In today’s post, we will cover 3 ways to engage employees that work from home. Before diving in, let’s discuss why employee engagement is important. Employees who are engaged with the company will often go above and beyond and tend to be more loyal overall. They work from a place of meaning, rather than obligation. It can take time to cultivate an environment where employees are active participants with a vested interest in the company, especially as human contact is spread out with remote positions.
Here are a few steps you can take to achieve that sense of engagement, wherever your team works.
1. Be Clear about What You Expect
In traditional office settings, employees can get advice and pick up on expectations simply by their daily interaction with bosses and co-workers. For remote workers, this is more challenging. If you need employees to work during specific hours or hit certain targets and deadlines, let them know. Providing clarity allows employees to know they are meeting benchmarks and reaching the expected outcomes. When your employees can measure their success in a role, it will help them stay committed. While it’s good to be clear, always maintain kindness, empathy, and understanding also. Internet connections can fail and other perils can happen while working from home. Being gracious goes a long way.
2. Encourage Communication
Let your employees know that your inbox or direct messages (if you use applications like Slack) are open. Be sure to set boundaries around when you can respond, but make yourself available for questions or concerns that arise during peak work hours. You may also consider ways you can update teams or departments on a regular basis so no one misses vital information and everyone has a chance to give input. Weekly or daily touchstone meetings can foster a collaborative environment that set the tone for the rest of the day. End-of-the-week or monthly email reports can also help everyone stay in touch and track progress on ongoing projects. Creating a mentorship program with seasoned employees and newer hires can also foster communication and give your employees someone to turn to if a manager isn’t readily available or online.
3. Employee Appreciation
The third and final way of our 3 ways to engage employees who work from home is an easy one to overlook. When your employees do a great job or help another team member, recognize them. You can verbally recognize them in a virtual meeting, thank them in an email, send them a bonus, or even a gift card. This type of appreciation reminds employees that they matter. The recognition acknowledges that you see the hard work they do and that working remotely doesn’t mean they are invisible.
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