We all do our full time jobs to make ends meet and live a comfortable life, but that does not necessarily make us satisfied. This is particularly the case with remote employees who are working in isolation in these times of uncertainties.
They have rarely seen their colleagues or had in-person meetings in these few months of quarantine. They are missing the fun times at the office. So, the issue of happiness becomes critical in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is true that you decided to work remotely to ensure the safety of your employees. Your employees will surely be grateful that you offered them to work from home. But the question is are they happy in their jobs? Are your employees happy and productive?
According to the report, companies with happy employees tend to outperform competitors by as much as 20%. It is a very significant insight because it proves just how much it means to build a team of contented professionals. How exactly do you achieve this goal owing to the current pandemic times?
Achieving happiness at remote work is a long-term process that depends on your leadership and managerial skills. But we can give you a few hints on how to do it immediately and ensure productivity. Keep reading as we are about to present you with five ways to ensure happiness at remote work.
Practical Steps to Boost Happiness at Remote Work
If you want to help remote employees become more satisfied and stay in their current job, you need to address their issues. You should try to solve their everyday problems. The most common issues your team members are dealing with include the following:
- Alienation and the lack of face-to-face communication with colleagues
- Inability to form meaningful relationships with coworkers
- A wide range of distractions
- No clear distinction between personal and professional life
It is indeed very good of you to offer remote work flexibility. But such troubles occupy remote employees and affect their efficiency. We suggest using the following five steps in order to cope with their problems.
Be honest and clear about your demands
Remote teams do not have the opportunity to meet in person. They are compelled to exchange information on the go. So, they often struggle to understand professional goals and business objectives. As a Manager, you need to eliminate this issue by being completely honest and clear about your demands.
The point is to delegate tasks in a way that makes it easy for everyone to understand. Each member of the digital crew should know what to do and when she/he is expected to deliver. As soon as you eliminate possible misunderstandings, it will be easier for everyone to focus on their duties and get the job done timely and successfully.
Use the right communication tools
The fact that you cannot meet face-to-face does not mean you cannot communicate at all. On the contrary, we are now witnessing a major expansion of online communication tools. And, it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
It will help you and your subordinates build relationships, maintain continuous interaction, and clarify job requirements almost instantly. The good thing about it is that you can choose between dozens of impressive platforms such as Slack, Zoom, Skype, and similar. The main goal is to ensure effortless communication through multiple channels such as:
- Email messages
- Live chat groups
- Phone calls
- Video conferencing
Do not just talk about business
If you want to make remote workers feel happy and comfortable, you also need to help them relax. This can be done by initiating and encouraging funny chats and casual conversations. Every team can afford to spend 15 or 20 minutes a day talking about the latest social events, sports, art, or any other everyday topic.
At the same time, you could drive further engagement with interesting online games. There are a lot of great team building games for remote workers that you can implement easily and immediately. It will skyrocket informal communication, help people relax, and make them more satisfied in general.
Do not forget to recognize achievements
Do you know that employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they will quit in the next year? It is a serious issue in all companies. However, the trap is even bigger in online environments where managers do not have the chance to meet employees and praise them on the go.
Avoid making workers miserable simply by acknowledging their achievements. All you need to do is send a group message and note that you feel proud of a given employee or the entire team. It will take you no more than a few seconds, but the message will leave a long-term effect on your colleagues.
Promote work-life balance
Balancing life and business is not easy in the 21st century, but it looks like the problem is even more painful for remote employees. They are constantly online and hardly ever unplug, which gives managers the freedom to call them whenever needed.
However, you should know that nearly 90% of employees expect their employer to support them in balancing work and personal commitments. Keep that in mind and let your workers spend enough time with their friends and family.
Conclusion
No matter how skilled and experienced your team members may be, they will never reach the highest level of productivity if they feel bored and miserable. It is a serious business challenge, especially among remote employees who often feel detached and alienated.
We just showed you five easy ways to ensure happiness at remote work. We understand that it takes some time to put these ideas into practice. It is up to you as a Manager to take advantage of our suggestions and turn your remote team into a group of super-happy workers. Good luck!
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