Finding ways to keep your remote employees engaged is of the utmost importance. It leads to productive and happy employees who’ll produce good work and stick with you.
The tools typically used in the workplace to engage employers aren’t so effective with remote workers, but these tips should help.
Why Would Employees Have a Hard Time Engaging?
Without the work setting, it can be challenging to focus on work. Part of the reason offices are practical is that there are no distractions.
Many remote workers don’t have that. Sometimes, they are surrounded by distractions. The home setting may not motivate some people to work.
A person’s home is for relaxing, and it’s hard to shake that feeling.
One thing you can do is ensure your remote workers have access to office space, like the ones offered by Creative Executive Space in Fort Myers, FL.
That’s not all, though. The following are other tips to consider that could help keep your workers engaged.
Encouraging Wellness
It’s vital to encourage wellness with your team. This can be done virtually; send them videos or sign your team up for a wellness class.
There are many options out there, from yoga to aerobics, just to name a few. Encouraging fitness and health helps your team stay focused and healthy.
Sicknesses hurt productivity. Doing something like this also communicates that you care about your team, and that kind of appreciation creates better relationships. This leads to improved productivity.
Use Collaboration Tools
A significant way to encourage engagement is to build a stronger team.
To do this, your remote workers have to feel like they are part of a team and something bigger than themselves. This was easy to do in an office.
Online, you’ll need collaboration tools. Thankfully, there are a few of them, from video conferencing tools to regular chatrooms and much more.
Use these tools to help your team work together, even though they are apart.
Value and Listen to Employees
Just because your employees aren’t in the office doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to listen to your employees and validate them.
Provide open communication channels, and address concerns as soon as possible. Be sure to point out how you’ve addressed issues so that all your employees feel heard.
On top of that, be sure to offer rewards, gifts, or whatever is possible when your employees deserve it or maybe on their birthdays.
Taking these sorts of steps creates a bond between your employees and business that could help boost productivity and reduce employee turnover.
Gamification
Gamification can make a big difference, even for remote workers.
Adding timers, smaller completion badges, and things of that sort make a difference. They help with engagement and productivity.
You’ll be surprised by how effective gamification can be. Your employees can compete with each other or try to beat their scores or times.
It may take your employees some time to get used to gamification, but they’ll get there and enjoy it, too.
Something about gamification leads to work satisfaction and confidence, which are things you want to nurture.
Make it Personal
Remote employees feel more disconnected than regular employees. This is something you have to find a way to address, and you can.
All you have to do is find ways to personalize your communication with them.
Make notes to congratulate folks when they’ve bought a house, and send a housewarming gift. Congratulate someone who has a baby, and send gift cards related to that.
Doing little things like this can help your remote employees, and it’ll help engage them with work.
Hopefully, these tips will help your employees be more productive, even remote workers. Don’t be afraid to try new tactics. Remote work is new. There are bound to be new tactics that could push engagement further.
