Also known as the aptitude to work from anywhere and anytime, remote work was accepted long before the global pandemic forced many to work from their homes. But it became swiftly popular after the outbreak of COVID-19, and most companies have since adopted the ‘work from home’ culture. Remote working has several benefits, such as lower employee turnover and improved employee retention, facilitating both the employer and the employees.
As Laura Turner, a career expert and a career coach from one of the best resume writing services 2020 told us: “With companies making their shift towards remote work, many businesses are on the verge of recruiting more talent to work remotely. Since every job and every company has different requirements, seeking out the may be a perfect way to find the right candidates for your company. Although remote working is convenient, it can possess unique challenges for HR managers. For maximum engagement, supervisors can adopt interesting managerial tools to manage the workforce effectively.”
Managing and motivating the remote workforce takes a proactive approach. Here are some tips on how you can motivate the remote staff for maximum output.
1) Develop and implement remote work culture
Managers need to develop a strict work culture for remote workers. Due to the absence of interpersonal interaction between the office staff, they can lack the required enthusiasm required for the successful execution of their tasks. Hence, it is crucial to develop and nurture the remote work culture to build a strong relationship among the staff, increase their level of motivation, and keep the productivity intact. Some tips for fostering remote work culture are:
- Regular meet-ups:
To upkeep work motivation, all office staff need to keep connected and communicate with each other as frequently as possible. Managers may decide to schedule a meeting once every week, which is mandatory for all the employees. At the meetings, everyone can catch up with the office’s short-term goals and progress.
- Engage employees in fun and games:
With remote working, though, employees who communicated very frequently across the office premises are distanced apart. Engaging the staff in fun-filled games to interact with each other effectively, can help build a strong virtual team. It is also necessary to keep them happy as the company may have to spend more on the cost of an unhappy employee.
- Use video as much as possible:
As more than half of human communication is non-verbal, it is imperative to use video while communicating with the staff. With video, individuals can see each other’s emotions through facial expressions and body language. Employees feel animated, and they can engage for a more extended period while communicating. This helps in fortifying the employer-employee relationship as well.
2) Clarify goals and make clear expectations:
All employees require clear directions on their goals, which includes remote workers. When the office goals and their role in fulfilling those goals are communicated clearly to the employees, they can perform better. Supervisors also need to clarify their expectations from their team. With clear goals, directions and expectancy, the workers can understand their contribution to the business and perform better.
3) Let employees choose their hours
Remote employees tend to be more productive because their work is assignment-based. Assignment based jobs tend to be high yielding because of the flexibility of working hours. As such, it is very beneficial to the company if employees are allowed to choose their own hours. Doing so assures that they can perform and finish their given task as per their ease.
4) Take feedbacks and surveys
While employees work autonomously from their residence, the employer may fail to realize the problems aroused by remote working. So, it is essential to take feedbacks from the employees regarding their tasks and morale. This can be done by one-on-one meetings or by taking a collective survey from the staff.
Managing and motivating the remote employees can be a taxing job that requires managers to adopt several motivating tools. HR leaders need to understand the unique challenges that distance working brings and continuously deal with the challenges as remote working is quickly becoming the norm.
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