The pandemic has redefined work environment in the corporate world. Before Covid19, working remotely was a flexible option for employees to deliver results from anywhere, as long as the job was done right.
It is now the new normal for most organizations across the globe.
The pandemic is reforming the workplace from communication, to holding essential meetings to obligatory performance standards.
It is not easy to estimate companies that have adapted to remote employee engagement since the beginning of this year. But we can estimate about 71% of organizations have opted to work remotely to stay safe and continue with their business requirements.
Keeping a company running smoothly is a top priority for most entrepreneurs. Employees are therefore encouraged to embrace working from home until further notice. This new work environment came about without ample time to transition – which makes it harder for employees to concentrate on their work from the comfort of their homes.
We have compiled 12 solid remote engagement ideas for your teams.
1. Establish a Remote Work Policy
Transparency is essential for remote employees to remain productive all day long. Therefore, have in place a work-from-home policy to have your staff easily adjust to the new working system. Don’t forget to include flexibility as you establish basic work rules to motivate your employees.
2. Outline Goals for Remote Engagement
According to research, 64% of individuals working from home achieve their set tasks faster than in an office environment. To have your employees remain focused through the day, set clear, attainable goals for remote workers.
If working with remote teams – encourage communication via any means necessary. Use video calls, phone calls, WhatsApp messaging and make sure the guidelines are clear enough, with set timelines on deliverables.
3. Improve Internal Communication Approach
Your communication strategy should be clearly understood and reiterated as often as possible. Have your employees check their emails first thing in the morning and confirm receipt of their daily tasks.
Set up regular virtual meetings at the end of the day to recap on the day’s activities and have everyone talk about their day. It’s crucial to let remote workers express themselves and give feedback as freely and as openly as possible.
4. Check-In Often
As managers, it’s crucial to make yourselves available with frequent calls, see how the workflow is going and encourage them to keep at it.
Working from home is not easy, as most people tend to lose focus quite quickly and attend to other non-work-related tasks. To ensure productivity is on course, managers should call team members to help them stay on track and help them where necessary. Most workers will raise a problem voluntarily, so it’s up to the managers to check in often and solve issues as they arise.
5. Encourage Remote Teamwork
Group effort is the fastest way to achieve productivity. Therefore, encourage employees to work in teams to improve on completion of tasks by sharing out ideas, performing piecemeal tasks and make each team member accountable for the day’s tasks.
6. Provide Resources and Relevant Information
Remote employees should not spend numerous hours scouring through documents to find relevant information. Have in place a reliable resource center where required information can be sourced without breaking a sweat. Keep everyone engaged and resourceful.
7. Make Collaboration Fun
To keep your remote employees relaxed, encourage virtual breaks where teams can chat and have some fun together. This is a great approach to keep workers stress-free, at ease and refreshed.
Employers should make it easy for remote workers and give leeway whenever possible. Managers should also loosen up if workers chat a bit in between their tasks. As long as the daily goal is achieved, let them have a bit of fun occasionally.
8. Empower Remote Workers
Remote workers should be encouraged to participate in the decision making process. Managers should therefore empower employees in a remote work environment to communicate openly, make crucial decisions, and implement corporate ideas.
Empowered employees feel valued and tend to over-deliver on their goals as a result of direct communication and inclusion. Remote employees need to feel that they are a part of the solution, so give them a chance to explore their problem-solving skills.
9. Encourage Sharing
Information sharing among remote employees is beneficial for business success and employee growth. Luckily, technology has made it easier for online users to share resources and learning material from anywhere.
Remote working has displaced many people who cannot fly back home, or to their work stations. It is, therefore, necessary for employers to encourage e-learning alongside job responsibilities. It keeps employees happy and satisfied with their career progress without having to feel caged or stuck up at home.
10. Make Employees Feel Appreciated
To make your employees feel engaged and valued, appreciate them often and give them a sense of belonging. This small gesture will be much treasured, and it may foster innovation and competition amongst your best-performing employees.
11. Encourage Team Feedback
According to PwC, 60% of study respondents revealed that they prefer daily or weekly feedback from colleagues. 71% of employees under 30 years of age were more responsive to daily feedback.
Therefore regular team feedback is a great way to bond remote employees. Encourage team communication and collaboration so that employees can learn from their peers.
12. Remote Collective Work Space
Most employees use their home as the primary working space where they set aside a quiet spot to concentrate on their daily tasks.
Remote team workspaces have become popularity where employees who live in the same neighborhood can gather at a makeshift office and work from there. Employees with families appreciate such work environment so that they can get away from home distractions.
Final Word
COVID-19 is here to stay, for good. Companies must quickly adapt to working remotely to protect themselves and their family members.
For remote work giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and LinkedIn, setting up remote employee engagement was a breeze since they isolated in February this year.
Besides, most of these corporate workers can work from anywhere given the global nature of these companies. Analysts say the shift to remote work experienced by global businesses is not a temporary solution. It is the future of work.
