There’s no doubt that Coronavirus (COVID-19) has dramatically changed the business landscape. For many businesses, it has meant they have had to adapt to remote working, pivoting their operations online and quickly learning new ways for their employees to connect with each other.
A remote workforce can still be successful, but working from home can mean more distractions, fewer ways to interact naturally with fellow colleagues, and more social isolation — all of which can lead to lower productivity. So here are five useful ways you can maintain employee engagement from a distance during the Coronavirus pandemic.
1. Regular virtual team check-ins…
Video conferencing technology such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams have become a necessity during this period of lockdown. They make it easy for employers to have regular virtual catchups with their teams and maintain that all-important communication whilst they are working from home.
One key thing to remember is to make sure you allocate time for formal status updates from every team member. Don’t just focus on work-related topics either; ask about their mental health and mood. This is a particularly challenging time for everyone and by encouraging openness, you may help to alleviate any feelings of isolation and anxiety.
2. Establish daily check-ins…
Creating a daily check-in routine is an important way to set priorities and promote connections. Regular phone or video calls allow for accountability and productivity and provide a forum for employees to consult with you and know that their concerns and questions will be heard.
3. Training and Development opportunities…
There’s never been a better opportunity for your employees to embrace a continuous learning mindset; to learn new skills and bolster emotional intelligence. Ensure you are offering opportunities to upskill and develop your employees through online training and development programmes. Even if you have furloughed staff, you are still able to use this time for training and development which is a brilliant way of keeping your employees engaged.
4. Help employees with work/life balance…
If your staff are caring for young families and elderly relatives or even homeschooling, it’s important to offer as much flexibility as possible in how and when they work. If your business operations permit, allow staff to adjust their core working hours to enable them to manage their home and work commitments effectively.
5. Maintain company culture…
Now, more than ever, your staff need to feel part of unified company culture, and there’s no reason to neglect your company’s core values and culture just because your staff aren’t coming into the same office every day.
Why not set up a Friday virtual ‘happy hour’ at 4:30 pm via video conference, giving your staff a chance to unwind over their favourite drink and make it a social event. Provide an opportunity for your employees to share knowledge about something they are passionate about – and even encourage them to share any creative talents with the team.
Maintaining engagement with your staff is vital throughout this challenging time, but thanks to technology, there are lots of options to connect in a different way and you will undoubtedly reap the benefits when business returns to normal operations.
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