How to Manage a Remote IT Team: Best Practices and Tools

There was a time when going to the office meant actually getting dressed, getting in your car, and driving down the road to your office. For most people, those long commutes are a thing of the past. Remote work is now the norm for many IT teams. However, this shift is also changing how leaders manage their teams.

So, how do you ensure work is getting done, employees feel connected and supported, and your organization can hit its KPIs? Here’s what you need to know to better manage and support your remote IT team. 

Set Clear Expectations and Goals 

To be successful, your team members should know their roles and responsibilities. Start by clearly defining each role and the tasks associated with it. If you have a network engineer and a network architect, for example, make sure they know who is responsible for regularly updating the security software.

Set clear, direct KPIs that reflect each team member’s contribution to larger projects. For example, if your team’s goal is to reduce network downtime, ensure each team member knows their role in reaching that goal. Clarity isn’t just nice to have—it’s your secret weapon for avoiding miscommunication for remote IT teams. 

Set Communicating Expectations for Availability and Accountability

Remote work often goes hand in hand with flexible hours. Many remote managers don’t mind if employees work 9 to 5 or 7 to 3 or even split hours between morning and evening. If that is not acceptable at your organization, make that clear. If you do allow flexibility, be clear about expectations for communication. Outline expectations for:

• Working hours: Define when team members should be available, keeping time zones in mind. Maybe you want employees to work 9 to 5 or just overlap with their supervisors for a few hours. Whatever the hours, make sure employees know when they should be working. 

• Meeting schedules: Set specific times when you want employees to be available for meetings. Keep meetings to a minimum, but make them effective—no one loves endless Zoom calls. 

• Response times: Set guidelines for how quickly emails or Slack messages should be answered—maybe that is an hour for time-sensitive messages about a possible breach but one business day for non-time-sensitive messages. 

Finally, look for ways to track accountability. Whether it’s daily standups or weekly status reports, the goal is to ensure deadlines are met without micromanaging. 

Use Security Tools Designed for Remote Work 

When your team is spread out across the globe, security becomes a top priority. Remote IT teams are often responsible for safeguarding sensitive community information, but it's no easy task. Make sure your team understands the importance of (and actually uses) security tools like: 

• VPNs: Virtual private networks (VPNs) encrypt all data transmitted between a user and your network, ensuring hackers can’t intercept sensitive information.

• MFA: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity with something they know (password), something they have (device), or even something they are (biometric). These are non-negotiables for any remote IT team.

• Endpoint Security Solutions: Laptops, tablets, and smartphones are often the weakest links in your security chain. Implement advanced endpoint security tools that can detect malware, prevent unauthorized access, and secure data even if a device is lost or stolen.

• Compliance Checks: Cybersecurity isn’t "set it and forget it.” Review your security protocols regularly to ensure they comply with industry regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA. This isn’t just about avoiding fines—it’s also about building trust with customers and clients. 

Finally, educate your team. Remind employees and contractors that connecting to the coffee shop’s free Wi-Fi without a VPN is like leaving the keys to your house under the doormat. Cybersecurity starts with awareness, and even one unsecured connection can leave your organization vulnerable. 

Provide Support Without Micromanaging

Micromanaging is the fastest way to kill morale and productivity, especially in a remote environment. No one wants to feel like their manager is virtually hovering over their shoulder, questioning every keystroke. The key to a highly productive team is to encourage self-management while providing just the right amount of support. 

Start by setting clear expectations and encouraging your team to take ownership of their work. This includes letting them manage their schedules so they can work when they’re most productive and focusing on outcomes, not hours. Instead of tracking whether Jane was online at 9:05 am yesterday, focus on whether that server migration she was responsible for got done.

As a manager, your job is to remove obstacles and help your team succeed. Schedule one-on-one check-ins to ensure everyone has the resources they need and can ask questions. These meetings should feel supportive–not like a performance review. 

Fostering Team Engagement and Morale

Remote work can feel isolating, especially in IT. Much of the work is done independently and often behind the scenes, with little immediate recognition or team interaction to break up the day.

Find ways to foster team engagement and build morale without being cheesy. How this looks will depend on your team's personality. For example, you might have everyone offer one good thing that happened at the start of your weekly stand-up call.

Depending on your team’s personality, you might try virtual happy hours at the end of the day, remote escape rooms, or team gaming sessions where everyone plays a simple multiplayer game together (like Among Us or Jackbox games). You could also try virtual challenges, like fitness goals, photo contests, or trivia competitions, to encourage friendly competition and camaraderie.

Look for ways to celebrate personal milestones, such as birthdays, work anniversaries, or even non-work achievements like completing a marathon or adopting a pet. Small gestures like sending a digital gift card or a public shoutout in your team chat can help your team feel appreciated and connected. 

Encourage Boundaries Between Work and Personal Life

In a remote setup, the line between work and home can blur faster than a buffering Zoom call. Suddenly, the kitchen table becomes a desk, and "just one more email" turns into working late into the night. As a leader, it’s your job to help your team set clear boundaries between work and personal life. This might include: 

• Promoting flexible work schedules: Let your team work when they’re most productive, but encourage them to log off when the day is done. A clear start and end to the workday can help everyone recharge and maintain a healthy balance.

• Offering wellness programs: Mental health matters, especially in remote environments where burnout can go unnoticed. Provide resources like virtual counseling sessions, meditation app subscriptions, or even team wellness challenges.

• Random half-days: If work is going well and projects are on track, occasionally let your team sign off early on a Friday or offer an extra half-day of PTO. This will improve morale and encourage your team to spend time doing things they love outside of work. 

Remind your team: It’s okay to close the laptop, step away from the emails, and take a break. A well-rested team is a productive team.

Use Tools to Improve Workflow and Manage Workloads 

Without the ability to peek over someone’s shoulder (or, more realistically, casually check-in in the break room), remote work requires systems to track workloads and keep everyone aligned. Thankfully, there are plenty of tools to make this easier:

• Time tracking: Use tools like Clockify or Harvest to monitor project hours and ensure no one is overburdened.

• Project management: Platforms like Jira, Trello, or Asana keep everyone on the same page by assigning tasks, tracking progress, and setting deadlines. 

• Version control: For development teams, tools like GitHub or GitLab enable seamless collaboration on code, allowing for peer reviews and tracking changes to minimize errors.

• Remote monitoring: IT management tools like Datadog, SolarWinds, or Nagios for IT management offer real-time system performance insights, helping your team tackle IT issues before they snowball into major problems.

These tools help manage workloads, provide transparency, and foster accountability without the need for constant check-ins—and limit your need to micromanage. 

Adapting to Team Member Needs

No two team members are the same, and managing a remote team means acknowledging and adapting your managing style to each team member. While some employees thrive in the autonomy of remote work, others might struggle with isolation or a lack of resources. Look for ways to support your team individually. Here are a few ways to do this: 

• Provide a stipend for home offices:  A proper home office setup can make a world of difference. Consider offering stipends for ergonomic chairs, standing desks, or faster internet connections.

• Offer flexibility: Life happens—kids get sick, the internet goes out, or someone needs to take their dog to the vet. Allow team members to adjust their hours when needed as long as the work gets done.

• Check-in regularly: Don’t assume everything’s okay just because no one’s speaking up. Regularly touch base with your team to ask how they’re doing—professionally and personally.

By adapting to your team’s needs, you’re not only building a better work environment, but also showing that you value them as people, not just employees.

Final Thoughts 

Managing a remote IT team comes with unique challenges, but with the right strategies, tools, and mindset, it can improve team morale and drive organizational results. By setting clear expectations, fostering engagement, and offering support, you can ensure your team is happy and productive. 

Finally, remember that tools and expectations train over time. The most successful remote managers understand that the way we work is constantly changing. Stay connected with your team and make changes to your process as needed.

Teams with a CBT Nugget subscription report a 94% increase in the quality of their work. Contact Sales today for your options.