HOW TO KEEP YOUR REMOTE WORKERS HAPPY
It’s no secret that COVID-19 led to the downfall of a typical office structure. With 37% of the UK’s working population going hybrid in 2020 (Standout CV), the world entered an accidental social experiment of what has become the norm for thousands of companies today.
Not to mention, many of those who aren’t fully remote, still work on a flexible or hybrid schedule, so it’s safe to say the typical 9-5 in the office has made a permanent exit.
And although I completely advocate for companies allowing their team to be flexible – it would be wrong of me to say there aren’t downsides at times. I spoke more about this in my recent blog, “Is Flexible Working Here To Stay?”. But some downsides of working remotely are being distant from
The office buzz which encourages productivity and company culture
Strong relationships which encourage collaboration and a sense of belonging
Accountability which encourages constant development
Especially with sales staff, there’s a huge push on results which requires high motivation, fast pace, and often constant communication with managers. But how can these things happen effectively when your only form of communication is online?
It’s important to keep your remote workers feeling inspired, comfortable, valued and motivated, regardless of whether they’re in the office or not.
MAKE GETTING TO KNOW THEM A PRIORITY
It’s easy to get to know your in-office employees because there’s constant small talk, laughs, and even after work activities that get you to see their personality live in action. But it’s a bit harder with your remote team when you may only have team calls and the most personal question asked is “what are you up to on the weekend?”.
As a result, leaders need to be more intentional about making the time to socialise with their employees and build a strong relationship.
And it’s probably the right time to say that just because someone works remotely, doesn’t mean they don’t want to socialise. It also doesn’t mean you can get away with not speaking to them for weeks and still expect an insane level of output and satisfaction.
According to research (McKinsey):
Employees say their relationships with management was the top factor when it came to job satisfaction
After mental health, it was the second factor of their overall wellbeing
So, whether it’s weekly wellbeing catchups or popping them a good morning message on teams, keep that relationship going is crucial for retention and work quality.
ENSURE HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Surely remote workers have the best work-life balance? It depends.
They may choose remote working due to distance, childcare, or flexibility with hours, but that doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing.
Working in the same place you relax in the evenings can blur the line between work and personal. People may find switching off harder than those who just leave the office at the end of the day, which can lead to working well into evenings, checking emails constantly on the weekends, or feeling the pressure to get more done.
As a leader, your job is to reiterate their hours, check in, and tell them to try to stick to a similar schedule each day. Your team will feel supported which may take off some pressure.
There’s nothing wrong with working overtime every so often because you’re really in the zone or want to get a task done and dusted before the weekend. However, those evenings and weekends away from the computer can do people a world of good and increase productivity for when they get back.
ARRANGE MONTHLY EVENTS
It’s not just about relationships with managers that impact job satisfaction, but also with colleagues.
In fact, having a best friend at work makes employees twice as likely to be engaged in their jobs, produce higher quality work, and have a greater sense of well-being (Gallup).
These sorts of relationships get built much easier through in-person events. Whether it’s just a team meal, or if they can’t make it in person, a games night over teams, getting your remote team out to mingle with each other can help them to know they have a great support system at work, whilst reinstating the company values to them.
- Written by Tim Macmillan
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