Remote working is a great way to keep employees happy and to help companies save money. Over the past few years, home-based working has become a popular trend that is set to continue as we head into the future.
However, despite the perks that remote work brings (no more commuting, no more guarding your lunch and no more awkward banter by the water cooler), after a while, it can get stale. And employees can become disengaged and distracted. Here are three ways to help keep employees engaged whilst working from home.
Have Some Fun
One of the best parts about working in an office is the social side that comes with it. So, when there isn’t a bigger range of people to talk to, things can get a bit lonely, and people aren’t always getting the mental break they need. Whilst working online it’s easy to find ways to have some fun. Getting people together for a video call either once a week or once a month is a great way to do this.
One way to have a laugh and forget about the pressures of the day is to have an online casino night. Sites like William Hill have live casinos that allow people to play online. This means it doesn’t matter where your staff are in the world, people can log in and place bets at the same time. Alternatively, if your team is more into sports, they can watch a live game and make real-time bets instead. All without ever having to enter a physical building.
Another idea includes having online games or quiz nights filled with questions and pizza. Why not suggest each member writes a section of the quiz to make sure the questions cover all subjects to make it fair? When doing this, you could even offer a cheeky prize at the end.
Although just a couple of ideas, these are great ways to help boost team morale.
Be Understanding
Okay, so on the outside, working from home means longer lie-ins, more time with the family and a chance to have snacks whenever you want. And whilst all this is true, remote working can be tough too. We have already discussed the importance of being more social. But remote work can also mean that people are struggling to feel motivated with no one to push them. Or they may be distracted by loud neighbours that won’t turn the music down. It could even simply be that when communicating solely online, issues are getting miscommunicated or going unheard.
Whatever the reason, it’s important to be understanding of people’s home situations. And as Reader’s Digest tells us, being an open and welcoming boss means people can turn to you when they have a problem. This allows you to find a solution together. Otherwise, if people can’t talk to you, their work may suffer, and this reflects badly on your firm.
Treat Them Like People
Put yourself in the shoes of your employees. Would you feel happier and more engaged with an employer who treats you like an actual person? Or someone who treats you like you are there just to get a job done? More likely, you opted for the first option. Whether at work or just going about our daily lives, all of us respond better to people who are kinder to us. So, when dealing with your remote team, make sure you are using your Ps and Qs and are giving them respect.
As a previous survey cited here at Market Business News proves, showing appreciation to your workers also helps with employee satisfaction. One way to show appreciation is to send care packages to your team on special days like birthdays or Christmas. Or you can even just throw a mini party when the team does something really great.
One more idea is to just check in on how your workers are doing in general. This is a simple but effective strategy that just shows that you care about your staff as individuals.
Whether you are bringing in new ways to have fun, are being understanding of their situation or are simply treating staff as people, following these tips will help keep your remote workers engaged and happy.
Interesting Related Article: “Show Your Appreciation for Your Employees After a Difficult Year“
from Business – Market Business News https://ift.tt/3dbRRVZ
Post a Comment