Product managers are an invaluable asset for development companies who need cohesion and structure. Their skills directly affect the relationships between team members and the product itself.
Product managers come in and attempt to find meaning in the madness. Their road maps and talent assessments help them to orchestrate the development process with ease.
No business, no matter the size, should discount remote employees for even a moment.
Remote product managers are happier employees that are more productive and more focused. What’s more: those aren’t the only benefits.
Here’s why you shouldn’t ever discount remote product managers:
They are productive
What do you picture when you imagine the home office of a remote product manager? Do you imagine a hardworking manager at his computer, fastidiously completing his duties in a timely manner?
Or do you imagine an office with distractions, missing files, and an inattentive product manager?
Most who are unfamiliar with remote work would assume the latter. However, studies have disproved this myth. In fact, freelancers and remote employees are often more productive, suffer less burnout, and report higher job satisfaction.
You guessed it — that means remote product managers are just as effective (if not more so) than on-site managers.
They are adaptable
Freelance product managers and full-time remote employees are adaptable.
You may ask why this is the case. Well, the very nature of remote work requires a flexibility. Often, when working from home, more is left up to your discretion.
However, this also means that more variables have to be accounted for. A rigid work schedule or perspective simply is untenable.
As such, remote product managers can be your knight in shining armor. While the rest of the team struggles to adjust to abrupt changes, your remote product manager will likely be unfazed.
They bring a lot of experience
Due to the nature of remote work, remote product managers often bring a host of experiences from a broad range of backgrounds.
Remote product managers have worked on projects from all over the world, and as a result, bring with them an incredible amount of experience that can be used to identify unique solutions to common issues. As with all product development, things will go awry at some point.
A product manager that has limited experience may panic or even attempt to run away from the project.
Remote product managers, on the other hand, are deft and agile employees that can respond to issues quickly and efficiently because of their experience.
They can still build a rapport
Digital communication platforms make it very possible for developers, clients, and freelance product managers to build a strong rapport.
With video conferencing, business IRC apps, and team cloud drives, there’s no risk of product managers falling out of the loop.
Product managers can check in whenever, wherever without ever stepping foot in your office.
They can be even more objective than traditional managers
Remote product managers can also act as true outside observers who offer solutions based on their perspective. Occasionally, development teams become entrenched in certain ideas and focuses.
This can draw in attention and create myopic teams that are seeing something from a limited point of view.
A project manager who is brought in remotely can immediately identify tension and can most likely find its origin too.
It is a benefit that can establish better working conditions for the developers and create more cohesion between team members.
Conclusion
Communication technologies have advanced with such incredible speed that they have revolutionised the idea of work entirely.
Companies like Slack, Zoom, and Skype have made working remotely simple and effective. However, there are still those companies who wonder if remote work is right for their company.
Some may wonder if remote work can fit into their development functions. The answer is yes to all. Remote product managers work with the same vigor and determination as every other type.
In fact, remote product managers report more satisfaction with their work than any other form of employment. If that is not enough then maybe the numbers will do it.
Freelance product managers save companies money while providing a productivity boost to their teams.
