After the Covid-19 outbreak, businesses around the world were forced to regroup and adapt to new styles of working, and today, remote teams are no longer an unknown territory for many organizations. According to Upwork, nearly 42% of American workers continue to work remotely and more than 15% of companies exclusively hire remote employees.
However, despite the many benefits that come with remote teams, many companies might face challenges when it comes to creating an effective work environment that keeps their remote workforce motivated and productive.
We are here to help you out with a list of the 6 most effective ideas for motivating remote employees.
1. Communication Is Crucial
When you don’t get to see someone in the office on a daily basis, finding ways to have clear and open communication becomes very important. You need to make sure to treat your remote employees as if they were in the same office space and include them in meetings whenever relevant and required.
When it comes to communicating with your remote staff members, video conferencing is the best option. Considering the fact that over 50% of human communication is nonverbal, having visual clues is critical in order to better understand their body language. There are many free or relatively cheap video calling solutions like Zoom and Skype that will help make your employees continue to feel connected and motivated.
2. Adopt a Coaching Culture
Corporate coaching has become an integral part of employee development and growth. Adopting a coaching culture within the workplace is a great way to encourage personal responsibility and recognize your employees’ worth. Whether it is group or one-on-one coaching, it can also help increase trust and create a more harmonious relationship between the employer and employees.
When companies invest in their employees, productivity improves, the staff becomes more committed, and retention levels increase, all of which provide a strong foundation for them to reach their highest potential.
3. Provide the Right Tools
A team that lacks proper tools and equipment will never be able to submit their work on time. This often results in interrupted workflows and disrupted communication which, in turn, affects employee morale and decreases motivation.
Remote workers need a good internet connection, email, remote communication technology, a direct messaging platform, time tracking tools, project management tools, video conferencing tools, and a way to download and share files in order to be able to do their job efficiently. So, make sure you do thorough research to find the best tools for remote teams.
4. Make Time for Fun
Remote companies run the risk of employees feeling disconnected and isolated. Loneliness doesn’t just affect your employees’ personal lives — it also impacts their productivity and the workplace as a whole.
In-person office parties and happy hours are not an option for remote companies, but employees working from home can still take part in such events.
Thanks to technology, office parties are now seeing new heights. Whether it’s a virtual happy hour, birthday, or even a virtual Christmas party, incorporating fun in the workplace is a great way to motivate your employees and make them feel happy, engaged, and connected.
5. Avoid Micromanaging
If you want to keep your employees motivated, the first thing to do is establish trust. To stay motivated, you need to show your employees that you trust them by allowing them to take responsibility for the tasks assigned to them and manage their own time.
Micromanaging is probably the biggest motivation-killer so be sure to avoid it at any cost. Try to resist the urge to constantly check in with your remote team members to see if they’re doing their job properly. Instead, do your best to build rapport with your team members by learning about their work styles and even a bit about their personal lives.
Employee trust acts as a binding agent to keep your workforce committed to your company’s vision and keep them motivated, resulting in increased workplace performance.
6. Introduce an Employee Recognition Program
Now more than ever, employees need recognition. This is because nearly 65% of employees believe that appreciation and recognition are more important when working remotely. And yet, only one in five companies say that they have implemented new ways to recognize and reward their staff since the Covid pandemic began.
Starting an employee recognition program in a remote environment is a great approach to make your remote employees feel like they’re a part of the team, that their contribution is valued, and puts their accomplishments out there for all to see.
Final Thoughts
Keeping your remote employees motivated and helping them continue to do their job efficiently can be challenging. However, adopting some of these tactics can go a long way when it comes to productive remote working.