4 Tips for engaging your remote team members

Before 2020, there were people working from home, but it wasn’t as common as it is nowadays. The pandemic changed work for a lot of people. While many went to working virtually during 2020, several continued to do so as the years went by and are continuing to do so. Some companies have even adopted hybrid work environments.

It’s no surprise that there are some benefits for businesses to have less people in their buildings. Many businesses have the option to rent a smaller facility if they have less people coming in daily. They require less business supplies, and the utility bills are bound to be reduced. And, these are just a few of the perks. But, we’re not here to talk about the perks for remote work; we’re here to give you tips on how to engage your team when they do work this way.

1. Stay in touch. This is one of the main ways to keep remote team members engaged. The last thing you want is for them to feel like they’re on an island. Keep in touch with your employees. Check-in periodically to see how they’re doing, respond to any outreach on their part and keep them informed about what’s happening in the company. You can also use chatting software to allow teams to chat with each other with ease.

2. Schedule regular meetings. Beyond communicating via email, text and phone, also consider virtual or in-person meetings (if hybrid). Pick a time that you’ll have these, whether they’re a couple times a week, once a week or every other week. For example, maybe you’ll meet every Wednesday at 11 a.m., Tuesday and Thursday at 1 p.m. or every other Tuesday at 10 a.m. Choose a day and time that seems the most convenient for your team.

3. Acknowledge great work. Give your employees thanks for their hard work. You can highlight employees in meetings or companywide emails, or simply send an email directly to the staff member to thank them. A gift card is always a nice treat too!

4. Have fun. Consider ways you can have some fun with your virtual employees. Can you have a social meetup (in person or virtually)? How about an engaging challenge/contest that employees can optionally take part in? These are just a few ways to create a more social and fun workplace.

If you have a virtual team, we hope this helps you keep your team more engaged. Another way to keep employees more engaged is to free them up to focus on their core responsibilities. When you outsource some of your work, you allow your employees more time on those duties, prompting more motivation and productivity. If you’d like to learn more about this, please reach out to us at XACT.