5 Ways to Motivate Your Remote Employees

Companies across the world are adapting to new styles of working due to the pandemic, and a remote set up is no longer uncharted territory for most companies.

70% of employees telecommute at least once a week globally. However, struggles do remain when motivating and managing a remote team and keeping the morale high.

With the changing times, many organizations may find themselves at the crossroads where they need to find a solution to everyday business problems while also creating effective work environments for remote employees.

1. Integrate non-work activities into the day

In the move to remote work, employees lose out on social occasions like team lunches or after-work drinks. Grabbing a sandwich with a co-worker or a coffee with the team is a chance to catch-up, brainstorm problems, and socialize. Maintain these moments in time with remote workers through virtual coffee calls, water cooler chats, or after-hour events on Teams. Keep employees engaged and connected to boost motivation.

2. Use Survey Tools to Gauge Motivation 

With the help of the many different survey tools available today, you can create your own questionnaire to gauge the motivation levels in your remote workforce. Ask probing questions such as what is working out for them, and what isn’t.

This will help you gain an understanding of what might be needed most urgently in your organization in order to motivate the employees to reach key performance indicators and overall team motivation.

Encourage your remote employees to open up about what affects their morale and motivation by having one-on-one discussions with them based on the results of the survey tool.

This effort gives out a strong signal to your employees that you care about them, and makes them feel that their inputs are appreciated.

3. Give employees flexibility in where they work from

Employees also want flexibility in their workday, and the pandemic has only amplified this. One study found that after working remotely, 60% of employees wanted flexibility on where and when they work from going forward. The days of being tied to a desk from 9 to 5 are over, employees want to have autonomy in how they do that work. Organizations and HR managers can facilitate this by offering employees the option to work remotely, in-office, or a combination of both with a ‘hybrid workplace model’. Not offering remote options can negatively impact motivation, and push employees to leave for a more flexible employer.

4. Always Provide Feedback

Nothing makes a remote employee feel more involved than receiving constructive feedback on their work.

Regular feedback is critical to keeping your team motivated and engaged as it helps with aligning expectations and objectives with performance and shows that you care about their work. Please make sure and provide positive feedback as well when warranted!

5. Reward individual and team success

Everyone wants to be rewarded for a job well done, and it doesn’t always need to be in a financial way. For example, experiences can reward employees for their work while also building stronger team bonds. In fact, 73% of people value experiences more than things. HR might wonder how to motivate a remote team with this type of reward, the answer lies more “outside of the box”. Host a virtual event and have items delivered to employees. Get everyone together on a Teams meeting to toast to their success. For something unique, organize a virtual “escape game”. The opportunities are endless!

If an employee has landed an important contract or pulled something great, let the team know. Recognize their achievement by posting on the company intranet, and maybe send them a bottle of bubbly if they’ve done a super job.  

Understanding how to motivate employees from a distance requires some strategic planning and the right digital tools and tricks. Ensure employees are equipped with the technology they need to get their work done, collaborate, and stay productive at all costs. The best way to motivate employees is to simplify their day-to-day work and create an environment that allows them to thrive. Provide them with a space to collaborate, like Microsoft Teams and a platform, etc.  where they can stay informed on company news and updates, and build a sense of corporate bonding.

Transitioning to remote work is a huge challenge and there is always a lot to consider. For more tips and tricks on how to make sure your employees are staying engaged remotely, click here!