Whether your employees were working from home before or after the pandemic, leading them remotely takes additional effort. Here are my tips to help you effectively manage remote employees and keep them productive and engaged while working from home.
1 | Understand Your Employees’ Communication Requirements
Start by identifying whether they are self-managed or need more instruction in order to be successful.
Some employees really thrive in an autonomous and independent opportunity. However, other employees feel isolated when working from home, and they require interaction from their leader to remain productive and engaged in their work.
Be sure to adjust your approach for each employee!
2 | Understand Your Employees’ Reward and Recognition Preferences
When we work remotely, there is less opportunity for spontaneous pats on the back or high-fives, but our team members deserve to be recognized for their high-quality work.
You need to discover new opportunities to give them the kudos they deserve.
My clients have had success rewarding and recognizing their employees during their routine 1:1 meetings or by sending a special email at the end of the week where they highlight 2-3 items that were done really well by their team.
A quick reminder about recognition: It needs to be natural and authentic to be effective. Your employees do not want fake praise!
Recommended Readings: This HBR article highlights the advantage of more frequent smaller scale awards as a possible plan. For a general overview of working from home, including the top frustrations to the importance of flexibility, check out this great article from SHRM.
If you manage remote employees, what have you found that effectively keeps them productive and engaged?
I’d enjoy hearing from you in the comments down below. You can also contact me for more in-depth conversations here.