Working With a Few Remote Employees? Here’s the Key to Making Them Fit in With the Rest of Your Office
July 27th, 2019For the first time, you’re managing a few remote employees. Considering the surging popularity of work from home jobs, the next time you’re hiring accountants in Spokane, it’s probably not a stretch to think you might add even more remote positions to your team.
The fact that technology has advanced to this point is pretty amazing. Of course, it also brings new challenges, including helping remote workers fit in with everyone else. The key to success is making sure they don’t feel isolated. Here’s how to do it.
Three Ways to Help Remote Employees Feel Like Part of the Team
Place a Heavy Emphasis on Teamwork
Employees don’t have to be in the same office, state, or even time zone to work together. Take advantage of this by assigning remote staffers to work on teams or in larger groups when possible. This will help them build relationships and really get to know one another. Despite being physically apart from the others, they’ll feel a sense of comradery when they’re able to complete projects with their peers, instead of always having to work independently.
Make Communication a Top Priority
When employees are scattered across different locations, messages tend to get lost in translation. This can lead to miscommunications that cause conflict and hurt feelings. Avoid this by keeping remote employees in constant contact with the team. For example, you might consider a policy that requires them to video call into all meetings and stay signed in to a common chat application — i.e., Slack — throughout the workday. The face-to-face video calls can help keep everyone on the same page, while the more informal chats will allow them to enjoy standard office banter.
Treat Them Like Everyone Else
When possible, make remote employees feel included by adhering to the same policies and giving them the same or equal incentives as everyone else. For example, if you offer free coffee in the breakroom, sign them up for a subscription service where the same brand of ground coffee is delivered in bulk to their doorstep on a monthly basis. Sometimes it’s the little things that make people feel valued and appreciated.
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