How To Stay Engaged with A Remote Workforce

Remote working has completely redefined the way teams communicate and work. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that effective team communication is the key to a successful company and productive teams. When it comes to remote working, co-workers should be able to communicate just as before when they were in an office environment.

Remote work is not an option or a privilege anymore. It has become the norm in most organisations right after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 reached the pandemic status and urged Governments and other authorities to step in to prevent the virus from spreading.

This change to our working lives was implemented without any transition, which has made remote working challenging for both companies and employees.

Tips on how to maintain positive engagement with your remote workforce

• Give employees a sense of belonging
• Empower your remote employees
• Make remote employees your advocates
• Train your managers
• Define goals 
• Choose the right communication tool
• Encourage peer-to-peer feedback
• Check-in frequently and be proactive
• Collaborate on tasks and projects in real-time: Implement a ‘buddy’ system for new hires
• Enable and encourage knowledge sharing
• Establish a work-from-home policy
• Consider a remote workspace

Delivering presentations remotely

The restrictions on travel in 2020 have seen a huge rise in many forms of communication being delivered via online platforms. Presentations, meetings, job interviews, training and even court cases have all happened through an online platform.

Although the skills required to deliver effective online presentations are very similar to face-to-face, there are some additional skills that need to be mastered.

Existing presentation skills that require a little more emphasis

With your audience’s view of you being restricted to a ‘rectangular box’, you are robbed of using your physical features and movement to deliver messages via your body. However, because of the box, there is a greater focus on what people are looking at. It is imperative, therefore, that you do actively use what can be seen!

New information opportunity

Your conversation is in two dimensions as opposed to three when face-to-face, however, additional personal information may be gained that would not be available face-to-face from what you can see in the background.  The more information you can gain, the more likely you will be able to find a commonality to help develop that relationship.

Audience engagement

Your audience is not in the same room as you, they are miles away and quite possibly, miles away from each other as well. This naturally leads to the risk of less engagement, mind wandering, being distracted and being disinterested. More than ever, you need to engage. This is achieved by asking open questions, listening and responding on the back of what the audience is saying.

Benefits of home working both for the employer and the employee

The ability to work remotely and engage with team members online offers the employee a better work/life balance. Working away from the office can provide a sense of control resulting in more time to plan both work and home tasks. This can give a sense of achievement which in turn, makes employees more productive.

Flexible working builds loyalty and loyalty leads to trust from the employers and the employee, which in turn builds respect.  Loyalty also means employee retention, as staff do not look for another job if they are happy where they are.  This is a cost-saving for the company as it avoids new hires and it also retains skills.

Are you ready to increase the engagement of your remote workforce for the benefit of all?

If you have any questions then please feel free to get in touch with us today.  We are more than happy to explain these strategies in more detail to help you maintain a positive and engaged remote workforce.