In recent years, remote work has been gaining momentum and now seems to be the norm for many businesses. Indeed, there are some good reasons to work remotely:
- The company reduces its operating expenses (like leasing offices, furniture, fixtures and equipment), while its employees save on commuting expenses and potentially have a better work-life balance.
- If companies embrace remote work, they can also access a global talent pool and not just people in their local area. Likewise, employees can work for companies anywhere on the globe.
However, keeping employees motivated and engaged while working remotely generates its own challenges. Here are six incentive ideas on how to engage remote employees and improving their productivity.
Best Ways to Engage Remote Employees
1. Show that you appreciate them
People like attention, and remote employees are no exception. As an employer, it’s wise to remember that. So how do you show that you care? Here are two pointers:
Surprise employees with occasional gifts
We all love gifts, and there is that special feeling you get after receiving one from your boss – it motivates you to work more because you see that your efforts are recognized.
Yet showing your remote employees that you care doesn’t mean you need to send fancy expensive gifts. You can just write a message on handwritten cards to express your appreciation. This can be enhanced further by including a gift card.
Recognize their efforts
Having employees work far away from the office can lead to losing that personal touch with them. Your employees work hard and smart to achieve the set goals of the business. Work can be challenging and tough for them, yet they have to deliver.
When your remote employees encounter a setback, it is wise to first recognize their achievements. Employees appreciate it when the effort they put in gets recognized and it motivates them to counter the difficulties and be more productive.
2. Provide best equipment and software for remote working
Working remotely can be a challenge, but providing employees with the best productivity tools is sure to make them feel more comfortable and empowered.
Video conferencing tools
Your remote employees are still a crucial part of your business, and you need to communicate with them. Proper communication plays a significant role in motivating employees as this assures them that they are on the right track.
They need a way to communicate to their managers or supervisors if they have questions or need assistance. There are many tools to choose from, such as Zoom, Weet, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams.
Time management tools
Being productive while working remotely, especially from home, can be tricky at times. There are too many distractions such as kids, TV, Netflix, and social media notifications which can steal time meant for work.
Remote working is not hindered by different time zones worldwide. Your typical 9 to 5 hours is different in another timezone, and that’s where time management tools come in handy. Remote employees can work whenever as long as they clock in the hours and deliver assigned tasks.
Providing your employees with such time management tools as actiTIME enables them to track their working hours and stay productive. Time is money, and it’s beneficial to both parties to be able to track time.
3. Set clear expectations and goals
Not having a plan is planning to fail! There needs to be a clear direction at the workplace. That’s why established businesses have mission and vision statements. This work culture should also be extended to remote employees.
Setting goals for your remote team motivates them towards working on archiving that goal. You can appoint one of them as a team leader to direct other remote teammates and oversee the remote team progress.
4. Ask for feedback to find ways for improvement
Once in a while, have a chat with your remote team about how they are coping while working remotely. See how they are coming along and let them suggest ways in which they can perform better in their work. You might be surprised by the ideas they may have to go to the next level.
During the chat, you could bond with them and talk about non-related work issues such as what is happening in their locality, how their families are doing, or get to know what they do when they are not working.
Asking your employees to share their thoughts about work shows that you care and better their working experience. It motivates them to work for someone they know is caring not only in their work-life but also in their personal life.
5. Promote hard-working remote team members
In this digital era, the majority of the workforce is made of young people or millennials. This fact is worth your attention – as one study shows, 65% of young employees prioritize career growth over salary. So, offering career growth gives people a sense of responsibility, which most employees prefer.
Career growth allows people to challenge themselves and don’t get bored doing the same thing repeatedly. Remember that remote employees deserve career growth too if they have been working hard enough and helped the company attain its objectives.
6. Use virtual team building activities
Ever heard of “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?” In simple terms, it means that we need a break from work and have to enjoy ourselves once in a while. Getting to have some free time to have fun relieves your body from stress and refreshes you to be creative when you get back to work reenergized.
While office employees usually have outdoor team building activities, such as ziplining, hikes, and camping, your remote workers can have some fun online. Virtual team building allows remote team members to get to know each other better and stay happy. And happy employees are more useful for businesses because they are more motivated and engaged.
Conclusion
Remote work is becoming the new norm. However, keeping employees engaged and productive remotely can be a challenge. With these simple tips outlined above, your business can transition to remote work with ease.
This article is contributed to actiTIME by David Wachs, a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Handwrytten, a company that’s bringing back the lost art of letter writing through scalable, robot-based solutions that write your notes in pen.
