Today, home office is one of the most popular benefits on the market, but not every manager is adequately prepared to coordinate a team working 100% remotely. In this article, you will learn 5 effective ways to increase the engagement of remote workers and 5 behaviors to avoid in order not to demotivate a remote team.
5 rules for increasing employee motivation
1. Take care of your employee
Many employees moving to remote work do not have clear rules for such work. They lack the right equipment, access to company tools or data. The necessary tools and information should be properly taken care of, especially in the first weeks of work. It is crucial that the employee is properly implemented, take care of his needs and periodically ask him about his feedback. For new employees, a very good solution is to introduce the role of a Buddhi (that is, a person who, in the initial weeks of work, will “take care” of the new person and introduce him or her to organizational procedures).
2. Set weekly goals for your employees to achieve
An employee who has clear and measurable goals is much more effective. They don’t have to apply to every day, but they can’t be too drawn out over time either. Weekly goals work best. Human nature has it that we like to postpone everything and leave it to the last minute.
Therefore, it is very important that these targets are:
a) easily achievable – so as not to demotivate the employee to work
(b) short-term – to better manage the implementation process
3. Listen to your team
It is also important that each employee has the opportunity to speak on the topic. Even if we know that our employee is doing well at work and we don’t have a need for frequent contact, we should maintain regular contact. Lack of interest may result in him feeling less noticed and appreciated. Working remotely makes it difficult for us to contact the other person, and we are not always able to assess the needs of employees unless we ask them direct questions.
4. Remember to communicate clearly
The lack of direct contact gives rise to many misunderstandings. Often, a simple phone call can also help us unravel the mystery of “what the author of the e-mail meant.” So let’s make sure that the company’s communication is clear and transparent, and try not to make it too extensive. Clear communication also means directly communicating your expectations and ongoing feedback. Employees thus know what is required of them and the progress they are making toward their goals. It is important that the manager also asks for employee feedback and conducts satisfaction surveys.
5. Praise your employees
Reward your employees because everyone feels the need to be recognized and praised for a job well done and commitment. A very good solution is to praise the team publicly in the company, that is, for example, in a group chat or at meetings. One person may consider it insignificant, but for another it can be very important and boost their self-esteem. Therefore, it is not important whether it is a small or large success. Let’s simply reward our employees!
5 behaviors to avoid
1. Desire for excessive control
There are many ways to control the work of employees, but overly strict and drastic methods can lead to a decrease in employee satisfaction, increased turnover, or even spreading bad opinions about the company. The known truth is that control is necessary, but it is up to the company to what extent and what method it uses to do so. That’s why it’s a good idea to consult with experts in the field to find out which ones are effective for your organization, as others will work well for IT and others for salespeople.
2. Messages sent after business hours
Working remotely, each of us has hours in which we are more productive. Some prefer to work first thing in the morning, while others prefer to sleep in and are more focused on work in the evening. Keep in mind, however, that when sending an e-mail in the late evening hours, we cannot require an employee to write back immediately. It is important to set rules and the time frame within which employees are required to respond to a message.
3. You work remotely, which means you don’t deserve to be promoted
Often, employees working from the office are more appreciated. This is a normal reaction of our brain, because when we often see an employee working from the office, we have the impression that he or she is working harder than the person working remotely. Therefore, when considering team development and promotions within the organization, he is our first choice. This is, of course, misleading, and remote workers are less appreciated because of it. Work should be held accountable for results on the basis of measurable indicators in order to fairly evaluate each employee, regardless of where the work is done.
4. Lack of contact with co-workers
It is worthwhile to ensure periodic face to face meetings with employees. Such a convention is more inclusive, reducing the sense of lack of social relations and loneliness. Prolonged lack of direct contact with co-workers can have a bad effect on teamwork and achieving common goals.
It is worth remembering that working from the office is not only about official announcements and meetings, but also about morning conversations over coffee and casual meetings in the corridor, which can be a source of knowledge, as well as new ideas and inspiration, through which we can expand our horizons.
5. No clear line between work time and private time
When working remotely, we often fail to set boundaries and feel like we are at work all the time. Therefore, it is very important to turn off all notifications and communicators when finishing work, so that nothing disturbs our private time. This also applies to delegating tasks at the end of the day and after working hours, as we can induce a feeling in the employee that he or she must get it done the same day. Work-life fit, a time management concept that sets the goal of work-life fit, allows us to feel more rested and less stressed.
