But with the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work saw a tremendous boost, with remote workdays doubling in the US. Whether this remains as the new normal or we return to fewer remote workdays after the pandemic, there’s still a pressing issue at hand: maintaining employee morale while everyone’s away from the office. To help you out, here are 9 ways you can boost employee morale when everyone’s working remotely.
1. Create a Space to Socialize
Sheltering at home can take a toll on your mental health, especially if you’re doing it all alone with no one else. While some employees might’ve lived alone at home previously, maybe they looked forward to going to work because of the company they got in the office. Going to the office to work and socialize may not be possible now. However, there are several ways you can create a space for your employees to not feel so alone. One of the biggest things you can do for employee morale is to have a workspace chat through avenues like Slack. Not only can they collaborate more easily on projects through chat programs, but they can also enjoy some socializing in off-topic channels. Think of it as a digital water cooler where people can gather around to have some casual conversations!
2. Incorporate Video Chats
You might have scheduled chats with employees to keep in touch and see how projects are going. While it might be easier to just type out your conversations, this lacks a personal element to it. Consider incorporating video chats into your meetings, perhaps weekly. That way, you get to touch base once a week through a channel that’s more personal and meaningful to your employees. It might be the only time of the week they see and speak to someone, after all. Make sure you don’t just focus on the business side of things as well. It’s always a good idea to have a quick catchup at the beginning of the video call, just to see how they’re doing. Your workers are sure to appreciate that you care about their well-being.
3. Send Out Regular Newsletters
People love to read about what’s going on in the world, as well as each other’s lives. This is especially true when people are self-isolating and going through lockdown, with not much else to do. It can be an excellent idea to send out regular newsletters, whether it’s weekly, biweekly, or monthly. In these newsletters, you can include things such as project progress, where you give recognition where it’s deserved. This can definitely boost employee morale! In addition, you can include things like personal achievements or milestones with employees, such as the birth of a new baby or a 20th wedding anniversary. This can help people feel a lot more connected with one another. You don’t necessarily have to put together these newsletters yourself either. Think about appointing someone who’d genuinely enjoy being in charge of the newsletter and this can help improve their morale.
4. Provide E-Learning Opportunities
Chances are, your employees are nowhere near done learning. No one is! There’s always more to be absorbed to further your expertise and career. The beauty of the internet is that there are lots of e-learning opportunities out there. As their employer, you should provide your workers with these opportunities. Not only will this help your employees learn new valuable skills and knowledge, but it’ll also be a way for you to show that you care about them. and are invested in their growth. As a result, you’ll see morale skyrocket!
5. Create an Employee Rewards System
We already have rewards systems for credit cards and other things, so why not have one for your employees? This is a fantastic way to show recognition and credit where it’s due! Not only that, but it’s a great way to motivate your workers to earn some really cool rewards, such as digital gift cards and store coupons. You can even give non-monetary gifts that will be valued, such as VIP parking (when everyone returns to the office) or the chance to go on a team event after the pandemic is over. Whatever incentives you choose, an employee rewards system is sure to boost morale. Everyone will be talking excitedly about the rewards they wish to get and they’ll work hard to reach that goal. Complementarily, you can promote recognition among employees. Recognition between boss-employee is not the same as recognition between employees at the same level. The latter has the extra advantage that it also helps to strengthen the team.
6. Send Out Care Packages
An outstanding way to show employee appreciation is to send out care packages every once in a while. This can be great to receive, especially if there are holidays coming up. The sky’s the limit when it comes to care packages as well. You can send your workers anything from home spa products to snacks and fresh produce. Think about sending out a survey to get a feel for what people want! Sending out care packages can be a win-win situation. Not only can you boost employee morale, but you can also support local businesses that are struggling due to pandemic lockdowns. Your employees will be proud that their employer strives to keep other local businesses running.
7. Have Virtual Parties
On that note, you can combine the care packages with virtual parties! Every once in a while, throw Zoom or Google Hangout “parties” for your employees. Consider making them themed so they can get excited about planning out their outfits and room decor to match. To combine the care packages with your virtual parties, you can send out things like wine or chocolate samples. Everyone can unbox their care packages together on camera and then go through tasting each sample. This can be a fun activity to do together and find out about each individual’s likes and dislikes. Who knows, it might even help some more distant coworkers bond over a mutual thing!
8. Encourage Good Work-Life Balance
When you work from home, the line between working and regular daily life can become easily blurred. This is especially true if your employees typically liked to relax in their office and browse their computer before they started working remotely. Some people are more prone to being workaholics than others. In fact, research shows that up to 30% of the general population are workaholics. You don’t want your employees working from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. That’ll have the opposite effect on employee morale. As their employer, you’re probably someone your workers look up to. Encourage them to draw a clear line between work and daily life, and put that into practice yourself. Set firm boundaries regarding when you’re reachable and sign off work programs exactly when you say you will. Leave work emails alone until the next “workday.” When your employees see you doing this, they’ll be more ready to follow suit and enjoy more of their leisure time uninterrupted by work.
9. Ask Your Employees for Feedback
Many employees already feel unheard in the regular workplace. When everything moves to digital, they can feel even more unheard since they can’t physically go up to you in the office to talk about things. One of the most important things you can offer your workers is open and transparent communication. Encourage them to give you feedback about how remote work is done and inquire if anything can be improved. You can also use this chance to ask about workplace quality of life and happiness. If you feel like your employees aren’t comfortable giving answers to these questions, consider sending out a survey they can fill out anonymously. When you show that you care about your workers’ opinions and happiness, they’ll be more willing to speak up. And when they’re more willing to speak up, morale will automatically go up too.
Boost Employee Morale With Our Tips
After reading this article, you now have some good ways to boost employee morale when they work remotely, especially during these trying times. What’s great about these tips is that they’re great morale boosters for even after the pandemic. You can continue using these morale-boosting tips to motivate your future remote workers and keep them pumped for any tasks they need to handle. So keep this article in mind and even refer to it in the future. These gems will be exactly what you need to keep your workers happy and enthusiastic! Did you like this article on how to connect with employees remotely? Then check out the rest of our blog for more useful tips!
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