Many companies have had to rapidly transition to employing remote workers over the past few years. Initially, this seemed like it might be a temporary thing, but more and more companies now see remote work as a permanent state of affairs.
Remote work brings its own challenges. In this article, we’ll outline five ways to keep your remote workers happy and productive.
1–Set expectations
Remote work is new for many people and they may not know what is expected of them. It’s smart to draw up a more defined list of requirements, expectations, and deliverables for your remote workers so they know what they must get completed each day or week.
Performance reviews are more important than ever with remote workers. It’s a good idea to set up a once-a-week video call to discuss how workers are performing and keep them on track. This direct feedback is important for remote workers to understand whether they’re meeting the expectations of their manager.
2–Increase flexibility
Working from home can be stressful for those getting used to the technology, and it can conflict with family commitments. Not everyone has space for a separate, private home office, so it takes time for workers to adjust.
These distractions must be taken into consideration when a worker first goes remote. Be flexible, and always give workers advance notice of important meetings and deadlines so they can prepare.
Allow remote workers to perform duties on their own time. As long as the work is completed before the deadline, it doesn’t particularly matter when the worker is putting in the hours.
3–Communicate
Use a preferred mode of communication and try to stick with it. Encourage workers to use the communication tool often and keep everyone in the loop.
With a tool like Slack, you can compartmentalize discussions into separate rooms, so different teams can work on separate projects and only read the channels relevant to their work.
Other apps like Google Drive, Trello, and Microsoft 365 have complementary tools that make collaboration easier.
4–Regular meetings
Particularly when you’re starting out with remote work, regular remote meetings that mirror the in-office meetings you used to have can help hold things together.
Remote work makes it harder to see when an employee or team is veering off in the wrong direction or falling behind on a project. Regular meetings keep everyone informed of the priorities and challenges the company is facing.
How often you hold meetings depends on your company. Some businesses benefit from 30–60-minute meetings every day. Others might only need one or two meetings per week.
5–Help with employee needs
When employees were in the office, you ensured they had all the tools and equipment they needed to perform their job. Remote work doesn’t change this.
Consider what you can do to improve your employee’s comfort at home. Laptops, desks, chairs, internet connection, online tools, etc. can all be things you supply that create a productive and enjoyable environment for your workers while showing that you care about their well-being.