Working remotely is no longer a novel concept – it has pretty much become the norm! Companies can now hire people across geographies, thanks to the solutions offered by technology.

While this has its own advantages, it can be rather challenging for the managers and the heads to build trust in remote workers and keep them motivated. 

But, as we said, if remote working is the future for all companies, then shouldn’t bosses learn to adapt to it?

6 Tips To Keep Your Remote Workers Happy And Driven

Yes, technology has made it exceedingly simple to communicate and collaborate with a person sitting miles away. But it hasn’t reached the stage where companies can foster values, build cohesiveness, or spur motivation through it. That effort still lies in the hands of managers who handle the remote employees.

For such head honchos, here’s a practical guide to keeping your remote worker motivated.

1. Be Crystal Clear With Deliverables

Give each person specific objectives and absolute lines of responsibility. They guarantee clarity of role and absence of problems with work delegation. Moreover, the team, even if spread across states or countries, becomes interdependent. Dependence and transparency alone will motivate employees to work better or harder.

2. Set Up Progress Meetings

Another positive of explicit deliverables is that measuring the output or result of each worker becomes simpler. Why do you need to measure productivity? When you don’t see an employee day in and day out, it is harder to keep an eye on how well he/she is doing. It is important to keep a tab on how efficiently they have been managing a project. This is where explicit deliverables come in.

Set up a progress meeting where the deliverables are run through. It will keep you, the manager, up to date on how well the worker is performing and it will motivate the employee. Regular meetings make remote workers feel involved which spurs them on. Knowing someone is keeping track of their work, consistently, is a significant driver.

3. Engage Them Beyond The Usual Mail

Connecting through a mail or a call once every two weeks isn’t sufficient for your remote team. You have to engage with them through some form of communication every day. Video calls, phone calls, conference calls, messages, or training programs – utilise any and every tool in your belt to keep up constant interaction with teleworkers. With the flow of communication comes engagement, a vital element of motivation.

Alex Hirst, the co-founder of The Hoxby Collective, a company built for remote workers, create a 2-minute video every week. The video, called workstyle freestyle, delivers ideas, latest news, and answers to questions. A simple technique of engagement, it keeps communication open, and the remote workforce motivated.

4. Encourage ‘Water Cooler’ Conversations

If you ask remote workers what demotivates them the most, the answer will be isolation. Connecting with the in-house team or other remote workers on work issues alone, creates silos. It is why social interaction is crucial to motivate teleworkers. Instead of asking about the progress of a particular assignment and then saying goodbye, linger on the call. Chat about things that are not connected to work.

When people feel you are interested in their lives and situations, they respond better. If chit-chatting is not your forte, then solicit their opinion on a separate project to make them feel involved. 

5. Treat Them As On-Site Workers

Employees who work in the same place as you stop by your office when an issue crops up. You chance upon them in the hallways. You might even have lunch with them. The point being, on-site workers have continuous access to you. Access is pivotal because it keeps the interest in work alive. Distance kills it.

So, when you start treating remote workers as on-site employees, you build the same excitement in them. 

How do you do so? Give remote workers priority. If they call, attend to it immediately. If they email, answer it first. If a local and remote worker, both need attention, ask the former to make an appointment. By giving the teleworker precedence and access, you make them feel less distant.

6. Rope In Coworking Spaces To Motivate The Remote Team

Different locations or even different time zones are not an unassailable obstacle to working on the same project. The digital world has made it very much possible. But these modern-world technologies come at a price. How do you keep a team of people who have never met in person motivated or engaged?

Some remote employees work from home. While there are legions of pros of WFH (Work From Home), there is one big, big flaw. The surroundings are too distracting to stay focused and motivated to work. What can you do here? Provide them with an environment that is custom-built for focus and incredible networking opportunities. AKA Coworking spaces!

Tell your telecommuters to work out of a coworking space or maybe rent a desk for them. The move will build morale. For instance, if you are looking at coworking spaces in Mumbai, WorkWise has centres in Andheri, Lower Parel, and Vashi. These locations are well-connected by railways and roadways. 

Additionally, the flexibility offered by coworking spaces, and the various facilities like Wi-Fi, access to a cafeteria, etc. create a more formal atmosphere that will help remote workers feel more geared up and involved.

It’s been proven that 89% of people are happier after joining a coworking space, and 74% of them become more productive.

When a part or the majority of your team is working from different spots in the world, it is ideal to hold annual get-togethers or off-sites. Technology does bridge gaps, but it isn’t a substitute for a shared experience. 

Once a year, get the team together, hire a coworking space that resonates with your work culture and for two weeks, work out of that space. The rapport, trust, and motivation built will last a long time.

Empower And Motivate Your Remote Team

Sometimes all it takes to re-energise employees is a change of scenario or a personal call. Managers, bosses, and entrepreneurs should milk it for all its worth. 

The next time your remote worker is disheartened or not performing well, don’t let geographical disparity be a barrier. Give them a call or maybe find a coworking space that fits the bill and relocate the worker. 

Trust us… the move will work wonders!

If you are looking for coworking spaces in Mumbai that offer open and private workspaces, get in touch with us!