Another year of the pandemic, and there is no doubt remote work has to stay. Because of this, many companies are struggling in the process of maintaining or giving out a competitive quality that can also make the best of their remote employees’ needs and productivity.
Some couldn’t handle remote work, so they are compelled to reinforce that return-to-office setup. This has shown more disagreement between companies and employees. An Insider survey showed that 58 percent of employees in the US had to look for a job.
Apparently, the majority of people are in favor of working from home since they could adjust quickly and accordingly—and of course, for obvious reasons, such as less travel and more comfort. As for productivity, this two-year analysis of remote work concludes that it highly depends on skillful leadership and having a healthy company environment. Of course, it’s without question that good leadership is pointless if an employee doesn’t cooperate.
1. Putting trust in your team
You should’ve probably understood by now that the setup in the office is far different from the setup at home. Due to this huge change, you have to concur accordingly and adjust what you can control, which is your attitude.
Encouraging trust is greatly important for work and performance since it’s the element that brings people together as they’d adapt to proper teamwork. For trust, there are two kinds. Cognitive trust is the understanding that your team members are competent and trustworthy, while emotional trust is believing that your teammates care about you and give value to your work.
Making connections with the team is how you can gain and give trust. Working remotely and far away from one another doesn’t mean that you’re already disconnected. Frankly, disconnection can still happen without compliance between leaders and employees.
2. Providing your team the flexibility to work
To get the best of your team, their well-being should be given importance, and to do that, giving them the flexibility where and when to work is key. Improved communication comes hand-in-hand with this, so you can monitor their progress, and they can work as a team. Flexibility and clearer communication help foster a positive work culture and decrease the possibility of feeling burnout for you and your team.
Setting boundaries is just as important as well. Just because you care about your employees doesn’t mean that you can give them a personal call after work hours. The same applies to how the team members treat one another.
3. Encouraging work-life balance
Another step in creating a healthy work culture for your remote team is not to require them but to encourage a healthy work-life balance. The importance of this balance is a beneficial practice that increases productivity and focus, as well as reduces mental exhaustion for everyone. Make time to inspire them to have a routine and maintain it as much as possible.
Obviously, remote work doesn’t mean complete freedom. It also takes responsibility and self-discipline to make this successful. That’s why there has to be a balance. Allow them to use their breaks to prepare food, have coffee, exercise, or even just go outside and breathe fresh air rather than let them be stuck inside their rooms for eight straight hours.
4. Convincing them to build a workspace of their own
Working from home will always have distractions. Everybody experiences it, whether you’re a manager or an employee. That’s why it’s important to be compassionate toward one another that you have to fulfill different roles as a parent or student.
As their leader, you should encourage your team to have their respective workspace, no matter the size of the room they’re in. The important thing is that they find themselves in a room in their home where there is the least distraction. You can do this by letting them reimburse the office equipment they need for their space.
5. Inspiring them to use their free time for something important
Since they have more free time, they can be more relaxed and deal with other responsibilities healthily. Whether it’s about taking care of a family member, increasing their income, or contacting their mortgage lender to clear their debt, encouraging them to do what’s best for their well-being will definitely help with their work engagement.
As you’ve provided them flexibility, it’s also important for them to make time for other important things, such as hobbies, passion, stress reduction, self-improvement, and other responsibilities. This will also help them maintain a healthy work-life balance and boost their well-being. When they’ve engaged in this, they will be motivated to work with you and maintain excellent performance.
Final Thoughts
Investing in your employees isn’t just about acquiring their work and talent, but it’s also about caring for their well-being since that’s how they’re able to work each day. As you build a healthy culture and strong relationships with them, all of you will feel energized and engaged to work, hence increasing teamwork and productivity.
Don’t let a skilled and competent team member go just because you are incapable of creating a healthy remote work culture. The best thing to do here is to embrace this change and accept that everyone should stay productive and healthy.