Tips to Keep Remote Workers Engaged & Motivated
Flexible working has several benefits including higher employee satisfaction and productivity and lower overhead costs. Flexible working has become the norm during the pandemic and a recent survey by Leadership IQ revealed that 91% of employees would now like to work from home at least some of the time.
Many employees are excited about the idea of working from home, but engaging remote workers can be a challenge for employers. Here are some tips to help you keep remote workers engaged and motivated.
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Let employees control their work schedules
One of the key advantages of remote working is that it gives your employees the flexibility to work when they are most productive. Some employees may choose to work from 6am to 2pm while others might prefer work in the evenings.
With the exception of scheduled meetings and deadlines, it shouldn’t be an issue to allow your remote workers to set their own work schedules. Having this flexibility will boost your employees’ well-being and engagement by allowing them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Avoid micromanaging and instead focus on what your remote workers are achieving each day. According to Dustin Grosse, COO of ClearSlid, “giving people more control over their time will result in happier and more engaged workers.”
Equip remote workers with essential equipment
You must equip remote workers with essential tools and equipment to enable them to work efficiently from home. You may decide to provide your remote workers will all necessary office equipment including a laptop, printer, chair, etc. Some companies also offer remote workers an allowance so they can purchase their own office equipment.
Make sure that remote workers also have access to communication and collaboration software such as Slack, Zoom and ProofHub. Check out this article by 10to8.com for some of the best remote working tools in 2021.
Introduce hot desking in the office
Hybrid working has become popular during the pandemic and 77% of employees want to work in hybrid workplaces according to a recent survey by Adecco. Introducing a hot-desking system will encourage team collaboration and improve communication when employees are working in the office.
Hot lockers are the perfect addition to flexible work environments as they will give remote workers a secure space to store their personal belongings when they are working onsite.
At eLocker, our contactless hot lockers allow staff to choose a locker via a mobile app and then access the locker using a contactless ID card. This streamlines locker allocation and gives your employees the freedom to choose a locker that suits their needs, resulting in more productive and engaged workers.
Recognise the work of your remote team
Make sure that you recognise the achievements of your remote team and reward workers who go the extra mile. According to Gallup’s analysis, workplace recognition can have a significant impact on engagement by motivating staff, giving workers a sense of accomplishment, and increasing loyalty to the company, resulting in higher retention.
Summary
Remote working is becoming the norm in modern businesses and various benefits come with remote work. That said, many employers find it more difficult to manage employees when they are working remotely.
The above tips will help you motivate and engage your remote workers and get the most out of flexible working.