During and after the 2020 pandemic, the remote working model hit the corporate sector in Nigeria like a shock wave. For a country used to the hustle and bustle of commuting, it was certainly a new dynamic. It definitely placed companies in a race to catch up with first-world countries that had already been toying with the idea of a work-life balance model.
However, four years after the major shift, many companies still haven’t figured out how to get the best out of their remote employees. Complaints about the work-from-home model and comparisons between onsite and remote workers flood social media platforms every once in a while. This can only mean one thing (or many other things, depending on how you look at it): there’s a problem with building a high-performing remote team, especially in Nigeria.
In light of this, let’s walk you through a foolproof structure for setting up a highly functional remote team in Nigeria, a country that adores rush hour and mistakes proximity for productivity.
Structures To Enable A High-Impact Remote Team
Set Clear Expectations
Remote jobs thrive on transparency. You have to clarify what you expect in terms of goals, company values, and even how many hours per day you expect to be dedicated to work.
This will help whoever you are employing know from the onset what is expected of them and decide whether or not they can live up to the expectations.
Include Self-Management & Discipline in Hiring Criteria
With the work-from-home model, you can’t go about micromanaging employees (yes, even if you assign a line manager, they can’t oversee every little thing). What you need is a self-starter, someone who takes initiative on tasks. The metrics for recognizing these self-starters include time management skills, organizational skills, accountability, and communication (upward, downward, and diagonal).
Facilitate an Inclusive Work Culture
This does a whole lot more than people give it credit for. It’s simple: where people feel cherished, they will be motivated to churn out even better work. Fostering a strong remote culture means balancing company goals with talent expectations from the workplace. What this looks like is check-in meetings outside of work, encouraging team communication, work retreats, celebrating milestones of talents, and acknowledging personal celebrations.
Carry Out Regular Feedback and Reviews
Feedback is the backbone of any working system, even more so for a remote model. It thrives on it. Having a scheduled review of employees to evaluate their performance, tackle blockers, receive constructive criticism, and voice general concerns is a great way to enhance performance.
Ensure Salary and Benefits are Non-negotiables
Nothing motivates a Nigerian employee more than money. Top that off with standard employee care benefits like HMO, self-care vouchers, paid leave, etc., and you have yourself a highly motivated set of workers ready to put in the work.
Proven Strategies to Guarantee Consistent Task Delivery from Your Remote Team
Everything we’ve listed is great. But the thing is, we can bet what you really want to know is how to get your employees to deliver tasks on god mode. We get you. Buckle up.
The first thing you need to understand is that without setting the right structure in place (that includes everything you read earlier), you’ll have people leaving faster than Nigerians leave a storefront with expensive prices.
That said, these are sure-fire routes to guarantee a result-driven team of remote employees —so you don’t have to chase them with calls or find them at their houses. Fuel is expensive. Or, you can let us do what we know how to do best: Get you talents that deliver on steroids. Tell us who you need
1. Employ Project Management Tactics
We’re talking about assigning tasks, tracking task progress, and setting deadlines. Tools like Trello, ClickUp, and Asana help you set tasks, track work and ensure targets are met. The key here is to create a visible working system where everyone can see the progress of each employee’s work, eliminate the blame game, and ultimately increase task completion rates.
2. Automate Repetitive Tasks
In the grand scheme of things, repetitive tasks are time-wasters. Wherever possible, automate recurring tasks. For example, tasks like follow-up emails and report generation can be automated with Zapier or Integromat. In the spirit of freeing up time for actual work that moves the needle, look for more tasks or processes that can be automated.
3. Set Clear Metrics And KPIs
Metrics and KPIs are clear benchmarks to show both the work done and the success of the work. These metrics should cover task completion rates and task durations.
This helps communicate what productivity means for the company and helps achieve set targets and goals.
4. Conduct Periodic Audits and Performance Reviews
Nothing says “We mean business” like regular audits to ensure your remote team’s work rate is up to par. You can do this through quarterly reviews and monthly round-ups. The good thing about this is that as much as it helps spot setbacks, it also helps identify areas for growth, both for your remote workers and the company. It’s a win-win.
In summary, if you want to build a high-performing remote team in Nigeria, it’s not by shouting, “Have you done it?” every five minutes. You need proper systems in place. First, set clear expectations and make sure everyone understands the job (none of that “I didn’t get the memo” when deadlines arrive).
And please, don’t forget to celebrate small wins. Nigerians love awoof (freebies), even if it’s just a shout-out in a team meeting. At the end of the day, remote work is all about trusting your team, creating structure, and staying flexible.