In the past, working from home seemed unrealistic across a number of different industries. However, that is simply not the case today. As the world shifts into the technology era, the traditional world of working a 9 to 5 is slipping away. In fact, according to Global Workplace Analytics, 5 million employees currently work from home, and if given the choice, 99% of people would choose to work remotely for the rest of their careers.
If your business has remote employees, you need to make sure they maximize their efficiency and productivity. This starts by providing them with the right tools, technology, and support. Failure to do this can be quite damaging to your bottom line and result in poor employee morale and when your employees aren’t happy, it tends to show through their work. Avoid unhappy employees to keep your business thriving! Here are 4 secrets to helping your remote employees succeed.
Provide Them with Adequate Training
When you hire remote employees, training is of the utmost importance. Training helps employees to strengthen their skills and learn how to utilize your company’s technologies and systems accordingly. If they don’t receive proper training, they will run into many frustrations down the road while working in their home office. Offer digital books and easy to navigate guides like the ones offered at Holloway for an easy learning experience.
Keep Them Connected
Your remote workers won’t be able to meet with their colleagues to chat about fashion, sports or the latest shows on Netflix that they have been binging on. They will miss out on this social interaction which can sometimes make them feel isolated and out of the loop. The good news is that there are methods to keep them connected with your company even when they are all in different time zones! Have your IT team build an intranet that is only accessible to your employees and keep it updated with company news, photographs, and videos. Your intranet can also be equipped with software that lets your remote workers send messages and even collaborate on projects to help keep them connected.
Recognize Their Achievements
One of the best things that you can do for your staff is to give them praise. Telling them how much you appreciate them, their efforts and their contributions go a long way. It makes your employees happy, creates a positive work environment, and can lessen employee turnover. When showing recognition, make sure you especially don’t forget your remote workers. Working from home can sometimes cause employees to feel like they are not an integral part of your company’s success. Reach out to them via telephone or email to give them kudos!
Fly Them Out
Some of the best advantages of having remote employees are that you get to save money on office rent, electricity, furniture, and parking – just to name a few. That means you should have quite a bit of capital available to fly them out to your company headquarters every once in awhile. Meeting in-person allows your employees to put names to faces and create a bond with each other in the workplace. If you decide to have your remote workers visit your office, consider having a team outing or even a fun-filled event. Team building activities and games are fun for employees because they provide an opportunity for everyone to just relax, be creative, and have a good time.
If you are looking for ways to keep your employees happy in order to succeed, follow our 4 secrets – you will thank us later!