Employee motivation and productivity has always been topics of discussion in many organizations. Think about the number of hours that employees spend in traffic, at the workplace and finally at home. The big question is how to give such employees enough time to handle their personal stuff and still maintain productivity. A good number of companies allow their employees to work from home. Research shows that remote working can make employees happier and more productive. Telecommuting saves time and money which consequently lowers the operating costs. The following are practical tips on how to keep remote workers accountable and productive.
- Get to know your employees
In a regular workplace, you get a chance to interact with your employees on a one on one basis and know them better. You will know how to approach such people after noting their strengths and weaknesses. It is very hard to know the character of your remote employees because sometimes you do not get a chance to meet them physically. You should thus try to know such employees on a personal basis by asking them their likes, dislikes and career goals and be friendly. You have to invest time in knowing your employees to establish whether you can trust them to handle your stuff.
- Hold virtual meetings
Just like a normal workplace, you can convene meetings and engage your telecommuters on various issues. You can discuss new policies, better working conditions and how to increase productivity in such meetings. Such platforms give the remote workers a sense of belonging and thus feel like part of a big family. You just require a strong internet connection to hold meetings through various video calling platforms such as Skype among others. Give the employees a chance to ask questions, comment and make suggestions that can improve business processes. You can also give them incentives to motivate them to come up with ideas and policies.
- Use an automatic tracker
Supervising remote workers is a challenge, and some take advantage and handle their personal stuff during working hours. Sending frequent emails, chats and phone calls can distract employees from handling their daily chores. Many time-tracking apps can come in handy in such a situation. Such apps will show the amount of time that workers spend on each task. You can then evaluate whether you are getting services that match the cost that you incur.
- Create the right environment
Your company should have the right culture and attitude to accommodate remote workers. Invest in technology that supports multiple logins into the system and from different areas. Hosting your site with reputable companies such as Web Hosting NZ | Low-Cost New Zealand Website Hosting | OpenHost guarantees you of support all year round and protection from hackers. Your employees can thus work without disruptions or fear of losing crucial information to hackers.
Managing remote workers can be very easy when you apply the above tips. Keep the communication channels open to discuss issues as they arise. Give the employees a sense of freedom and a chance to make decisions.
