Five Ways to Keep Remote Employees Engaged

As the internet opens up a more globalized workforce, working from home or otherwise remotely is becoming more attractive. In turn, companies are seeing remote workers as an attractive option for any jobs that can be outsourced. But some businesses are skeptical of some aspects of employing remote workers.

With onsite employees, managers develop personal relationships which are integral to productivity. Familiarity allows for a greater capacity for updating, adapting and optimizing work streams. Urgent issues can be addressed in real time, instead of waiting on time-zone confluences for updates.

From the other side, a remote worker can feel isolated from the rest of the company. This can be quite stressful, and if left unchecked can lead to a downturn in productivity.

However, with the right managerial attitude, remote workers can become a great asset to any company. Here are five ways to ensuring managers get the best out of off-site employees.

Recruiting appropriately

“As with any employee, it is important to ensure that remote workers are qualified and experienced enough to join a team,” writes Tom Bodin, an author at Researchpapersuk and Last Minute Writing, “When employing someone who is not in the local area, it’s vital to make sure that time is set aside to schedule a video interview.”

Though interactions during the interview will be more limited than a face to face, there’ll be a chance to make a personal assessment. It should be ensured that their portfolio is evaluated and references sought early on, and there’s a focus on their motivations for choosing a company to work with. This will help decide whether their personal goals align with the company values.

Setting expectations

Once the remote worker has been recruited, it is crucial to be sure that guidelines and processes are set out for them to follow. It is tempting to expect remote workers to be fully autonomous, but not only will this allow scope for demotivation, but remote workers may not have as much opportunity to ask appropriate questions.

Having everything laid out in front of them at the start of their contract, with appropriate milestones and expectations will give them a path to follow. In turn, they may have expectations of their own which will need to be addressed, and building a dialogue around this will be beneficial as the relationship develops.

Ensuring they have the right tools

It’s important to make sure that remote workers have access to everything they need to deliver their tasks. Before even recruiting them, a list should be made of all the documents, apps or resources the remote worker needs. As with on-site employees, these can be presented as a digital induction pack.

If appropriate, they should be given access to the company email address, social media accounts and any logistical or trade accounts they may need to make use of.

Ensuring the onsite team can interact with them

“For remote workers, it can very quickly feel very much like a temporary arrangement,” says Joanna Pelton, a regular contributor to Draftbeyond and Writinity.”Without the benefit of regular contact with a team, isolation can set in and they can end up feeling detached from the company.”

Employers should encourage the team to video call or otherwise connect with remote workers informally as an introduction to the company. Regular contact with the team will combat feelings of disconnectedness and will help build a support network.

Maintain a communicative relationship

As stated elsewhere, it should be emphasized that remote workers are no different than on-site employees. Though it can be a challenge to engage in regular one-to-ones, it should not be neglected.

Remote workers do not have the luxury of constant contact that on-site employees have, and ensuring that they have access to an employers knowledge and guidance is very important. Send meaningful emails with appropriate questions and encourage them to send across questions of their own.