Remote work can give the autonomy that allows you to work from home, and it allows employees to work in spaces like a cozy home office or quiet coffee shop. But it also comes with a problem, which is keeping employees engaged when practices of checking in face-to-face aren’t possible, because you can’t walk down the hallway and see someone.
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So, how can you stay engaged through remote work when employees are in many places? In this article, we’ll go through some proven techniques to keep employees motivated, connected, and ultimately productive. Let’s look at the top approaches to keeping your virtual workspace successful!
Remote Work Engagement: Is it Necessary?
You might think remote workers are able to stay more engaged because there aren’t the same office distractions present. You may actually be surprised to learn that can frequently be the opposite case.
While there isn’t a physical presence to consider, without some personal connections, it is very easy for employees to feel isolated. Imagine if Sarah, a remote worker at a tech company, hasn’t gotten the personal and social stimulus she requires; over time that will take its toll on her motivation and performance. Remote work engagement is very important.
Employee engagement influences a sense of belonging, employee motivation, and the extent to which employee goals align with the organization’s objectives. Even the most talented employee may lose interest in their job when they are not engaged. That means you will likely lose turnover, and employee performance will ultimately diminish.
As previously stated, there are multiple ways to engage remote employees, and a commitment to developing a common goal will go a long way.
How to Maintain Engagement in a Remote Work Environment?
Keeping a virtual team motivated is one of the most crucial elements for continued engagement in a remote work situation. In a physical office setting, informal chats and spur-of-the-moment brainstorming scenarios are commonplace; however, remote teams require a steadfast and structured approach to motivation.
Here are a few keyways to provide motivation to your virtual team:
1. Establish Clear Expectations and Goals
Clear goals are the foundation of motivation. When everyone is clear about the desired outcome, they can stay focused on achieving what they need to achieve. As an example, imagine a marketing team that is working remotely to launch a new product.
Each team member should have delineated tasks that they are responsible for, which could be as varied as content creation, management of social media, etcetera.
Setting measurable milestones while working towards the end goal allows everyone to track their own progress towards the end goal and to understand their own value in achieving the ultimate result.
2. Acknowledge and Recognize Accomplishments
Engagement and motivation for employees can take the form of virtual recognition. Like the practice of thanking someone in an office, remote teams require the same type of recognition but in a virtual fashion.
This could take the form of a virtual “shout-out” in team meetings or a recognition post on a Slack channel. Most importantly, you want to ensure that your remote employees feel that their accomplishments are valued, even though they work at a distance.
Additionally, platforms like Bonusly or Kudos, which offer peer-to-peer recognition capability, can make it easy for employees to recognize and appreciate each other’s hard work.
3. Provide Opportunities for Growth and Development
People are wired to grow. When you provide professional development programs or online courses, it could keep your remote people engaged. If your organization provides people with free access to an online learning platform, such as Coursera or LinkedIn Learning, your remote employees can use the development opportunity to learn new skills while feeling that your organization is investing in their growth.
4. Create a Remote Workforce Culture that is Sustainable
Company culture is the glue that binds teams, and it is crucial to develop a culture for your remote workforce.
When employees do not see each other face-to-face, they risk feeling disconnected from the mission, vision, values, and overall team spirit of the company.
As organizational leaders, it is your responsibility to focus on developing this culture with deliberate efforts.
5. Encourage Open Communication
Communication is critical to building a successful remote work culture.
Conduct regular meetings, whether they are one-on-one or team check-ins, so the manager and employees can openly discuss updates, challenges, and accomplishments. Face-to-face meetings work extremely well using virtual tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet.
For example, a weekly “coffee break” via Zoom where everyone joins with a coffee, tea, or beverage of choice can help everyone socialize in a less formal way, allowing employees to connect with one another in a way unrelated to their jobs.
6. Encourage Team Building and Inclusion
Inclusion is vital because it maintains work engagement in a remote work environment. Meaning, regardless of the employees’ locations, everyone feels part of the team.
A very effective way to promote inclusion is through virtual team-building events (e.g., virtual trivia games or virtual happy hour).
Moreover, it is important to check in regularly with all employees to ensure that they feel respected and acknowledged no matter where they are.
7. Align Team Values with Company Mission
In a remote environment, it can be very easy for employees to lose sight of why they do what they do.
It’s important to remind your team regularly about the mission and core values. For example, a company that values innovation should encourage remote employees to brainstorm and help with new ideas.
8. Encourage Regular Breaks and Vacations
Without any boundaries set in place, like being at the office, employees could fall into the habit of working long hours, which will only lead to burnout.
Employees should always be reminded to take breaks, step away from their desk, and shut off the work when it ends. Team communication tools like Slack have a “Do Not Disturb” feature to help set firm work boundaries.
9. Provide Access to Mental Health Services
Mental health is often overlooked in remote work environments, and it is necessary. Organizations could offer access to virtual mental health services or mental health resources, and it can be a game-changer.
Additionally, employees should feel comfortable that if they are struggling, their organization will be supportive in any way. Knowing organizations care about mental health issues could facilitate engagement and enhance trust.
10. Sustain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
The most important thing is to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Employees should be encouraged to have set working hours that help sustain personal and professional responsibilities.
It is important to respect flexible work schedules that employees have (which is one of the greatest benefits of remote work) to avoid.
Managing employees who work remotely can pose challenges—particularly when it comes to engagement. Effectively managing a remote workforce takes the right resources to keep everything flowing smoothly. Here are some tools and methods in terms of your remote employee engagement:
1. Project Management Tools
Asana, Trello, and Monday.com are useful platforms when it comes to tracking projects, assigning tasks, and worker accountability.
A manager can track progress and give feedback in real time using these tools while keeping remote workers engaged and aligned on goals.
2. Communication Platforms
Keeping remote workers engaged, especially if you are a multinational company, requires communication platforms such as GC, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom to do just that.
Communication platforms allow employees to communicate in real time, whether that is a quick chat or a full team meeting. If you are looking for a more personal touch, then video calls are preferred as they can build rapport among team members.
3. Employee Engagement Platforms
If you are looking for more structured engagement, then there are many employee engagement tools available.
Platforms like Officevibe or TinyPulse help managers better engage their employees by collecting feedback, running surveys, and measuring overall employee satisfaction. Employee engagement platforms help managers identify areas for improvement and better engage their teams.
Conclusion
Keeping your team engaged while they are working remotely is an ongoing effort; however, with proper strategies, tools, and focus, it is entirely possible. Increasing virtual team motivation, addressing employee well-being, and building a remote workforce culture can all work together to keep your team engaged and productive every step of the way.
Let us also remember that consistency is the key when implementing any of these strategies. As you continue to invest in your remote team through engagement, you will likely experience long-term success by way of better team morale and productivity.
There are constant changes in remote work, but with the right practices, you can sustain your team engagement and help your team ‘flourish.’