5 Ways to Engage Remote Workforces
Technological advances "have the potential for acting as catalysts that could radically change the structure of American society in much the same way that the automobile acted as a catalyst on our way of life during the first half of this century," according to Jack Nilles, physicist and former NASA engineer.
He wrote that in 1973.
Nilles was wildly ahead of his time but the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing organizations, national governments and even individual households, to catch up to his mindset — and do it quickly. Gallup polling shows at least 63% of U.S. employees have worked from home since May 1. Most companies, however, weren’t ready to adapt.
Lunch room conversations, co-worker runs to the corner coffee shop and office happy hours don’t happen without groups. Remote teams miss out on that, leaving them with an uninterrupted grind and a social gap where colleague connections naturally occur. Team leaders and mid-line managers need to get a little creative to help fill that void and ensure their employees are supported.
As someone who worked as part of a remote team in prior roles, it was vital to adapt new ways of communication and collaboration. We needed to make projects visible, to understand how our work affects clients, and fits into the long-term business plan. Creating opportunities to allow team members the ability to showcase their work and create a mechanism for feedback was necessary. It’s vital to connect with your team as authentically as possible, so you can support each other and progress through objectives together.
These five tips will help you empower your team to them feel more connected to work and each other.
Hyper-communicate where you can
To encourage performance, managers should have five different types of conversations with remote workers: role and relationship development, quick connects, project status/check-in, developmental coaching and progress review. These conversation categories need to focus on an employee's individual achievements, collaboration with their team members and their customer value.
It’s easy for employees to feel out of the loop when working remotely, especially when it’s a relatively new concept. Over-communicating plans, providing feedback and regularly reviewing progress becomes important for maintaining connections.
Over-communicating doesn’t mean you need to send emails or updates just for the sake of reaching out. Focus on keeping your team updated on any new initiatives and reserve space to craft messaging (and hear feedback) as new information becomes available. If things change (and they will), facilitate cross-functional conversations with the right teams to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.
Make yourself available
Working remotely can make employees feel isolated. Combine that isolation with poor team morale and you’ve got a recipe for failure. Communicating primarily through digital messaging (Skype, Slack, Teams, Google chat, etc.) or email can prove to be either an opportunity or a challenge for your team to connect with their managers. So, how does one make it a more positive and time-sensitive experience?
One suggestion is to offer office hours as part of your schedule. Provide clear guidelines to your team regarding your availability and how to get on your calendar. More importantly, make sure you don’t get sidetracked when your team takes you up on the offer. Creating designated time and communicating clear guidelines, shows you are serious about investing in your team and that you welcome their desire to connect more readily with leadership.
We don’t necessarily need more meeting time but dedicating time on a weekly basis can help the team get more accomplished. In fact, research states that remote employees are three times more likely to be engaged if they receive feedback from their manager at least a few times per month. When you create space for your team to be authentic — to openly discuss any issues, offer their own feedback or request or more guidance — you’re helping them get their best work done.
Learn that isolation and loneliness are two different things
First, it helps to understand that loneliness is an emotional response to lack of connection — and that people can feel just as lonely in the office as outside of it.
According to Gallup, one quasi-field experiment conducted at a global headquarters that was transitioning to an open office workstation concept documented an interesting phenomenon. Instead of the open floorplan encouraging collaboration, the study found the volume of face-to-face interaction between employees decreased by approximately 70%, while electronic communication increased. Employees appeared to react to the workspace by socially withdrawing from peers and partners to interact over email and IM instead. This “remote” environment sounds eerily familiar today.
Isolation, on the other hand, is related to the lack of access to people, materials, tools or information. Isolated teams think their achievements or project developments are ignored; they feel cut off from the business. That isn't an emotional issue, it's a technical one.
If remote workers can't access the materials and equipment they need, managers should work with departments that can solve the problem, such as IT or Legal. While cybersecurity can be an obstacle, tech is increasingly capable of providing employees secure channels to access “the office.” Ensuring that the ability to work from home or other remote locations is just as seamless and secure should be a top priority. And providing the materials and equipment your team needs to do their work, the right way, is fundamental to employee connection.
Use Video
Even though you can’t see your team in person, video conversations — no matter how much you think it’s over-hyped — are a major asset. The inherent visual cues of video provide valuable context, making the remote work experience feel more human than a phone call or email. While not every meeting needs to be a video call, create some guidelines when video is expected or needed. Video should be essential for in-depth discussions such as project development meetings and relationship development conversations.
Video engagement can also be light-hearted and even a little fun. Encourage your team to loosen up and have video conversations as if they were in the office. Consider hosting a virtual happy hour or lunch once a week, or weekly games. In the absence of water cooler (or breakroom or hallway or elevator or…) conversations, making space for more relaxed video conversations will keep your team connected.
Be flexible with employee stress
Transitioning to remote work can be difficult. That, along with the COVID-19 impact, sets the stage for a stressed working environment. While you can’t relieve their stress entirely, you can keep them motivated by creating channels through which they can de-stress and share how they’re feeling. With honesty and authenticity, your team can come out of remote work situations more connected than ever before.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Encourage your team to use “away” and “Do Not Disturb” features on their online calendars and chat platforms.
Allow flexible schedules and mental health days, if possible. Some members of your team may find working from home more difficult than others. Remember, parents, in particular, are managing both their own work and their children’s schooling.
Help your team create space between “home” and “working from home.” Encourage them to unplug and fight the “always on” feeling. Turning off notifications and letting colleagues know they’re offline and “leaving work” officially recognizes a work/life balance.
Remind your team that you expect them to use their vacation days.
Every team’s situation is different, but if you’re able, encourage flexible schedules and mental health breaks to help your employees cope with their personal responsibilities.
Tying it all together
If you don’t have teams that are committed to your organization’s mission, current project priorities and their colleagues, you cannot possibly succeed. Burnout, frustration and turnover will occur.
While 90% of executives understand the importance of engagement, fewer than 50% understand how to address the issue. You can take this opportunity to lead by adapting to this complex and demanding time. Plot a path to the future and create an environment in which your team will thrive.
Photo credits: Ben Hershey, Dylan Ferreira, Christian Erfurt, Charles Deluvio