Improving engagement with remote staff

06 Jun

The last year has completely redefined the way teams communicate and work. Remote work is not an option or a privilege anymore. It has become the norm in most organisations. The Government’s advice that” everyone who can work from home must do so” remains in force at present, and despite indications that it may change at some point soon, the benefits of continuing with remote working mean that many businesses may not abandon it quickly. The question of how to keep people involved in the organisation and their team is therefore one that will remain current for the foreseeable future. 

Technology has a huge role to play in maintaining the “team feel” that can easily be lost in being physically isolated from each other. Here are some tips to help you maintain engagement with your remote teams.

• Establish a work-from-home policy: 
  Clarity is crucial for remote workers to be productive. Therefore, if you do have a team working remotely, you should also have a work-from-home policy. Supporting flexibility is great, but some rules should be applied as this helps individuals feel like they are a part of your organisational culture and helps them understand what you expect of them. 
• Use appropriate means of communication: 
  It is so easy for an email to go unread, or to be misinterpreted when a quick phone call or another more personal messaging medium will mean that your intent and message land accurately and you can get confirmation that it is understood. 
• Train your leaders: 
  It is great having the latest technology to support your teams, but if no one knows how to use it then it will soon become a wasted resource.   Keeping team leaders, and section supervisors up to date and able to solve most basic issues relating to the new tools supports adoption and reduces dependency on the helpdesk. Simple problems can be solved quickly keeping everyone productive. 
• Facilitate knowledge sharing: 
  Another area where cloud computing, and instant messaging can support remote workers is to facilitate knowledge sharing. For remote teams or individuals fostering a culture of information, exchange is critical as they have less opportunity for in-person knowledge sharing or social learning. 

Technological innovations simplify remote communication and team collaboration and give distributed teams an opportunity to engage without sharing a physical space.  The key here is to make it as easy as possible for your employees to read the latest company updates and find all the materials and information they need without having to look for it. 

At eInfinity we provide comprehensive ICT services to support you and your remote teams using the best available technology. We can introduce the best solutions for your organisation and advise you on training and implementation. Please get in touch to learn more about how we can help you in the new ever-changing world. 

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