It's impossible not to have heard somewhere on the internet now about the corona virus. No matter what stage of the mass panic and confusion you now find yourself in, it's quite possible you're either beginning to find ways to help your employees work remotely in the near future, or are already in the throes of the process, struggling to keep up with what everyone is doing and keep the efficiency of your work environment at it's peak.
Today, we're going to help you feel more comfortable about sending your employees packing, as well as help you bridge some gaps between communication and efficiency that can sometimes suffer in a time of panic and in general when it comes to remote working.
Are you ready to get started? Here's five ways you can empower your employees TODAY on their remote working journey.
Keep "An Open Door" Policy
It's important for your remote workers to feel heard just as much as your in-office employees ordinarily would. A good way to do this is set aside an hour or two during the day when your employees can face-time you, message you or call you with any questions, concerns and just to check-in frequently.
This keeps your employees feeling included, heard and running at their optimal performance.
Setting Boundaries and Keeping the Balance
It's no secret that while working at home can mean more productivity, it can also mean less because the lines between work and home life can often be blurred.
A good way to combat this is keeping your team active on whatever messaging service you use in office hours and letting your employees know they don't have to answer calls, messages and emails during non-office hours and on weekends.
Communication is Key
Arguably the most important thing to keep going while employees are remote so that you can stay on top of what's happening, but without micro-managing.
Initiate daily team check-ups and one-on-one's weekly so that you can connect and help your employees stay on top of their game. This is also a great time to clear up misunderstandings, help your employees set boundaries and set goals.
Stay Mindful of Your Remote Employees
They can get lonely. Which is why co-working spaces are so popular. However, with recent virus outbreaks, co-working spaces won't be a thing, so you'll want to make sure you're cultivating a fun and engaging atmosphere online as much as possible. It would be wise to encourage morning coffee chats, playful work banter and like we mentioned before, daily team check-ins. Our team likes to call these "vibe checks" so we can see how everyone is doing. It often involves lots of .GIFs, loads of laughs and plenty of food, sleep and coffee jokes.
Don't Micro-Manage Remote Workers
If there's anything that's going to kill the mood and kill productivity, (think stone-cold) it's micro-managing your remote employees. If you think this is the answer, forget everything you know about managing your employees remotely and go back to the drawing board.
You want to cultivate engagement, communication and productivity, not distrust, frustration and suspicion.
If you're worried about work not getting done, keep the communication flowing. Set goals and tasks and keep an eye on the results of those tasks. If you don't see them getting done, you can make further inquiries. It's possible your employees have too much on their plate, are getting work sprung on them or are having trouble organizing what needs to be done and not so much laying down on the job.
And what's the fix for this? COMMUNICATION!
Did you find this article helpful? Do you have any helpful advice when it comes to having remote workers? Let us know in the comments!
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