Although the remote working model offers a plethora of benefits to employees, companies still face challenges in providing a stress-free work environment.
A recent study revealed that 86% of employees who work from home full-time experience burnout. This can lead to poor workplace engagement and increase attrition rates in the long term.
On the other hand, a highly engaged remote team can help companies cut the turnover rate. In fact, a study by Stanford University revealed that are 9% more engaged in their jobs and 50% less likely to quit. Moreover, companies with engaged employees enjoy a 19% increase in operating income.
However, businesses can commit several mistakes that can impact remote workforce engagement. In this post, we will share the top five mistakes to avoid when working with remote employees and the best practices to implement.
Open communication encourages working professionals to freely communicate work-related challenges, ideas, and feedback to senior managers. This friendly yet professional approach helps create transparency in the workplace.
According to Forbes, workplace transparency enhances trust between the team and managers. Most importantly, it helps make the team members feel valued. This practice can thus foster improved collaboration and healthy work life.
But unlike a conventional 9-to-5 office, the remote workforce doesn't get the privilege of face-to-face discussions with the managers. But it shouldn't restrict communication.
Here are a few crucial tips to help establish open communication with your remote team.
All these tips can help your remote team work productively and deliver peak performance. This practice can also help build healthy professional relationships and improve retention rates.
Establishing SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and standardized work processes helps businesses improve their ROI. It allows team members to understand their responsibilities and follow specific guidelines to accomplish tasks without depending on managers or fellow employees.
Companies should ensure they are building standard work processes and assigning individual goals to their onsite teams and their remote workers.
Here are a few vital tactics to consider:
Advanced technology tools are pivotal to ensuring the delivery of accurate and quality work. They can streamline day-to-day tasks and help teams innovate and achieve peak performance. So, prioritize equipping your remote team with essential technology tools.
Besides the project management and communication tools we discussed earlier, invest in some advanced software and technology. Here are a couple of state-of-the-art tools to achieve the best business outcomes:
So, be sure to leverage this unique tool to boost your team's productivity.
Whether it's an in-house workforce or remote, every employee wants to feel valued. And if they don't, it could trigger high attrition rates in an organization.
A report affirms that 79% of employees quit jobs because they felt unappreciated. Another report states that recognition programs enhance overall productivity. It can help boost employee performance by 14% more than firms without them.
This reflects that neglecting your team effort can impact the ROI in the long term. So, appreciate your remote team and nurture a positive work culture.
Here are a few tactics to consider.
Observe how the manager expresses gratitude and appreciation for the remote employee.
These thoughtful gestures can prove to be a game-changer in cultivating a productive remote team.
Providing a good work-life balance to the remote team should be your utmost priority. The reason? Unlike in-house employees, the remote workforce works in an isolated environment. They can't walk to a fellow employee's desk for a casual conversation or coffee.
And remote employees tend to work more than standard operational business time. This working schedule can blur the line between personal and professional life, impacting their well-being and efficiency. So, ensure your remote team works stress-free.
Allow the teammates to take off on days they don't feel like working if they need it. Get inspired by Amdocs, a leading software provider. The company has introduced a program that offers unlimited vacation days. The employees can leverage these days to rejuvenate - mentally, physically, and emotionally. Introduce a leave policy like this to boost your team's morale.
Your remote workforce can prove to be a great asset to the organization. So, ensure you cultivate a positive work culture by considering their needs. Avoid the common mistakes shared in this post to begin the journey. The mentioned tactics can help create a productive, efficient, and engaged remote workforce.
About the Author: Aanya Rachel is the Content Manager at The Address, a coworking space in Indore. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, experience, and extensive research in this field. She writes on a wide range of topics related to coworking, the growth of remote workers, startups, and real estate.