How Can Companies Help Remote Employees Feel Connected?

Remote working has become the new norm for many of us. It seems that it would be gaining much more presence in the foreseeable future. And why not? The perks that it offers to both the employees and employers are unmatchable. 

Many industries were enjoying these perks for quite some time now. The IT industry has been benefiting from this model for years, and many other sectors are now also following their steps. 

Education, medical and many other industries are looking for ways to incorporate it into their operations. But like every other thing, remote working also has some problems that are associated with it. 

As per a United Nations International Labor Organization survey, workers are more efficient when operating outside the traditional office environment. They are, though, more susceptible to work extended hours, face work-home interruption and disruptions. Also, there are few instances that they can feel an increase in stress and depression.

One of the most important is a possible lack of communication. Nevertheless, you can use several tools and tactics to make your remote staff feel closer and connected. There are many fun activities for remote employees. Here are few ways you can help your remote employees feel connected.

Communication Should Be Open

As we mentioned earlier, lack of communication and coordination could be a factor for your remote team’s failure. Without proper communication, your remote team would not be able to work together. 

It is easier in an onsite setting to simply walk over to your coworker’s desk and clear out any confusion. However, that thing is not possible in a remote location.

There would be confusion throughout the project and would ultimately impact the performance of the team and individuals. Moreover, it would lead to demotivation, which would affect the productivity of your remote team. The only way to sort this problem is to ensure that you have an open communication line with your staff. 

Making the staff feel heard is among the most important ways to communicate with them. Maintaining an honest conversation of continuous evaluation and discussion is critical for any organization, especially remote teams.

And it’s not just interaction with you only; your remote staff must be able to interact effectively with one another. The days of using email as communication tools are in the past. In today’s work world, sending emails and waiting for an answer isn’t helpful for you. You must use platforms for connectivity to allow your remote employees to feel associated and connected genuinely.

Tools like Skype and Slack can help clear up any queries among the employees or even other teams. They are free of cost and are much faster and more reliable in comparison with email. Furthermore, you can use tools to assign tasks to each team and their members their relevant tasks. Jira and Monday.com are just 2 of the many available platforms that help you delegate and assign work.

Hold Meetings From Time To Time

Despite the smooth communication channel, it can’t replace human-to-human interaction. Going for lunch and or drinks after work is a great way to create a bond among the employees. Also, it can help reduce stress and anxiety among the workers. A small chat with a coworker at the water cooler can be a mood lifter. These are some things that remote working cannot make up for. 

Nevertheless, technology evolution has made it more than easy and convenient to have a face-to-face interaction. You can easily have video conferences to gather the entire remote team. Tools like Skype and Zoom enable you to have video conferences without any issues. You have can formal and informal discussions in these sessions. 

Even in a formal meeting, you can add a bit of humor to eliminate boredom and keep the employees’ focus. Also, you can simply schedule a video meeting from time to time to check in with your employees. It is crucial that you have these regular sessions to create harmony and cohesion within your remote team. Daily video meetings will provide remote employees with the face time they are lacking.

Celebrate the Achievements of Your Team

There is no better mood lifter than celebrating the achievements and accomplishments of your team. However, it does not necessarily mean that you celebrate a significant victory. Even small moments can also be cherished to bring your team closer. 

As per a Forbes report, recognition not only makes your team feel connected, but it can also enhance efficiency and productivity. And numerous other studies back up that recognition of employee’s efforts improves productivity. 

Apart from celebrating the achievements, you can also celebrate important events in your employee’s life. Birthdays, anniversaries are great causes for celebration. You can also induce programs such as employee of the month to increase your team’s productivity. There you can also associate an incentive with the programs to make it much more enjoyable and exciting.

Give And Take Feedback

Another method for increasing employee satisfaction and connectivity is to provide routine feedback. And it should not be one way. It would be much better if you encouraged your employees to give their opinions on issues. There is always room for improvement in a particular part, and a great idea might help you make something much better. 

Feedbacks can be really helpful to point out the areas that need improvement. Also, it can assist you in identifying and improving any fields that might not be performing well. Moreover, it gives your remote employees the impression that you pay attention to their opinions and contributions. It gives them a feeling of ownership and belonging. 

Also, feedback from both sides must be constructive rather than destructive. Criticism should be done constructively to help you make things much better. 

When you create a collaborative culture in a remote setting that promotes frequent input, team members would have less skepticism. They are more likely to be on the same page with performance goals. It would foster an environment where employees would not be taken back by negative remarks.

Wrapping Up

Undoubtedly, remote working is the future of working. According to the World Economic Forum, remote work is one of the most critical business model transition drivers. While remote working offers us a lot of benefits, your workforce mustn’t feel left alone. 

Remote employees are the most significant stakeholders in a remote setting. Their performance affects the output of your business. Therefore, it is vital that your employees feel connected to work together with harmony and cohesion. 

According to a Harvard Business Review survey of 1,100 workers, remote workers are more prone to believe that their colleagues mistreat them by leaving them out. This is the reason you might see a decline in productivity and a rise in employee turnover. So, it is vital that you take the help of the methods mentioned above to bring your team closer to each other. 

The best thing about remote working is the flexibility to hire anyone from anywhere in the world. Companies can hire remote developers or any other remote worker from the global pool of talent. So, if you still haven’t incorporated remote working, then you need to start thinking about it.