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Engaging Remote Employees The Right Way

Open notebook on desk with remote employee computer screen

Due to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, many offices have shut down, and staff teams have been separated to work remotely in their own homes. This is designed to reduce the risk of continued virus spread, keeping everyone healthy and safe.

However, most teams weren't given a chance to develop a plan to stay connected or adjust their regular workday to the home setting. Their new office space may be full of distractions for families, decreasing productivity and overall employee engagement.

To ensure your business continues moving forward, you will need to focus on strategies to engage remote employees .

Keep Checking In

Now that you can't see your employees working productively as you would in the office, you should initiate a system where you can meet with your remote workers one-on-one. For them, asking questions about their assignments or workload has changed where they can't simply knock on your office door, so make sure to offer a platform or new approach where they can ask you questions and get feedback almost immediately as they would in-person.

You can also take this time to hear how they are finding their remote work setup and any problems you could potentially help with. Hearing feedback from team members on the new remote work style will help you understand consistent glitches or areas where you need to reshape your approach or offer solutions or resources to keep everyone on track.

By constantly meeting and holding discussions, you'll have a higher chance of engaging remote employees so they will remain focused on working at their highest efficiency levels and completing their work on time at its best quality as they would have in the office.

Video Conferencing

Try to conduct staff communication on video calling platforms. That way, you and your employees will feel more connected like you would in the office. During these trying times, society has changed so dramatically that everything is uncomfortable and seems unfamiliar. By seeing your staff's faces through video calls and hearing their voices again, your team will get to stay in touch with something familiar and standard in their lives. This could help them to cope with the setting changes.

Video calling will help with engaging remote employees, not only by reducing their sense of isolation with a team reunion, but it also offers a platform for collaboration. As you would in a brainstorming meeting in the office, you can use your video platform to share any important information for everyone to hear and share any issues or projects that need help moving forward.

Virtual video-based calls are also helpful for any training for new or current employees. This method makes it easier to walk your team through new software or discuss new strategies or techniques you will implement for a functional remote workstyle.

Be Transparent About Remote Work Expectations

Now that you and your team have been spread apart, your staff may be confused about the new conditions of their workdays or how to balance work and their personal life. When leading your remote team, list details of new standards, including how to contact management, report if they are sick or have an emergency leaving them unable to work from home, new regular work hours, and more. By being clear about your work output expectations, they will have the information necessary to remain productive and focused on their regular workload.

Show Your Appreciation for Their Work

The pandemic's constantly changing conditions could easily leave your employees stressed and missing their office work setup. The stress of these times could impair their ability to work.

That is why it's necessary to show your appreciation for staying committed to your business while going through these changes. Despite this anxious period, your team has continued to perform work for you to support your business. By saying thank you and expressing your gratitude, they will feel the emotional reward of their hard work.

Offer Rewards Through Employee Wellness Programs

Engaging remote employees with programs that will support their wellness will motivate them to stay committed to their work. An employee wellness program with restaurant or retail partnerships will offer access to good food and tools they need in their new daily living. A program with software and online vendor discounts will make it easier for your team to access resources to boost productivity.

To get started on building an employee wellness program to offer your team the resources and discounts that will help them stay engaged and manage these difficult times, choose Passport Unlimited. You can customize your staff's benefits, so you know they have everything they need to cope and stay productive. Book your demo with Passport Unlimited today.