Contents
Over the past years, remote working has been a growing trend that many companies were able to adapt to and be flexible. In recent months, the large shift to working from home is a result of the ongoing pandemic. We can’t know for sure how long this will take, and with remote working comes benefits and challenges.
If you are looking for ways to boost your remote employee motivation and engagement, it is important to note that engagement is not a one-time task. Instead, it is a constant practice that leaders should implement in their team management activities.
Keep your remote team feeling valued and motivated with these 6 pieces of advice:
1. Set clear communication goals
Part of the challenge of remote working is having a well-established communication system. For that reason, it is important that you, as a team leader, set clear communication goals, so that everyone is on the same page about expectations and milestones. Choose the best messaging tool, as well as a video conference program that everyone is able to use. Send out a tutorial or instructions if necessary. You should check-in with your team from time to time to see how they are doing with their tasks and if they need help with something. Open communication is key to being successful at keeping your remote team engaged with the company’s goals.
2. Establish working parameters
Employees need a healthy balance between the time they work and the time they spend with their families and themselves. When the coronavirus pandemic hit and teams moved to 100% remote operations, the barriers between home and office blurred out. Most people inevitably work around the clock, using some of their free time to continue working, which leads to burnout. You may be happy to receive an immediate response at night, however, you might want to think twice about what “high performance” truly means when telecommuting. It is important to let them know that it is okay to relax and that they should not put their own mental and physical health at risk to complete a task. Employees who are mentally exhausted will feel less motivated, and thus, less engaged with the company.
3. Create a recognition system
A recognition culture is always important, regardless of where the team is working. It is one of the best ways to retain top talented employees, increase engagement, and incentivize great performance. The idea is to implement this system virtually. Create a checklist that can help you determine which employees should be rewarded for their efforts and results. Before rewarding your employees, remind them of the mission and vision of the company and the projects your team is carrying out, and tell them why their work is meaningful and important. This way you will also maintain your company culture even though you are not all in the same office.
Another great way to reward their performance is by sending them a little surprise, either by mail or an unexpected message appreciating their effort and dedication. For example, it is one of your team members’ birthday, send them a little detail. These things matter to keep your employees motivated and content with their work and the company.
4. Get invested in their skills and development
Often, when working remotely, it can be hard to prioritize tasks as communication is slower than just coming up to their desk and ask them to help with a certain job. If your employees are not so strong in their time management skills, then they might not be producing their best work. These employees miss deadlines and are not likely to maintain a healthy work-life balance. How can you help? Set goals together, focus on the quality of results rather than on quantity. By talking to them, try to identify what can be the cause of their time management problems and brainstorm for solutions together. After they improve their skills, reward their success.
Another way to boost your employees’ engagement is by making sure they have an appropriate workspace. Ask if they have a comfortable place where they can work, decrease interruptions to a minimum, and perform their tasks well. The idea is not to overstep boundaries between you and your employees, but this will show that you truly care about their health and you want them to succeed.
5. Always pay on time
Aside from the legal obligations, paying in time is one of the easiest non-verbal ways to show your employees that you appreciate their work and everything they do. Even though there are other ways you can demonstrate your appreciation towards them, they need the money for day-to-day operations. Make an effort to be consistent and inform them of any delays there could be. When an employee knows they will receive their paycheck in a specific time frame, it becomes a key motivator and will make them trust the company even more.
6. Send surveys to assess morale
Sometimes, you might perceive that your employees are content with their work performance or the company, however, instead of guessing this is true, make sure with a weekly or monthly survey. You can create a simple scale of 1-10 to evaluate their overall mood while remote working, their perceived work performance, and how they are feeling generally with the company. Ask if there are any improvements, suggestions, or if they like it just the way it is.
When you are looking to engage your employees, keep in mind that it is a constant task that you should nurture and improve with time. Engagement strategies might not fit all your employees, which is why you should try out different ones a few times. When your employees are motivated and engaged, they become your best asset, so treasure that!
Are you looking for top talented professionals to join your remote team? Fut-Ure specializes in recruitment for IT and Tech Talent. Contact us here and let’s build the Fut-Ure together.
We think you might also be interested in checking out our other articles:
Tips for Correct Positioning and Ergonomics
Working from Home for Employees
