1. Make the employees aware of the expectations
In the current remote working conditions, allowing the employees to have a flexible schedule would help them work with full enthusiasm and motivation but it might turn out to be a problem for the managers. The managers must make their team aware of a fixed time slot wherein they must make themselves available for being online. Such details must be communicated clearly to all the employees.
Also, intermittent check-ins must be done on the employees to make sure that the work is being done without any hurdles. Issues with regards to the difference in time zones or the needs of the clients must also be considered. Intra-team and department meetings must be taken seriously by the employees and follow-up action should be taken for those who miss such meetings.
A caring gesture towards the employees to make them feel included and motivated must be undertaken by the managers. The establishment of an informal group between colleagues would help the employees to relieve their stress and have a meaningful contribution by understanding the needs and demands of their colleagues. Stressful situations should be taken care of by the superior to make the employee feel like he or she has someone to depend on in times of distress.
Personal growth and professional progress go together and hence both should be given due importance. A talented workforce can perform best when challenged to showcase their skills and talents. Hence it becomes quintessential that targets are set and employees are motivated towards achieving them with full zeal thereby creating a growth mindset for the organization.
Even though the life of a remote working employee might be full of distractions that keep them from committing 100 per cent towards the job, a few kind words of encouragement might help them relieve some stress. A driven workforce would be able to contribute best towards achieving the overall organizational goals.
2. Developing a virtual performance measurement system
Visually recognizing one’s progress would help the employee by solving twin purposes of being motivated to perform better and at the same time allows them to work towards improving their shortcomings. A common scoreboard would instill healthy competition amongst the employees and make it easier for them to recognize key areas where they must excel.
A uniform method must be chosen by the managers which could include fancy graphs or maybe a detailed spreadsheet to analyze the performance of the employees. The same should be shared with them during a dedicated meeting where the progress must be scored and updated. This will act as a motivator when all the employees would work towards improving their scores and thereby achieving organizational goals as a whole.
3. Take advantage of technology
Technology has become a must in today’s world. Be it sending an email or conducting a video conference or simply sending a message, technology makes our lives easier. Access to the right technology is especially important for project managers and designers and other specific roles whose work depends on it. Be it for sharing and receiving data, sending emails or messages, or even for conducting video conferencing, the need for technology is of the highest priority for all remote working employees. Managers should allocate funds for reliable and up-to-date technology for their team members to free them from slow and crashing programs that hinder their productivity.
Employees should do their part by investing in high-speed internet service to make full use of the services and technology being supplied by the organization. These internet services could also be funded by the companies as part of the infrastructure provided to the employees.
4. Get to know your employees
In a usual office situation, employees might run into each other at some point and have candid interactions. But the lack of direct contact during the current remote working situation may cause a lack of human interaction between the employees. But this does not nullify the fact that people wish to be seen and make friendly connections with their colleagues. Managers should intentionally try to create such possibilities where the employees can have a virtual connection and interaction with each other.
Special ceremonies wherein even small milestones or achievements are celebrated with full enthusiasm should be included in the organization’s work culture. Using humor as a tool to help employees connect can also be used to get them acquainted with one another. Sending funny GIFs or emoticons in informal group chats can be a way of incorporating a fun work environment where the employees feel that they are approachable to one another.
5. Have faith in your team
A manager’s job starts with designing work duties and allotting responsibilities to their teams, let them be aware of what’s expected of them, and bringing all relevant deadlines to their notice. The next step is to make sure all necessary tools and technologies are available to them. And the final step is to analyze their performance and correct them for their mistakes. Employees perform the best when they are motivated and feel like their capabilities are being trusted by their superiors. Managers must show that they have full faith and support for their team members and believe in their skills and talents. Even though managers might need to go the extra mile to do so for the remotely working employees, it is sure to bring fruitful results. Giving your workforce some space and allowing them to operate on their own is the formulae of success for many teams and their leaders.
Allowing telecommuting to the employees can help them have a certain level of flexibility concerning work and maintain a good work-life balance. Such opportunities are great for both managers and their teams since motivated employees work most efficiently and effectively.
6. Consider training programs
Adopting a philosophy that allows for training and development of employees to open an array of growth opportunities for them. An employee is most likely to stay motivated and provide the best result when they meet their personal and professional goals of development. No matter where you are in your career, there is always a need to learn new things and widen your knowledge and skill set. The case is similar even for a remotely working employee as it keeps them satisfied to know that the managers care for their growth and hence, they work in a more motivating way to achieve the goals of the organization and strengthen its culture.
7. Make way for employee recognition and appreciation
The workforce makes up an organization. Be it the traditional work environment or the remote working scenario, the people that work in an organization are its most important assets. It’s most crucial for managers to recognize the efforts and inputs of their teams to keep them motivated and satisfied with the work. They must feel that they are a part of the organization, not just an employee who works for it. Their suggestions should be considered and their accomplishments should be appreciated so they are aware of the fact that their contribution towards achieving the organizational goals is crucial. Employees whose work is appreciated and achievements are celebrated are less likely to switch jobs and more likely to work with full enthusiasm to deliver an even better performance. Their productivity increases with an increase in their morale.
8. Take help of surveys to motivate the employees
There are a variety of survey tools available on the internet where managers can create surveys in the form of questionnaires. Thought-provoking questions should be framed that revolve around the broad concept of what the employees want and how they wish to achieve it. Managers should use this as an opportunity to get to know what would be the values and cultures that their teams wish to change or those that they want should remain in force. This would motivate the employees by giving them an idea that their inputs and suggestions are being valued and their opinions matter in the organization.
Remotely working employees should be encouraged to come forward and have an open discussion about the result of their surveys and what makes them feel the way they do. Hence these survey tools help the organization understand the needed changes to keep the employees satisfied so they can work in a motivated manner and help increase overall team motivation as well.
9. Motivate the employees towards Adaptive Performance
An ideal employee would be versatile, adapt to changes easily and willingly, and can perform well even in stressful situations without any bargain in terms of their work quality. But not all employees can fulfil these criteria, even if they are willing to. It isn’t easy for all the employees to embrace the change with grace. However, this isn’t impossible keeping in view how the workforce has been successfully able to adapt to the remote working scenario.
Adapting to change can be made easier by allowing the employees to get used to this concept by holding one to one performance cycle meetings with the employees. The future course of action should be thoroughly discussed and feedback should be taken to make the process as easy as possible.
10. Celebrating small moments
The employees feel more motivated and enthusiastic when they feel like they are recognized as a part of the organization and not merely someone who’s working for it. Indulgence in their private life and celebrating small achievements and occasions with them would make them feel engaged. Congratulating the employees on their birthdays, anniversaries or for any happy event in their personal lives would make them feel special and would surely keep them satisfied. Appreciation of non-work matters is just as crucial as recognition for work-related achievement.
11. Provide for informal interactions
AT the time of the usual in-office working environment, the employees were able to connect outside of their work circles. Simple interactions while grabbing lunch or maybe during a tea break used to help the employees feel satisfied as their social needs were met. It used to give them a chance to socialize, come up with new and innovative ideas, learn from the experiences of their colleagues, etc. Such interactions should also be considered to keep the remotely working employee satisfied with their work and help them remain engaged. Coffee calls via video conferencing amongst team members, or maybe some online events or parties after office hours could help make up for the lack of social circle due to the remote working situation. This will in turn help boost the enthusiasm of the employees and keep them motivated to perform their best.
12. Foster the employees to take some digital detox
There have been situations where the employees would have to work till late nights in the office to meet the deadlines. In the present scenario when your home itself is your office, many people find it hard to take the time off and detox from the virtual world. It has become incredibly important to vouch for your mental wellbeing while working remotely as enduring exposure to the digital world might take a bad toll on your team’s health. This has also been incorporated by various digital workplace apps like Teams that have introduced tools such as virtual commutes and mindfulness to help the employee take hold of their mental wellbeing. Creating and conveying to the employees a designated fixed time to be online and promoting them to adhere to these timelines would help them take some time off otherwise.
13. Take interest in the growth of the team members
Personal and professional growth is one of the biggest factors that keeps an employee going. When they realize that the scope for growth is limited or not as per their expectations, they seem to be unsatisfied with their roles and might even consider switching jobs. To have good career progress, many employees are seen to have switched jobs and allocated to other places, which is not always a wise decision. HR should indulge in activities to make the employees aware of the various job openings and opportunities to switch between departments, within the organization. Such news and opportunities should be posted promptly, at regular intervals for the employees. This will allow the employees to have a chance of switching profiles and find a job that keeps them satisfied the most. Even if it’s an opportunity that the employee might not be fully eligible for, the fact that there exists a job opportunity would keep him/ her motivated to upgrade their skills to fulfil the expectations. It’s far better for an organization to have the vacancies filled with someone who has a part of the organization since a pre-existing employee may be more well versed with the organizational cultures and policies as compared to a new hire.
Keeping the employees motivated is very important for an organization as motivated employees work in a better way towards achieving the organizational goals and objectives.
