There have been a lot of discussions around the ‘Work From Home’ model since earlier this year. What many thought would be a temporary situation has now morphed into a potential long-term scenario for many businesses. We recently ran across a Mitel article that offered up some great advice for employers looking to keep remote workers motivated, efficient, and productive no matter where they are working. Here’s a quick summary of the original article from Mitel.
With employees no longer physically close, it may only feel natural to want additional check-ins and updates. Many leaders with little to no experience with remote collaboration often assume employees are not working as hard in their home office as they would in the ‘real’ office.
Advice from Mitel: “Now is a good time to focus on the achievements they reach and help them work towards their future goals. This will allow them to focus on the work at hand, and not distracted by constant questions and check-ins. Your trust in them will be their motivation to perform!”
Daily tasks can become mundane for those who love a challenge, resulting in complacency. Leaders should establish individual goals for remote workers and consider assigning work that challenges them. Online courses and virtual conferences are other opportunities for fostering personal growth and learning.
Advice from Mitel: “This will allow them to grow and see past their current potential limitations.”
In remote environments, it’s much more difficult for employees to knock on your door and talk through challenges or issues. Be sure to give employees access to communication channels where they can discuss any issues they may be experiencing.
Advice from Mitel: “Remote workers often feel disconnected from their coworkers. Make sure you utilize technology to keep everyone connected to you and each other, including collaboration software, chat platforms, and video conferencing.”
If remote working is new to the structure of your team, make sure you update workflows to make things run smoothly. Your team, whether in the office or working from home, needs to be aware of any new team structures to ensure that information is getting to the right people.
Advice from Mitel: “To avoid any miscommunication, make sure you update the teams on any changes and give the reasoning behind the change where applicable. This will take the guesswork out of the equation for remote workers and help them feel more involved with the company.”
While it’s certainly harder to establish a sense of culture with remote teams, you can get creative with keeping your team connected in fun ways. Virtual happy hours, team-building activities, or workshops help keep employees connected in a fun way.
Advice from Mitel: “This allows team members to get to know one another on a more personal level and feel invested in the success of the team. While this may seem cliché, it can help team members to feel included in the larger culture of the office, and more likely to help them feel like their success is part of the company’s success.”
The full article, “How to Keep Your Remote Workforce Motivated,” can be found here.
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