We get it. Staying connected right now is hard. But that doesn’t mean it is any less important. In fact, more than ever, staying connected with your employees may be more important than ever.
Working from home can definitely have its benefits but it can also hinder bonding, teamwork and the feeling of being part of something bigger. And let us be honest, those are critical for any successful team.
Luckily in today’s world of tech, keeping up your employee’s morale, emphasizing teamwork and camaraderie, and improving remote employee engagement isn’t impossible.
You just need a bit of extra creativity.
To help you stay connected until everyone can go back to commuting to work (did you ever think you would miss it?) and chatting face to face, consider these 5 ways of maintaining that feeling of working as a team.
- Stay Connected – when working from home it is important that your staff know you are still there for them. Even though meetings can take away from the time you have to work on projects and day to day tasks, take some extra time to connect with your team one on one and in a group to catch up – ask about their successes, find out what they are working on, see if there is anything you can help with and show an interest in their life outside of work. Now more than ever, they need it. It will help strengthen your relationship and make them feel appreciated.
Teambonding Tip: While phones are a good way to connect, video is always better. Use your laptop webcams or your phone – this will be more personal and allows you to read body language and facial expressions, helping everyone feel more comfortable and reassured. - Recognize Your Team – As is the case in office, when working remotely, you don’t want to let a moment of recognition pass you or your team by. Be sure to share successes and show appreciation when your team members do a good job or go above and beyond. This will boost morale and will let everyone know that your staff are valuable to you and the businesses.
- Add Some Fun – whether it is chatting by the water cooler, eating together in a break room, or playing ping pong while you get the creative juices flowing, your team is used to having fun interactions with their team members throughout the day. The problem is, when working from home we sometimes forget about this important social aspect.
Encourage your employees to have lunch together over chat, have a cup of tea with the team during afternoon break or better yet, organize a virtual team building event such as a virtual game show or scavenger hunt. This can be a great way to keep you employees in good spirits, create a team atmosphere and get everyone focused on fun. - Ask for Feedback – be sure to maintain an open-door policy with your team members and communicate when and how they can reach out to you to discuss ideas, concerns, and questions. This will help them feel like their voices are being heard and will ensure they have the necessary tools and information to be successful while at home.
- Encourage Breaks – it can be hard to find the line between working at home and living at home when you are working remotely all day every day. That is why you should encourage your workers to be aware of the time they are putting in and ensure they take the time to get up and stretch, connect with their families, and rest their brains. This also means having set hours. While you want to provide your team with whatever flexibility you can, especially during these times, having a set range of hours can help put an emphasis on stopping for the day to give themselves and everyone else on the team a break.
By doing this and more, you can ensure your team stays connected, works efficiently, and looks forward to heading to work every day (even when we can’t travel to work).
For more information on keeping your team motivated while working remotely, connect with us today!