Organizations have made several adjustments to their business plans due to the coronavirus pandemic, including becoming part of what Time Magazine termed, “The world’s biggest working from home experiment.” The coronavirus has forced companies to shift work spaces from offices to homes. At the snap of a finger, productive remote work became an essential element to running a successful business. 

The shift presents several factors that can affect team members’ productivity and morale. Especially now, in this state of sudden transition to virtual work, there is a greater chance that employees will be confronted by technology issues, experience feelings of loneliness, and be faced with unexpected familial challenges. Even in normal conditions, personal and home demands can impact work; it should be expected that these distractions will be, and have been, greater during this transition. 

While it’s preferable to be prepared and have established policies in place, in times of crisis or under quickly changing circumstances, that may not be feasible. However, despite little prep time, there are steps employers can take, without major overhaul, to improve the engagement and productivity of a remote work force. 

How Employees Can Remain Supported and Engaged

Yes, there are inherent challenges with remote work. However, there are quick actions companies can take to keep their teams connected and involved. Those actions include: 

• Schedule regular check-ins. Company culture is a key component to the identity of your company and brand, and it can be impacted when team members are separated in different locations. While workers may be communicating with other team members frequently, they may be having minimal face time with them, and other colleagues throughout the organization. Scheduling regular and consistent one-on-one calls, and/or team calls, is something predictable, and presents an opportunity for employees to ask questions, voice concerns, and receive company updates. Some companies are gathering weekly for longer sessions, with others are opting for multiple, shorter meetings per week. The frequency, duration, and topics covered vary by company and team; but the message is clear, these meetings will go a long way to keeping your team informed and engaged. 

• Utilize and provide strong internal communication tools. While email is effective for a majority of business functions, it is not always adequate for internal communication in a remote working environment. It can be slow, cumbersome, and overly formal. Having a tool that allows employees to provide quick project updates, share work and personal stories, and even just chat, can make all the difference when it comes to engagement within a remote workforce. Additionally, video conferencing has several advantages. Visual cues can help reduce the sense of isolation among teams. Video is also useful for complex, or sensitive conversations, as it feels more personal than written communication or phone calls. 

  If your company doesn’t already have technology tools in place, there are inexpensive ways to obtain these tools for your team. Mobile-enabled individual messaging services such as Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams can be quickly implemented. Utilizing these communication platforms allows for teams to communicate and share information, in real time, as though they are all together every day. 

• Offer opportunities for growth. Offering growth opportunities to your team, even while remote and/or in a time of crisis, can go a long way in driving employee motivation and job satisfaction. One of the top criteria for employees at work is personal and professional development. These opportunities aren’t limited to title changes or raises. They can be as simple as offering “lunch and learns” or setting the time for an individual to take advantage of a training or certification they have always been meaning to do. No matter your area of expertise, there’s always more that can be learned, and these days, it seems there’s an online class for everything. In addition, communicating with employees to help set goals, work through difficult situations, and share knowledge, can be a confidence-booster during stressful times. 

• It’s physical distancing, not social distancing. True, across the globe people are being asked to keep their distance from other people, but not to be distant. Hence, physical distancing versus social distancing. For companies, encourage your teams to drop a line to one another throughout the day. Companies can even initiate socializing by facilitating virtual activities for team members to share in friendly, non-work conversation. There are also opportunities to be fun and creative by asking employees to post photos in a Pun Contest, or a video of their home office setup, or a virtual tour of their neighborhood. These activities, such as happy hours and team games, help to cultivate the culture and drive enthusiasm across the company while we are all working remotely. 

Working remotely doesn’t have to be isolating. While it may seem daunting to lead a team you can’t connect with in person, there are a wide range of resources and strategies available. Many companies have already undertaken them to foster engagement and give their teams the tools needed to build their culture. We encourage you to be creative, innovative, and compassionate towards your clients, team, and yourself. 

Let us know in the comments how your company’s remote work efforts are going and share your own tips for keeping the team connected and engaged.