Remote working has been on the rise for years – and it’s only growing. As companies and employees embark on a new way of working, many will realize the benefits of virtual work. And it’s no surprise why.
People working remotely are usually more productive, involved, and happier. Therefore, offer a flexible employment opportunity to remote employees and help them land and maintain a competitive workforce.
However, managing a remote workforce is not always easy. So how do you ensure that your telecommuters are successful? Keep your employees involved, no matter where they work.
In this article, we will look at how telecommuting affects employee engagement and different strategies supported by research that you can use to engage your remote working team.
1. Stay connected through technology
Keep your remote team connected through strategic communication channels and strategic use of technology.
For example, use some attractive and engaging tools like Asana, GoToMeeting, Zoom, or Slack to improve communication and project management between team members so that everyone is on the same page. Encourage your team to use the cloud to share files and increase seamless work between all team members.
Be sure to use video conferencing as well. Email and online chats are great ways to stay in touch. However, face-to-face communication can help your virtual team be more present in the office environment.
2. Promote social interaction
Despite the many advantages of remote working, loneliness was number one. So keep your remote team involved by fostering team connections through social classes, video chats, and virtual team-building activities.
Assign mentors to new employees so that new employees have someone they can trust to ask questions and orient themselves throughout their first year—plan personal team or company retreats and trips to strengthen these ties.
3. Show employees that you care
Build meaningful relationships with your remote employees and allow them to balance. Respect their time by setting limits on schedules, tasks, and performance expectations. Take time and talk to your remote workers about:
- Their family and personal hobbies
- Stress and mental or emotional health
- Their workload helps them prevent burnout
4. Ask for and listen to feedback.
Communicate with employees if you do something (or why you don’t do something) based on their feedback so they know they have been heard, and their opinions are valued. When employees feel valued, they are happier and more active at work.
And don’t shy away from giving constructive feedback. Help your remote employees by taking advantage of development opportunities.
5. Recognize the contribution of employees
Remote employees usually spend more hours than their office colleagues, but they often do not feel like a team. One solution is to prioritize the recognition of employees.
Use the online discovery platform to allow every employee to view, comment, and approve in real-time. Regular recognition from peers and managers helps employees feel connected and valued.
6. Keep them informed
Keeping your remote employees informed about projects, goals, team progress, and company news is important. Because much of the information in companies travel across desks through talking or chatting with a water cooler, remote employees can easily get out of the chain and feel uninterrupted.
Give everyone access to company goals, new projects, ongoing updates, and more with an employee-friendly goal setting and tracking system. Register regularly for both private and team meetings with your remote staff so that everyone can touch the base and follow the company’s progress.
7. Give employees the tools they need to succeed
The key to employee engagement and performance improvement is that your employees feel confident and have the opportunity to do their best, no matter where they are. Whether you are a new employee or an old employee, make sure your remote team has the tools and training to do the job.
And resources and amenities aren’t limited to hardware or equipment needs, such as laptops or business cell phones. For example, do your employees have a place where they can work effectively at home? Do they have access to development opportunities?
Don’t be afraid to be creative. For example, you can offer cooperation scholarships to employees who do not have a home office, or cover the cost of sending employees to business conferences and professional development courses.
8. Be flexible
One of the best things about remote working is its flexibility. Flexibility can make your remote employees more productive and learn new things when free.
Trust them to get the job done. Building trust between employees and managers is critical to employee engagement and satisfaction. In addition, flexibility means that employees can develop the work cycle that suits them best, creating a healthier work-life balance.
Conclusion
Remote working increases employee engagement, especially when employees spend confused time working at home and in the office.
Time spent in the office helps employees feel connected to their co-employees and allows for personal collaboration and communication between team members. However, did you know most of the time, remote working keeps employees focused and productive, less stressed and happier?
Remote working will continue to grow in the coming years, which means that understanding the management and involvement of remote employees is more important than ever. Fortunately, there are many ways to engage telecommuters – use these tips to take full advantage of remote working and keep your team happy, healthy, and productive year-round.
