Today, teleworking is massively appealing to French companies, who no longer hesitate to make extensive use of it. However, the situation was very different a few years ago. At the time, only 9% of employees practiced it in France, half the European average. However, almost a quarter of employees already wanted to do it. In reality, managers backed away because of apprehension, but also the practical difficulties of managing their teams remotely. So what are the essential reflexes to adopt in 2026 to properly manage employees recruited through teleworking?
Empower employees
First of all, the entrepreneur must set transparent conditions to supervise remote work. Whether your employee moves to your premises or chooses to work from home, you must make clear commitments with them. To achieve this, you can rely on detailed statistical productivity reports. These tools precisely measure the activity that the employee undertakes to maintain remotely, while remaining easy to verify to prevent you from wasting precious time. Concretely, if remote working is based on trust, it does not exclude control.
Furthermore, the employee must also take responsibility and clearly announce his organization to the rest of the team. This approach allows everyone to organize themselves internally and adapt effectively to this mode of operation. Thanks to these simple measures, you can first ensure the goodwill of the employee. This must be able to commit to specific results. This is how he will establish a solid relationship of trust with you, but also with the team in which he works every day.
Do not change its operation
On a managerial level, absolutely avoid introducing new rules applicable only to teleworkers. For example, requiring that your remote employees remain contactable at all times is completely counterproductive. Likewise, requiring them to install webcams at home to monitor them is a serious mistake. Employees also strongly criticized these intrusive practices during the first confinements.
This is why the entrepreneur must give his teams maximum autonomy, whether they work in the office or at home. If you set up a two-tier system, you will break the relationship of trust with your remote employees. Finally, remember that teleworkers do not remain available 24 hours a day! You must therefore define precise working time slots, in direct consultation with them.
Focus on autonomous profiles
To maximize the success of remote management, you must select the right profiles during the recruitment phase. Obviously, working from home isn’t for everyone. As a manager, give preference to applications from qualified employees, who have a certain amount of seniority, a permanent contract and a pronounced taste for independence.
Certain sectors, such as insurance, banking or services, adapt very naturally to this form of organization. Also make sure that your future employee is fluent in new technologies and has already proven his ability to self-manage in the past. An employee who is autonomous from the hierarchy will be much more successful remotely. Indeed, he must know how to plan, organize and control his daily tasks himself, without having to systematically ask his employer.
Do not overload employees
If workers appreciate teleworking so much today, it is because it really boosts productivity. Studies now prove that employees are often more efficient at home than at work. This performance is explained firstly by their desire to prove their worth, but also by the pressure from entrepreneurs, who ask them more, thinking that they occupy a privileged position.
In addition, this efficiency results from great organizational freedom which allows employees to optimize their professional and personal time. However, keep in mind that the law requires you to provide equal treatment to all your employees, regardless of their mode of work. In your daily management, make sure to distribute the workload equitably.
