Due to the uncertainties brought forward by COVID-19, many companies and organizations allowed their employees to work remotely. While a quarter of the entire workforce of the US works from home for at least a part of their time, the new policies ended up making many employees and managers work away from the office for the first time. It’s possible and preferable to establish clear and lucid remote-work policies and training in advance. However, in times like these, circumstances can keep changing rapidly. Naturally, such levels of preparation may not prove feasible. Here you will find a few research-based steps for managers to take without putting too much effort to improve engagement and productivity of employees who have to work remotely.
Challenges of working remotely
• Lack of face-to-face supervision: Managers and employees often express their concerns about the absence of face-to-face interactions. Supervisors think that their employees won’t work efficiently enough. Employees also struggle with reduced access to resources, managerial support, and communication.
• Lack of informational access: Workers who are new to the concept of working remotely find often have to spend more time and effort in locating information from colleagues. Even the answers to simple queries seem inconclusive or unintelligible. Researchers also found that people prefer to answer the questions of the colleagues who work with them at the office. On the other hand, they consider their remote co-workers to be inept if they ask the same questions.
• Isolated from society: Remote work often results in loneliness. It happens to be the most disturbing aspect of remote working, especially for extroverts.
• Distractions: Your family members or other inhabitants of the house may not want to bother you unnecessarily. Nevertheless, you have to face distractions even if you try to avoid it. Your child may start playing with your laptop or you may have to visit the grocery store. Furthermore, you can’t help yourself from taking more breaks from work at home than you usually do at the office.
Tips for managers to support their remote employees
• Daily checking: As a manager, you should contact and speak to your remote employees every day. It could take the form of a series of one-on-one phone calls to individual members. Or, if they work as a team, then you have to establish a conference call to talk to all of them at once.
• Multiple technologically advanced communication options: Email alone would prove to be insufficient. You should provide your workers with “richer” technology options, such as video conferencing. Mobile-enabled individual messaging functionalities can also be highly effective.
• Establish rules of engagement: An excellent way to make remote working more efficient is to set rules of engagement. You have to set expectations for the frequency, means, and an ideal timing of communicating with your teams. You should also let your employees know about the best time to contact you during every working day.
• Opportunities for remote social interaction: Another essential step that a manager can take incorporates structuring ways for employees to interact socially while working remotely. While it’s true for all remote workers, it’s especially important to those who had to leave the office abruptly.
One last tip: Encouragement and emotional support
Finally, you should encourage your employees to work properly and provide them emotional support too. It’s mandatory for those who had to leave the office abruptly and take up remote work. You should listen to your employees’ concerns and the reasons behind their anxiety.
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