Keeping Connected in a Remote Workplace

COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, has had an impact on just about every single person in the world. Most importantly, your employees. Now, more than ever, engaging your employees will be critical for the health of your people and your organization.

Some of your workforce may be used to working remotely already. For others, this may be brand new. While the allure of working in your slippers is initially strong, the transition to working at home can be a challenge. It may lead to general disengagement, reduced productivity and an overall decline in motivation. How can managers prevent this from happening to their employees?

Stay Connected

Communication is key when it comes to remote work. Daily check-ins to review priorities and goals for the day can help employees know what is expected of them and what they need to accomplish. Employees should feel encouraged to share challenges or struggles they are having about this transition to remote work. Be Available. Listen. The sooner their concerns or challenges are identified, the sooner managers can help to resolve them.

While a lot is still unknown, employees need to hear from their leaders. Sharing company-wide wins or updates is an important aspect of making employees feel connected to their company. If an employee shares an individual success, consider sharing it in a team email to highlight the win. 

While you cannot be together in the same locale, you can stay connected in this new environment.

Keep the Team Connected

While staying connected to leadership is important, employees remaining connected to their peers is equally important. Slack, Zoom, JoinMe or similar programs allow employees to chat with each other one on one, collaborate in groups, and even share screens to review presentations together. While it is not a substitute to poking your head into someone’s office or cubicle, it is the next best alternative during this time. 

Team “events” are another way to engage with your remote employees. Virtual happy hours have become a popular way for teams to connect and catch up on non-work-related items. Yahtzee, Catch Phrase, and Heads Up are great game options that can be played virtually. 

These are unique times that may forever change how we work. Use this as an opportunity to keep everyone engaged and connected – you will be a stronger team when you return to your normal workplace. 

Need to brainstorm on how to build a virtual engagement process that aligns with your company culture? Schedule a Zoom or JoinMe with a consultant today.