How to Maintain Engagement and Diligence in Remote Workers

Many industries are adopting remote work. For example, more companies now allow employees to work remotely to help protect vulnerable people and flatten the COVID-19 curve. What does this mean for businesses, though?

Although remote work has many benefits, such as reduced commute time and better work-life balance, remote workers are less connected to the company and feel less engaged than if they were there. This can lead to lower productivity and poor performance.

As individuals are under constant pressure from all sides, the continuous stream of news, economic uncertainty, and emotional distress only fuels the fires. It is essential to consider the impact on emotional and physical health and the need for some order in the chaos. Families find employees working with teachers coordinating daily with their teachers to ensure their children receive a quality education. Employers must be proactive in helping employees adapt to the changing environment to succeed in their professional and personal lives.

It is challenging to lead a team in the fog of struggle to maintain productivity and mental health. Organizations and human resources departments have shared many helpful insights in recent years to keep remote employees motivated and diligent.

Formal Procedure

First, review or create a telecommuting policy. The overall situation will be structured if you take formal action. There will be questions from employees, so managers across departments need to agree on everything.

This policy should outline expectations and the availability of mental health services, as well as guidelines for reimbursing employees who incur expenses like internet, phone, or tech to continue working at home. If your IT department does not have a solution to cybersecurity via VPNs or you are outsourcing to a third party, it is worth investing both time and money upfront to put in place security protocols. Data breaches should not be on your schedule.

Communication

Communication is essential for any organization, no matter how severe the pandemic is. It is vital to have regular conversations with employees not only to monitor progress but also to offer emotional and mental support. Although a "need-to-know" basis is appropriate, it's essential to let go of this and embrace transparency in your company culture. Employees will feel more comfortable giving honest feedback if the company sets the tone. Managers and employers can then assess the pros and cons of each employee's input and make adjustments if necessary.

Tech Setup

Although most office workers have become accustomed to calling into conference calls, it does not reduce the isolation effects of a national quarantine. Video, on the other side, brings focus through face-to-face interaction. Again, security is an issue, but many reputable tech companies offer video conferencing for businesses large and small at reasonable rates.

You can allocate funds or inventory to your employees if they lack the equipment required for remote work, such as a laptop or webcam. It is a short-term investment, but it will have a lasting impact on your company's future.

Adaptive Management

Every manager must adapt their leadership style to the changing times. Many obstacles will be faced by employees working remotely. Managers must provide structure, set realistic expectations, and offer support. To keep motivation high, avoid micromanagement. Instead, promote trust and high levels of cooperation.

Community and Teambuilding

Although introverts are more comfortable with privacy, they still have the instinct to search for connections. This is especially true when there are no social gatherings or outlets. Create a virtual community to alleviate the anxiety and frustrations of being in confinement. You can call it a digital water cooler. You might consider planning activities to promote team building, such as trivia or watching a movie.

It is challenging to keep employees engaged and motivated in this volatile time. But it is possible. If your employer is still having trouble adapting to a work-from-home policy, StaffScapes has been providing excellence in Human Resources Outsourcing in Denver since 1996. Contact us today to have our team help you set up your telecommuting business.

How do you define employee engagement?

Remote employees can ensure that your team is as productive and efficient as it would be at work. However, measuring employee engagement for your team members can be challenging.

Remote work can be difficult for many because of distractions such as chores, roommates, housemates, social media, or TV at home. Asking your employees about their work and passion is the best way to gauge their engagement. You can monitor their progress with assignments and address any concerns about their performance.

Remote employees can be engaged in new ways.

These are ways to keep your company culture alive and make virtual employees feel part of the team.

Promote health and well-being.

It will help if you make your workers' health a priority. Your employees' health is your top priority. If they are sick, they will not be able to perform at their best. You might be able to create an incentive for your employees to exercise, get outside and cook healthy meals. A wellness program could be started for your team, with 30 days of yoga and one month of daily walking, etc.

This will help your employees' health and bring them closer. You can make it easier for your workers to adopt healthy habits by giving them a more extended lunch break or letting them go early to take advantage of the sun.

Host casual hangouts and virtual meetings.

Many remote teams communicate regularly via video calls, instant messaging, and email. A video conference call or voice message can be a great way to encourage team collaboration when the entire team is working together. Slack, Google Hangouts, and Trello are all great communication and collaboration tools.

it's essential to arrange virtual meetings for non-work-related chats. There's always something to talk about at work. But you don't want any conversation to be stressful. Schedule work outings or casual video chats to keep your employees happy and engaged.

Employees should feel valued and heard.

Employees deserve to be appreciated, even if they are far away. You don't have to be there to say thank you or take them to lunch to celebrate their work anniversary, so you need to find small ways to show appreciation.

Is it someone's Birthday? Send them a virtual gift certificate. Did a worker do more than expected on an assignment? To recognize their efforts, schedule a team meeting. Find simple ways to show your workers that you care.

Also, ensure that your virtual door is always open. Miscommunications between remote workers are pretty standard. You don't want your employees to feel they can't reach you to ask questions or voice their concerns. It is essential to make it clear that you are available for one-on-one meetings and that you listen to employees and take the necessary actions when they confide in you.

Encourage personal connections.

Although you may want to be professional when working with your employees, remember that they are still people. Like everyone else, they have family and friends. Employers must understand their strengths, weaknesses, and interests to build a better relationship with them.

"Keep an eye on your employees but also what they love doing." You can help your workers find their passions and create assignments or give them promotions.

Remote employees will be more committed and engaged in their work if they feel you care about them.

"Engagement is more than just 'checking up. It's about building personal connections."

Remote workers will appreciate the personal touch and relevance of communicating with their employees about benefits or bonuses.

Companies must remember that honesty and transparency are critical ingredients for solid employee engagement in the workplace.

Wakely stated, "Build stronger relationships among virtual workers." "Personal, brief, direct, and honest communication is essential."

Be open to communication.

Remote employees, particularly those who work irregular hours or outside the headquarters' time zone, can sometimes feel like their team isn’t there when they need them, and vice versa.

Virtual workers can feel more connected because they know they can reach their colleagues via digital communication and remain in touch with them.

Tony Ventrice, Whil's senior product manager, stated that online communities, social collaboration software, and chat clients could help remote employees join the cultural conversation. "It is important to remember that not all communications are serious. A lot of what brings people together is the shared banter.

You consider everyone's time zone when scheduling meetings or sending emails. For example, if you wish to send an email at noon to someone already working, you should acknowledge that you won't receive a reply until the next workday.

Such things could help employees build camaraderie, trust, and camaraderie when they are respected and understood about their work schedules.

Gamify your teamwork.

Gamification is a way for companies to increase customer loyalty and engagement by introducing game-playing elements into nongame environments. In addition, employee engagement strategies encourage competition and reward employees for their daily activities.

Ventrice stated that employees need to feel like they are part of the team. Ventrice said that team-based competitions and goals help build trust and collaboration. You can create groups based on location or function, but the main goal is inclusion and working towards a common goal.

Sources:

https://asanify.com/blog/human-resources/remote-working-motivation-hacks/

https://staffscapes.com/how-to-maintain-engagement-and-diligence-in-remote-workers-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/