expectation that you\u2019re available to support them, employees are more likely to feel comfortable reaching out, asking questions, and \u2013 ultimately \u2013 avoiding mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n

2. SET REGULAR MEETINGS<\/h5>\n\n\n

Jules and her employees have several different meeting rhythms that have helped her team find success. She recommends meeting as a team \u2013 via telephone or video conference \u2013 daily for short catch-ups, and weekly for longer discussions. Most importantly, though, Jules suggests that having weekly one-on-one catch-ups with each member of your team is \u201ccritical\u201d to an individual\u2019s success in their role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to meeting on a regular basis via telephone, Jules also recommends trying to get together with your remote employees in person at least once a quarter to help build team camaraderie.<\/p>\n\n\n

3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF \u201cTHE CLOUD\u201d<\/h5>\n\n\n

\nWhen it comes to resources that can help people manage their remote teams, Jules recommends, \u201cAnything collaborative, anything in \u2018the cloud.\u2019\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More specifically, Jules suggests Smartsheet, a live tool similar to Google Docs that multiple people can edit and access from anywhere \u2013 unlike a remote server. She says that her team uses Smartsheet to track tasks and projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For quick questions and communications, Jules recommends instant messaging on a platform that employees can access with just the internet, such as Slack, rather than a company-based chat service.<\/p>\n\n\n

4. WATCH FOR PARTICIPATION<\/h5>\n\n\n

If an employee stops hitting targets and begins to withdraw, Jules says this could be a sign that it\u2019s not working out with that individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jules says that, for her, it\u2019s all about participation. If an employee has stopped reaching out to you, or you feel you have to pull information from them, this could be a red flag that that person is no longer engaged in their role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, Jules recommends not getting too hung up if an employee doesn\u2019t respond to you right away through instant message or email. People will have their own work rhythms, and you don\u2019t necessarily want them to drop everything they\u2019re doing mid-task just to answer your question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jules suggests that if it\u2019s really important, and you need to get a hold of your team member, pick up the phone and call them.<\/p>\n\n\n

5. TRUST YOURSELF & YOUR TEAM<\/h5>\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t focus too much on the fact that you\u2019re not there,\u201d says Jules. Let your team do what you hired them to do. An employee may not always do something the way you would have, but letting go of little things like that is part of developing a strong team, suggests Jules. Trust yourself, your team, and the fact that you hired a great group of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get Started Building a More Successful Remote Team<\/h4>\n\n\n

Want more ideas on how you can successfully manage remote employees? Download your free copy of \u201c10 Ideas to Bring Remote Employees Together\u201d for access to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n