5 ways to motivate your remote team
Keep consistently communicating, invest in personal and professional growth, and reward good performance.
Remote work has become essential, but many employers are struggling with the digital shift.
A lack of communication, direction and recognition is leaving employees frustrated and demotivated, and it’s a brewing nightmare for companies keen to survive the pandemic. Communicators, however, can turn the tide by lifting remote workers’ morale. Try these five ways to keep employees inspired and eager to produce great work:
1. Have open, understanding and responsive communication channels.
Remote employees often struggle in silence. Whether due to fear or not wanting to inconvenience other colleagues, many remain silent instead of asking for help.
Communicators should proactively remind colleagues that it’s OK to ask for help–and then provide platforms or channels to facilitate swift assistance. Keep open, collaborative communication channels where you can interact with your remote team at any given time.
2. Invest in workers’ skillsets, interests and personal growth.
Encourage workers to take courses that may improve their overall work performance, and enable them to pursue passions and hobbies, too. Invest in an online learning platform that will enable employees to learn remotely, and offer access to resources that strengthen personal wellbeing.
3. Send positive, uplifting energy.
There’s no shortage of bad news these days. Communicators are people too, of course, and it’s easy for deflated people to send out deflated, lifeless messaging. Your team can sense when you are uninspired, and their work will reflect the energy you give them.
Even if you’re not feeling great, you can still craft communication that’s lively, uplifting, entertaining and inspiring. Enthusiasm is contagious–but so is bleakness.
4. Reward good performance.
Recognition may seem like a thing to do in an office setting, though it’s not any different for a remote working setup. Create a system that enables top performers to earn more or assume team leadership positions. Dole out awards, gifts and kudos. Consistently thank people for their hard work.
However you do it, make sure employees feel valued, respected and appreciated during this tumultuous season.
5. Trust your employees.
No one likes to feel micro-managed or closely monitored. Treat your employees like adults. Trust them to do their jobs, on a schedule that works best for them, and you’ll reap rich, lasting rewards of loyalty. Establish, build and cultivate trust with your remote workers by empowering them to tailor their own work experience. That’s the key to establishing genuine, lasting employee engagement–no matter where in the world they’re working.
Andy Latkovskis is an HR officer specializing in employee training and development.
