With many companies nearing a year of remote working, a lot of employees are experiencing burnout from all of the virtual happy hours, video conferences, and other forms of digital connection popularized last spring. With these tactics no longer working the way they did months ago, supervisors must start creating new inventive ways to engage their employees in the virtual workforce. Read on for some interesting ideas to motivate your remote employees!
Plan Extracurricular Activities for Your Team
Whether it be an office fantasy sports league, book club, or multiplayer video game, find something fun for your employees to do together outside of work hours. Ask for their suggestions to ensure you are planning something everyone will enjoy!
Hold Asynchronous Meetings
Video conferencing all day can be exhausting, and it can be challenging to schedule if your employees work in different time zones. For short meetings where you just plan on presenting information, consider sending out a recording for employees to watch on their own time instead. The human interaction piece will still come through with a video, but it will allow employees more flexibility. Simplicity VoIP’s COLLAB offers the ability to record a video message to your team.
Send Care Packages
To show your appreciation for your remote workers, send them small gifts to their homes. Boost happiness and engagement by sending games and activities, or even send something for their pet if you have seen one pop up on a video call!
Use Chat Programs for Informal Communication
Using office chat programs, such as Simplicity VoIP’s Chat & SMS Feature, gives employees a less formal mode of communication than email. This can mimic casual conversations that happen in passing or in the break room around the office, and allows your team to feel more connected to one another.
Schedule Office Hours with No Agenda
While in person popping into someone’s office with a quick question was commonplace, in the remote working world it is difficult to get immediate answers in that way. Schedule a weekly video call open to questions of this nature, or for employees to join if they just want to chat! With Simplicity VoIP’s COLLAB, you can establish a team meeting room for this purpose and other impromptu team meetings.
For more remote working resources, visit Simplicity’s Resources for Remote Working and Business Continuity web page.
