There are plenty of benefits to working with remote workers, whether they’re employees or freelancers. For one, they have been proven by several studies to be more productive than their in-office counterparts, especially when they’re given the freedom to control their working schedule as best suits them. However, one recurring issue is that without the team cohesion built with in-person contact, they may not be as engaged with the goals and motivations of the business or the importance of their own work. So, what do you do to solve that?
Make your standards known
It’s not always as simple as letting your employees know what you expect and then watching them fill that space. However, if you want them to provide a certain standard of work, then it is crucial that you let them know what those standards are, in the first place. This can be done in a variety of ways. If it’s any kind of creative work or it ends with the creation of a document or resource, then you can use examples to show the quality of work that you’re looking for. Otherwise, you can use metrics like key performance indicators to help them measure the work that they have done and what their aims should be per day.
Reward them for their work
If it hasn’t already become abundantly clear, simply getting paid for the work that we do is not enough to satisfy us. It will make us not want to lose our job, but that’s not the same as having real engagement with the work that we do every day. Workers need to feel like they are respected and valued for what they contribute and they need to know that, when they go above and beyond, it will be recognized. An employee perks platform can help you not only manage the benefits that they’re guaranteed by the workplace but also voluntary benefits that can be used as positive incentives for people to get more involved in their work. Reward incentive systems can work just as well, too.
Stay in touch
While one of the benefits of working with remote workers is allowing them to self-direct and find their own most productive ways of working, if you leave someone out of contact for too long, only getting in touch with them when something is wrong, then they are going to lose any sense of connection they have with their role beyond the immediate work that they are doing. In some part, a group connection is essential to keep people engaged with the work that they do as a team. As such, team communication platforms can help you stay in touch with the team in little ways throughout the day. Face-to-face meetings through webcam are encouraged as well.
The question of engagement and motivation in remote workers is a tough one. Hopefully, however, the tips above help you find the solutions that work for the specifics of your business. The answer isn’t going to be the same for everyone, after all.