Jolene Risch — April 10, 2020 There’s no sugar-coating it. Your employees are scared, and since we’re being 100% honest, you’re scared too. The world changed in a matter of days, and with the state of the world in question, employees are looking to companies for some semblance of support or security.
While you can’t promise your employees that they won’t get sick, or even when they can come back to the office, you have a unique opportunity to unite your people more than ever before. This is your chance to course-correct your company culture if there’s been some problems, and your chance to reinforce your culture if it has been strong.
These are the ways you can foster employee loyalty while working remotely.
Inclusivity
When your team works remotely, inclusivity can be challenging. There’s a natural camaraderie that happens when you bring people together in a group physically. Luckily, those same bonds can be forged long distances using the phone, video chats, or Zoom calls. The key is making sure that you’re applying the same inclusivity rules as you would in a physical office.
During meetings, make sure everyone has a chance to share their voice and ideas. Give everyone space to update the team on their progress and ask for support where they need it. The more you engage in team-building behavior with every employee, the more inclusive collective meetings will be. Likewise, getting people connected with accountability buddies or small teams of three will give your employees points of contact that they can bond with, without having to meet as a whole team every time.
Employee Evolution
This is one of the best times to help your employees learn new skills and grow professionally. Most people currently have more time and space without the commutes, and it can help your employees level up their contribution to the company. There are other ways to help your employees and company evolve right now too.
Work-life balance has a whole new perspective (with new challenges if you haven’t had a predominantly remote team before). Boundaries are difficult when you work from home. So implementing systems and structures that support your people will make all of the difference, especially in protecting them against burnout. Encouraging your employees to take time away from their devices and to spend some time on personal interests will remind them that you support boundaries. These boundaries in turn will help to keep your team’s ideas fresh and heighten their creativity. By supporting a true work-life balance, you’ll help your employees increase their productivity and efficiency.
Emotional Intelligence
Right now, your employees need understanding more than ever before. They may have friends or family members who are dying that they cannot get to or even hold funerals for with the current state of the world. No matter what situation your employees are facing, taking the time to emotionally check in with your team members will help them to feel more safe and secure. When your team brings concerns to you, take a breath and aim for more patience. By paying attention to what your team needs from you emotionally, you can make their jobs easier and make the company outcomes stronger.
Increased Quality Communication
The attention your employees receive needs to be unique to them and the value they’re bringing to the table. When working remotely as an employee, it can be difficult to feel like what you’re doing matters to the company. So when you can share with your employees how they’re making a difference through what they’re contributing, it creates a positive emotional reaction.
The best part?
Increasing the quality of communication does not necessarily mean increasing the quantity of your communication. This step is all about being clear with your employees and giving them the space to have meaningful conversations with you. The more your employees understand their place in the company, how important they are to the team, and that they are deeply appreciated by the leadership, the more dedication to the team they’ll show.
Intentional Quality Time
Intention is everything. It shapes your interactions and relationships and makes all of the difference in the results you get with your team. When it comes to the communication you have with your team it’s important that you are intentional about what you want your employees to feel from it. That can be a casual meeting where you all meet via Zoom and talk about your favorite show or laugh about that day you ate all of the cupcakes that were supposed to last through next week. For a lot of employees, work is the break from their home life that they need, and while under quarantine, there’s a socialization component that your employees may be missing. By purposefully carving out time for your team to bond and spend quality time long-distance, you help serve that emotional need.
What’s the first strategy you’re going to implement with your team?
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