While people couldn’t have dreamed of working remotely 10 years ago, nowadays almost every company has at least one remote employee. Large corporations and enterprises employ entire teams of remote workers, whose presence in the office is unnecessary. PR managers, HR experts, copywriters, journalists, photographers, bloggers, accountants are among the professions created or adapted for remote work — a list so extensive, it can be endlessly expanded. Instead, let's talk about effective staff motivation ideas so that remote workers can be cost-effective and productive.
At first, it seems that motivating employees isn't the simplest task when it comes to remote staff, as often we're dealing with freedom-loving, self-reliant, and perhaps slightly capricious people. By using our worker motivation advice, you'll master the art of motivating and managing staff, even if they work a thousand miles away from your office.
First and probably the most important advice: Stay in touch
We live in an era of social networks, Skype conferences, and endless business correspondence. On one hand, being constantly available via social networks and various messengers, or holding Skype calls once a week can seem challenging or time-consuming. On the other hand, if you're consistently in contact with remote staff members, they can ask questions whenever they need. This prevents mistakes that could lead to significant financial losses for the company. Don’t spend an excessive amount of time on calls; simply be online or set a specific timeframe when you are available for your employees. For example, you could allocate time from 1 PM to 2 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays to talk with a particular worker.
Second, although not less important advice: Formulate tasks clearly and precisely
Initially, the way remote work operates seems straightforward: you provide an employee with basic information about your company, explain specific work details, assign them a task, and oversee its completion. However, articulating the task properly and precisely is even more crucial. You shouldn't assume that a remote worker who doesn't understand what they're asked to do will ask a lot of follow-up questions. Most employees won't burden themselves with this and will work based on their own understanding. Not all employees are keen to redo their work if you're unhappy with how a task was performed. Therefore, managing remote employees should involve providing crystal clear and precise tasks. This will help build a fruitful and long-lasting partnership. By explaining everything clearly the first time, you won't waste precious time and money when someone makes a mistake.
Third equally important advice: Hand out bonuses
Financial motivation is a classic, but there's no avoiding this old yet reliable staff motivation idea. Everyone likes to get paid, and they like bonuses even more. That's why if you see that an employee completes their work on time, takes initiative, is polite, hardworking, and sometimes works overtime, don't be stingy. Set up a system of small bonuses or pay out large sums quarterly or half-yearly. That way, workers will be interested in their work and will carry it out both promptly and happily.
Fourth advice: Original presents
This method is suitable only for employers who are fanatically and truly in love with their business and value every individual involved in it. When you've known a remote employee for years and they perform their work diligently, they deserve to be treated with respect and even friendliness. That's why you can enhance worker motivation with original and interesting gifts. For instance, if you know an employee for a long time and are aware they are a big hockey fan, you can buy them hockey match tickets for their birthday or as a gift at the end of a quarter. If there's a married woman in your company who spends a lot of time on your projects, give her two movie or theatre tickets so she can enjoy a lovely evening with her husband. While remote employees are far away, they are still a crucial part of your team and should be treated without prejudice and encouraged just as you would regular office workers.
Fifth vital advice: Trust
An experienced CEO certainly needs to be involved in managing remote employees and keeping an eye on things, but they shouldn’t forget about trust. Of course, if you've never hired remote staff before, you might find it hard to adapt to certain aspects of this process as well as learning to trust workers and give them authority. While managing remote employees, you can't monitor every move they make, how much time they waste behind their PCs, how many times they visit the kitchen, or distract themselves with phone calls. Still, you need to learn to trust them. When you hire someone for remote work, you need to find out how responsible, focused, qualified, and able to prioritise the person is. Experienced top managers can easily spot a slacker or add a hard-working expert to their team.
Sixth advice: Set deadlines
When assigning a task to an employee, it's crucial to set a deadline and inform them about the consequences of not meeting the submission terms. Failing to establish deadlines may lead to a worker becoming lazier and prioritising their own interests over tasks at hand. As a result, the work might be completed at the last minute and rather carelessly.
Seventh advice: Good attitude
Sadly, it's hard to find a job where you are appreciated, respected, and your opinion valued. That's why a good attitude towards employees is invaluable nowadays. Many people switch from office to remote work because they are tired of shameless exploitation from employers and an unpleasant workplace atmosphere. CEOs who employ remote workers need to strive to treat them with respect. Ask them how their day was, if everything is alright with their families, and what the weather is like in their cities or countries. It's important not to make these conversations too intrusive or too familiar.
Friends, we hope you find these tips useful for working with remote employees and that they help you build long-lasting and productive relationships. Remember, you are responsible for the organisation of the working process in your company. Only the most experienced, talented, focused, and progressive employers will take their businesses to the top.
