When you’re in the office, it’s easier to get a sense of whether an employee is happy or not in their job.
Body language, attitude towards tasks and general enthusiasm are all good indicators of whether or not an employee feels engaged in their work.
It’s also easier to build social connections in person.
Whether that’s just creating a welcoming environment, putting on social activities or bringing the team together to work towards a common goal, being together in the office can create more natural conversations and leave employees feeling more connected to their colleagues.
But with hybrid and remote working on the rise post-pandemic, companies are having to pivot their efforts to cover those who aren’t in the office as well.
This can feel challenging if it’s something you haven’t had to tackle before, but there are plenty of ways you can make employees feel loyal to your company that go far beyond just the social experience.
Here, we take a look at three areas you can look at to make sure that your remote employees feel part of something good.
Give them flexibility
The outside world doesn’t stop just because an employee is at work, and they may have errands that they need to run, children to collect from school, or just find they work better at different times of the day. Flexible working can mean anything from letting your employees choose where they work, to letting them choose the hours they want to work.
Allowing employees to take responsibility for their productivity during working hours and trusting them to organise their time is invaluable.
Not only does it show you’re not going to micromanage, but you avoid making them choose between being able to balance caring responsibilities and work. Potentially, this means that they’ll stay with your company, rather than leave when things get too difficult to balance.
Flexible working can also be beneficial for widening your workforce and accessing new talent, as it can support employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Make sure your policies support everyone
While having Christmas Day off and healthcare policies that increase per the amount of walking you do are good initiatives, making sure you have options and have considered everyone in your team will mean that you can better support your staff.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to please everyone, but considering non-Christian holidays as important as Christmas and Easter, for example, is an easy start.
Take feedback from your team about what is important to them, so you can align your policies with this. You should also check in regularly to make sure they’re still relevant, and create an opportunity for open communication and feedback.
Recognise their work
Regular recognition helps an employee feel valued, and part of a collective effort to make a difference with their work.
You shouldn’t just praise someone if you feel like they might be considering leaving, or on big work anniversaries.
Making sure to congratulate someone on a great piece of work can build confidence and help them feel motivated to do their best on the next task.
About the author
Elizabeth Long graduated with a degree in English Language, and then travelled to different countries in order to expand her views, and experience different cultures. She now writes meaningful posts, designed to give readers helpful take-home points that they can act on in their own lives.
