Working remotely is becoming a more common practice, largely due to the pandemic. Employers need to know how to support their workers while they are completing professional tasks from home. This often means fostering a creative and welcoming environment that workers can experience from their home offices. Reducing stress and boosting motivation by ensuring workers have the best equipment and work schedule can make remote working more efficient.

 

If you’re thinking of transitioning your team to remote working or already have some of your team working from home, here are some of the ways you can support your workers and boost productivity even when you’re not in a traditional work environment.

 

  • Encourage Regular Communication

 

Remote jobs require lots of communication which often needs to occur in real-time. Support your team by ensuring that everyone in a specific department is able to reach each other. Give everyone the contact information for the management team. Ensure that there are several ways to get in touch with any member of the team so communication is as consistent as it needs to be.

 

You can also send out a daily email with assignments and reminders that team members can refer to throughout the day to stay on top of tasks. Another great idea is that you can include a link to an employee time tracking app that each person can download. This will allow team members to set up an account and record their daily work hours at any time right from their devices. It’s also a good idea to schedule regular conference calls either through video or audio channels. This gives everyone a chance to voice their concerns or ask questions.

 

  • Organize Virtual “Happy Hours” and Activities

 

When team members are working from home, they’re not able to participate in some workplace activities like Casual Fridays or Happy Hours. These days, it can be difficult for coworkers to plan activities together since some people are practicing extreme social distancing to ensure their children and older loved ones are safe.

 

Try organizing some virtual events so that coworkers can continue connecting with each other. You can plan a game night and offer prizes that you can send to the winners. Or, you can encourage everyone to prepare their favorite cocktail while the team enjoys a movie together virtually.

 

  • Set Purposeful Goals

 

Many of your team members may be setting daily and long-term goals for themselves. But it’s up to you to ensure that everyone on the team has clear goals that will meet weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals. Your team needs to see that these goals are attainable so they’ll be motivated to continue making progress. You can schedule a time with each team member to make sure that they’re achieving beneficial goals in a specific amount of time.

 

  • Encourage Personal and Professional Development

 

When people are working from home, they won’t get the same in-person professional development meetings or seminars. This may not be a huge deal for people who prefer to work independently, but can be challenging for people who prefer to work around others.

 

You can support your team by starting a remote mentoring program. Ask senior managers to pair with entry- and mid-level employees to help them learn how to be more organized and develop new skills that could lead to promotions.

 

  • Celebrate the Wins

 

Working from home does have its stressful moments, particularly if you’re a working parent. It can be difficult to maintain a work-life balance and employers can make this easier by rewarding workers for a job well done. Let your team know that you’re aware of the challenges they face while working remotely. You can have a “recognition assembly” online where you congratulate team members for their hard work and send employees prizes like gift cards and promotional gifts to remind them that they’re doing a great job.

 

  • Schedule Individual Meetings

 

If your team members are used to working from home, they are likely accustomed to working independently. Don’t try to micromanage your employees, especially if they’re working outside of the office. Schedule a meeting with each of your team members so you can speak with them one-on-one about any projects they’re working on and concerns they may have about the changes that are happening in the workplace.

 

These are just a few of the ways you can let your employees know that you appreciate the hard work they’ve done. Even though many of us are working from home, there are still ways that every employee can feel like they’re part of the team with the right type of support.