No matter the type of business you run, hiring remote employees can help you cut your costs and elevate your efficiency. In the case of any unforeseen events where your main office location is compromised, these employees can also hold the fort down from their respective homes.
But despite being an essential part of your organization, the lack of regular interaction can make your remote workforce feel underappreciated at times. This especially holds true if your remote workers are located hundreds of miles away from your business’ physical offices.
In order to bridge the emotional gap between your employees and your company, here are 4 ideas for showing your remote employees you care about them.
1. Send Over Gift Baskets
When you do not interact with your remote employees on a personal level, it can make your working relationship seem purely transactional. This may get your work done on time, but it might also affect your employees’ connection to your organization. This calls for you to develop a positive company culture for your employees.
You can improve your company culture and harbor a personal connection with your remote workforce by performing sincere gestures. For instance, arranging a gift basket delivery can often go a long way towards establishing your care towards your employees. When you combine this with regular communication, it shows your team that you value them as more than a simple work resource.
2. Get a Handwritten Note
When you have a remote workforce, it can be quite easy for you to feel an emotional disconnect with your team. But as easy as this feeling might occur, it can also be quite toxic in terms of hindering a profound connection with your employees and having them become a true part of your organization.
By sharing your sincere thoughts with your remote workforce, you can outline that you appreciate their presence. This not only helps you prevent any disconnecting thoughts, but also makes your employees feel happier about working for your business.
With small gestures such as a handwritten appreciation note or checking in about their family from time to time, you can easily establish a personal connection that stays intact for a long time.
3. Show Opportunities for Growth
Being in a remote work setting does not mean that your employees should sacrifice their hopes and dreams of having a career. Even though they do not work on-site, they still contribute to your business’ growth and deserve the same chances as everyone else. When you make this clear to everyone in the company, it becomes an effective way to improve productivity and boost morale.
With this in mind, make sure that you offer plenty of chances for growth to your remote employees. Whenever you open up a job posting, look into an internal mobility solution to make the opportunity available to the existing workforce first, including your remote staff. This makes sure that they’re able to climb the career ladder with your help and support.
4. Be Open to Listening
In many situations, you do not have to jump through hoops in order to show your employees that you care. This also holds true for your remote workforce, which often simply requires you to acknowledge, understand, and appreciate their concerns as well as points of view. By learning how to create a stable work environment, you can also understand different ways to deliver on this aspect.
The simplest solution that you can also adopt very easily is to listen to your remote employees. You can do so by scheduling weekly meetings, having detailed discussions, and using an employee feedback platform. This allows you to comprehend exactly what your remote workforce is thinking about your operations and how you can improve upon outlined points before it’s too late.
Following these suggestions is not difficult at all. Yet, it is highly effective in helping you form a stronger bond with your remote workforce. This ensures that you and all of your employees are able to work towards the same goal without worrying about any problematic misunderstandings.
Image Credits: Nina Mercado, Kelly Sikkema
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