By
Rita
Mendes
Head of people, Alts Digital
Rita Mendes, head of people at Alts Digital, returns to write for iGBA on the lessons a fully remote affiliate has learnt about supporting new managers
Promoting someone into a management role is exciting. But it also brings a challenge that many fast-growing companies face.
How do you support new managers, especially when it’s their first time?
At Alts Digital, we’ve had to figure this out as we grew. When I joined, we were a 20-person team with very few formal managers, and almost everyone was an individual contributor. Since then, we’ve grown a lot, and naturally, the need for leadership has grown too. Most of our managers were promoted internally. Some were managing for the first time, others were managing at a new level, with more complexity and autonomy.
We’re also fully remote. That means our managers have a lot of independence, so supporting them properly is not a nice-to-have. It’s essential. Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
Give clarity
We don’t have a structured onboarding or leadership course for managers. What we do instead is focus on setting clear expectations.
When someone becomes a manager at Alts, we share a short internal document we call the Manager Guide. It explains what the role means here and what we expect. The main areas are:
- Driving individual and team performance
- Making effective talent decisions
- Creating a culture of excellence and alignment with our values
The guide includes key responsibilities like setting goals, giving feedback, having performance conversations, managing compensation or promotions, and knowing our internal processes.
It’s not a step-by-step manual; it’s a reference point. It helps managers know where to focus and what great management looks like in our context.
The guide includes key responsibilities like setting goals, giving feedback, having performance conversations, managing compensation or promotions, and knowing our internal processes
Alongside this, we also share curated content from outside. That includes articles, book recommendations, and other resources that help managers improve their people skills over time.
Make space for conversations about people
In addition to the structure, we also offer one-on-one sessions with each manager. These happen every two to three months, or more often for new managers.
They’re not formal coaching sessions, but they are regular moments where managers can stop and reflect. They often bring real challenges they’re facing with their teams. Sometimes I give advice, other times I just listen and help them think through the situation differently.
In a remote company, this matters even more. Managers don’t always have people around them to talk things through. These sessions help reduce that isolation, and they reinforce the idea that being a good manager is not about knowing everything; it’s about being willing to learn and ask the right questions.
Managers don’t always have people around them to talk things through
We also encourage the managers of managers to bring team-related topics into their own regular meetings. When someone transitions from an individual contributor role into a management position, it’s very common that, at first, they won’t know what they don’t know. They may not bring forward the right topics or may miss things that matter. That’s why it’s important that their manager helps guide the conversation. Asking questions like “How are things going with your team?”, “Are there any performance concerns?”, “What are the strengths of your new team members?” or “In what areas do they still need support?” can go a long way. It helps build the habit of looking at the team as a whole and not just focusing on their own output.
Know what leadership means in your industry
Each company has its own context. This changes what being a manager actually involves.
Before Alts, I worked in the tech industry, which is also fast-paced. However, the pace in tech is different. Even if things become a bit outdated there, they usually don’t harm the business immediately. In the iGaming affiliate space, the pace is also fast, but the consequences of falling behind are much more serious and immediate. If we don’t act quickly and keep innovating, it can hurt the business very fast.
This creates a different kind of pressure and anxiety around innovation and speed, something I feel more strongly here than in tech companies. The speed we experience is closer to what I’ve seen in small tech startups of ten people rather than in bigger, more established tech firms.
Managers tend to be more isolated when it comes to learning from peers. Sometimes they need to look outside our sector and connect with colleagues in other industries to keep growing
Another difference is culture. In tech, it’s common for managers and leads from different companies to talk regularly, share ideas, and exchange tips, even when they compete directly. This kind of knowledge sharing is part of the culture.
In our industry, it happens less often. Managers tend to be more isolated when it comes to learning from peers. Sometimes they need to look outside our sector and connect with colleagues in other industries to keep growing. Having exposure to different realities can be valuable because it helps them think differently and adapt more broadly.
What we’ve learned
You don’t need a fancy leadership program to support new managers. But you do need a few things to be in place.
You need clear expectations that fit your company. You need regular space for honest and practical conversations. And you need a strong understanding of what leadership means in your specific context.
At Alts, we’ve kept things simple but intentional. And that has helped our new managers grow with more confidence, more self-awareness, and better impact on their teams.
Rita
Mendes
Head of people, Alts Digital