Keeping Employees Engaged While They WFH

One thing for sure is that remote work is no longer seen as something exotic or unusual anymore. It has become the norm for anyone with an Internet connection and a computer. Working from home is no longer seen as a side hustle. As the pandemic hit the world, terms like "working from home", "digital nomads", "online work" have become part of the modern lexicon like never before. Working from home has gone from being a luxury to a necessity. Most people who are working today did not accept their jobs with the idea then that they would need to work from home, and created the right environment to be successful at home can be a challenge. Therefore, as with any change in work methods and environments, working from home called for new ways to keep people happy and productive. The following are some examples of ways you can keep employees engaged while working from home.

Set Goals

You may be surprised to know that employees who work from home are generally more productive than those working in brick-and-mortar offices. The caveat is that you have to keep them interested and energized. A good way to keep employees from becoming bored is to create goals together. It is important to be very transparent about what the goals are from the outset. The reason for clarity is that the nature of remote communication, as opposed to face-to-face communication is concerned, is that misunderstandings can happen easily. Spell out what you expect and when you expect it and leave no room for ambiguity.

Keep Checking In

One of the greatest dangers of working from home is feeling disconnected from an employee’s standpoint. Feeling disconnected from work, in turn, fosters a sense of stagnancy. When this happens, employees will quickly lose a sense of purpose. The best way to remedy this problem is for managers and team leaders to stay in frequent contact with employees. Video conferencing is not the only way to accomplish continuous contact. Mainstays of technology such as emails and even texting should be activated to stay in touch as well. Ask questions about challenges they may be facing or assistance they may need. Whatever method you choose, the bottom line is to let employees know that they are always on your radar. Technology has come a long way just in the last few years and you can take full advantage of it to stay in touch.

Entertainment & Incentives

Who doesn’t need a little break from time to time? The good news is that a variety of companies provide entertainment, reward, and care packages to help keep employees motivated and feeling valued. These packages could include food or drink samplings, online teambuilding games, storytelling chat groups, and many other activities. All activities are designed to help bring people together and increase interaction through creativity. In fact, entertainment doesn’t always have to be group related. You could encourage employees to work on side projects that are related to their work. The project can be monetized, and employees can be offered a percentage for their input. Keeping employees engaged more broadly is especially important in these stressful times.

Showing Care

All employees, regardless of their rank or experience, like to know when they are doing well. Showing appreciation for any work accomplished is a highly effective way to keep people engaged and interested. When a person feels valued, the likelihood of that person going above and beyond to do better the next time is much higher.