Remote employment has become popular in the past few years, with more employers opting for this new way of doing things.
Indeed, experts predict that the demand for remote work will continue to rise, necessitating a search for remote employee engagement tips. And as businesses and employees settle into this new world, most of them are just now seeing the benefits of virtual employment, and it’s no surprise why.
Remote workers are more engaged, happier, and more productive compared to office employees. Additionally, companies offering flexible employment options such as remote work are more attractive to the market’s top talent, and they are more likely to attract and retain these employees.
Unfortunately, managing remote workers isn’t easy. So how do you keep remote employees engaged? Below are tips to help you build your remote employee engagement strategy:
Effective communication channels are the most ingenious way to keep your employees engaged. You can use technology to keep the employees connected.
Take advantage of tools such as Asana, Zoon, Slack, and GoToMeeting. They foster communication and handle projects between the team members.
This ensures that everyone on the team is on the same page, especially when handling an essential project. Your employees cannot meet in person, so make sure they use cloud-based software to store and share files. This helps increase seamless work efforts among all your team members.
You should also utilize video conferencing tools too. While digital charts and email are perfect ways to stay connected and keep in touch, video conferencing tools for face-to-face communication will help your virtual employees feel like they are in the office. It helps them feel more present in an office environment.
Incorporate video conferencing during scheduled staff meetings and include screen sharing. This increases the employees’ team spirit, helping them feel like part of the team while also changing the way your in-house employees view the remote workers.
Showing your employees that you are will help them feel like an essential part of the remote work team. The best way to do this is by building meaningful relationships with remote employees. You should also allow them to create a balance between their work and personal lives.
Talk to your team, set clear, healthy boundaries, and respect their time. Communicate with your employees about their performance expectations, assignments, and work schedules. Schedule a meeting with the employees to talk to them about the below issues:
Knowing more about an employee is important to show them you care. Ask them about their schedules, their work-life balance, and how they handle work-related stress.
Remote employees complain that they are lonely when working from home.
People who work on a team in an office have the chance to talk with each other. This is not possible for virtual teams. They will miss this interaction.
To keep loneliness at bay, consider fostering group connections through social interactions. You can do this through video chats, social hours, and virtual-based team-building activities.
Set up formal and informal communication channels to help your virtual team build professional relationships. Your employees can use these channels to talk about current projects and joke around with each other. This helps break the ice between new employees and veteran ones, reducing conflict and miscommunication.
When managing virtual employees, communication is the key to the success of your business. Talk to your employees and inform them about any actions you take. Give them a platform to express their views on different decisions you make.
Take your employees' feedback seriously, listen to them, and let them know their opinions are valued. When employees feel valued and understood, they are happier and more effective in their jobs. They are also more engaged at work and will do their best to perform their tasks.
Additionally, don’t be scared to give your employees constructive feedback. Offer them both negative and positive feedback. This helps them take advantage of any development opportunities.
When offering your employees constructive feedback, follow the below steps:
The main goal of getting and giving feedback is to take advantage of new opportunities. This fosters personal and professional growth, leading to an efficient and productive workforce.
Are you wondering how to make employees feel connected? Then, you should consider creating a workplace culture for your remote workforce. This helps your staff members develop a sense of belonging.
You can do this by working towards a common goal as a business.
Look at all the companies that have great cultures. They are companies like Microsoft and Google. They have something in common- they have a purpose.
While it’s easy to set a feasible goal, working towards it can be quite challenging. It’s your role as the leader to guide your people towards this goal. Always be the first one to guide your employees towards the main goal.
Creating a workplace culture allows your employees to deliver their best work, be effective in their daily tasks, and grow. This is because they have a positive and safe working environment.
Job flexibility and remote employment have always been essential in today’s workplaces. Fortunately, this culture is here to stay, thanks to the thousands of businesses across the country adopting remote employment. However, the biggest issue for employers is remote employee engagement.
Check out Ignite HCM Consulting and Services for more remote employee engagement ideas. Contact us today to master workforce engagement, and we will help you grow your business and create a real impact on your remote employees.