You may be saying.. “Remote work is ending because Covid is more under control”, though I can agree with this to some degree. A lot of companies realized due to their experiences during the pandemic many business owners and managers have realized that there are so many positives that correlate with remote working or teleworking. You can save money by reducing the needed physical office space, transitioning to a more digital world, and changing their documentation, giving the opportunity to have work processes become more digital. Many times allowing work to be done from anywhere. So, let’s dive into the many ways that staying engaged in this remote environment is so important.

    1. Stay connected through Technology – Many resources can be used to keep your remote employees connected and engaged. Such as Zoom, Facebook Messenger Meetings, GoTo Meetings, or even Slack… which is a great resource for keeping a written dialog open to all people involved.
      1. Take advantage of video chat. Seeing others can be very important to people who telework.. Or do remote work. You may be the only individual they see all day. It helps them feel involved and engaged.
  • Fostering Social Interaction –  Despite the many benefits of remote work… One of the downfalls is loneliness. It is imperative to keep your employees engaged. Trying to assign mentors is one way to keep junior associates in your business engaged in future activities.
  • Showing employees you care – Build meaningful relationships. Know your employee’s hobbies so you can ask them about their interests when they are on calls or during video meetings. Ask about their families. It is important for employees to feel like they matter… It allows them to feel like they have a vested interest in working for your company.
  • Balance Workload – Don’t feel like because an employee works from home that they are available 24 hours a day (unless you hire them with that detail)… this will help avoid burnout….
  • Recognize employee contributions –  Taking the time to recognize an employee’s work is more important in a remote environment because they are not around you all of the time to know if they are doing well. Or even if they need to improve in certain areas. This dialog is very important in the telework environment.

 

I know it seems like remote work should be more accessible. But in some circumstances, it is much more difficult to ensure your employees know you care.

Make sure you’re flexible….

Trust that your employee will get their work done even if they have to walk away from their computer for a short period of time during the day.

Value their opinions…listen in meetings… and reciprocate in conversation, so they know what they say matters…. …

It is often difficult to know what your employee needs in a remote work environment. Make sure you’re asking them if they have what they need or if there is anything else you could be doing for them.

Remote work will continue to grow in the coming years, especially in companies that do not necessarily have to have brick-and-mortar buildings… and can have the flexibility to save money on office space and equipment. Make sure as you are growing. Especially if you are currently in a remote work environment… where you are taking care of your employees the way they need you to. Be engaging… have fun online engagements as well as the meetings they have to attend.

I hope this video has given you some insight into ways to help your employees in a remote work environment.

If you have any questions about this topic or anything else to help you or your business, feel free to reach out through email or schedule a free consultation on our website.

traci@erbusinessconsulting.com