As an increasing number of workers seek out remote work rather than finding jobs that require going into the office five days a week, employers are looking for more creative and effective ways to grow their remote workforce and ensure they are successful. There are a number of ways to go about finding and maintaining a successful remote workforce.
Find the Right Tech To Use
When you have a remote workforce, you need the right technology to help you be successful. Foremost, you’ll need a way to communicate. Sure, there’s email, but that isn’t in real-time and could create delays in response. Other tools, such as Slack or Zoom, make it easier to communicate in real time, talk to more than one member of your team at once, and create a professional presence even when the team is scattered. In fact, you can even add a virtual office background for teams to create a more professional setting and prevent distractions.
Allow Teammates To Connect
Growing a successful remote workforce is about more than the best Google Meet background and goes further than having open communication with you. You also need your team members to have open communication with each other, especially if the type of work you do relies on collaboration. Using project management software is one way to get individuals or teams to communicate with each other on a regular basis. Team meetings at the end of the week to discuss what went well and what the goals are for the following week is another way to foster open communication as well as to make your team feel heard. Finally, consider doing virtual team-building exercises to encourage communication, collaboration, and improve team morale overall.
Create and Maintain Healthy Boundaries
Too often, employers expect their remote employees to be available 24 hours a day. This is an impossible expectation to set upon employees who also have families and other responsibilities, and need time to themselves to recharge. Setting healthy boundaries with your employees is essential for maintaining their satisfaction, improving morale, and keeping them on the team. This means limiting their hours of availability only to the hours they agreed to work, encouraging them to use their PTO or vacation days as needed, and allowing them to take regular breaks from their screens throughout the day. The more you allow your team to practice self-care, the better they’ll be when they do sign in to work.
Be Open To Feedback
Chances are you give your team feedback on a regular basis (and hopefully most of it is positive). The thing is sometimes your team members are going to have feedback for you, too. It can be tempting for employers to think they don’t need to hear back from their employees, but the reality is the more you listen to them, the happier and more productive they’ll be. Listen to what your team members are saying. Do they need a new way to do something? Do they have ideas that could make the team run more smoothly? Be open to both positive and negative feedback to ensure your team feels listened to.
From an excellent Microsoft Teams background to encouraging discussion and being open to feedback, there are a number of effective methods for growing a successful remote workforce. The key is to find what works for you.
