The remote working format began to gain popularity long before the COVID-19 pandemic, and even when everything returns to normal, it will not go anywhere. After all, a hybrid format of work (hybrid working), and a flexible schedule have already appeared, and many teams have completely and finally switched to remote work.
Flexibility attracts potential employees: 70% of millennials said they were ready to change jobs if they were offered more flexible conditions. But it is not just employees who benefit from the culture of remote working — companies also see advantages in it, such as lower costs and a larger talent pool for choice.
Despite the many positive aspects of remote working, companies face several difficulties. One of the most tangible is employee involvement. If employees feel that they are actively involved in the workflow, this increases the chances of business success and increases the productivity of the team, which, in turn, has a positive effect on the company’s reputation and customer satisfaction.
In this post, we will look at 5 proven ways to improve employee involvement with a remote work format.
1. Create a culture of remote work
Switching from an office to a remote location can negatively affect internal communications in the company. To avoid this, you need to create a virtual office. Nowadays a variety of options are available at any location worldwide. In case you wish to have a Florida virtual address you have to proceed with registration on https://www.matchoffice.com/us/lease/virtual-office/florida in several clicks.
The corporate portal can be another great option. People can communicate there, share ideas and solve workplace issues. It is convenient when a corporate messenger is built into the portal, which replaces third-party applications. It also provides additional security protection for the data of employees and the company as a whole. People will use the portal more often if it provides a native environment for creating photo and video content, surveys, and comments.
In addition to group meetings, individual calls with each of the employees are also crucial. This makes it possible to get feedback from them and learn about possible problems. Virtual coffee breaks, celebrating birthday parties, sharing personal books – all this for sure makes employees more involved in the overall working process and makes them feel like a part of the team!
2. Set goals
When working from home, it can be difficult to stay productive, given the constant distractions. Setting meaningful goals will help you cope with this. This helps to bring teams together and help them fulfill a common mission.
Setting SMART goals is an excellent way to increase the efficiency of remote workers. The abbreviation SMART stands for:
Specific — the final effect you desire is precisely defined.
Measurable —the accomplishment of an objective can be measured using specific requirements.
Achievable — the objective is realistic and doable.
Relevant — fulfilling the objective will bring real benefits.
Time-bound — the target must be reached by a certain deadline.
Setting goals improves internal communications in the company through regular team calls. Such calls allow you to ensure that everyone is moving in the right direction. This increases the productivity of employees and helps them feel connected with colleagues, which also has a good effect on business: your team is strengthened by motivated employees, your sales do not sink, and calls to action work.
3. Celebrate the achievements of employees
Employee appreciation is crucial to the success of any organization. If staff members are happy, it motivates them to proceed with working hard.
This may be a kind of award ceremony for the best workers, providing the team the opportunity to discuss the latest work news and projects and share family stories.
4. Get interested in learning
Invite employees to expand their knowledge, improve their qualifications or master some new skills. When companies help employees with opportunities for personal growth and organize the learning process, people feel more motivated and involved.
Most educational platforms offer a wide range of courses, from graphic design and drawing to Pilates and dance. All of them can be great stress relievers. Invite your employees to choose topics of interest to them, create curricula for themselves and share them with colleagues.
5. Enter additional incentives
Another great way to motivate employees is to offer them additional incentives (gifts, bonuses, extra days off, etc.). An employee will work much more efficiently if he has some incentive.
Help employees improve their workplace at home. Find out what they lack for comfortable work. It can be a desk, an armchair, or various office supplies. By providing employees with even something small, you will raise their morale and make their work from home more comfortable.
You can implement wellness programs to improve the emotional, physical, and mental health of employees, negotiate discounts with various brands or compensate for electricity and Internet costs.
Conclusion
The popularity of remote work for sure will increase shortly, and this means that we must learn how to manage remote employees and their involvement. Only the cooperation of all the participants of the team will make the new format of work more and more effective.
