Working from home can present many challenges. It’s difficult to stay focused on the task at hand while dealing with distractions. It’s also difficult to get into a working mindset while in the familiar and relaxed setting of the home. This leads to less efficient employees which, in turn, can be detrimental to a company. To avoid this, we have some tips that can help keep staff accountable and engaged while working from home.
Communicate regularly with employees working from home.
Communication is important. It’s even more important when it’s limited. Communicating with anyone over a distance can be difficult, but set up regular times to meet with your employees. Discuss the latest projects, assignments, and progress. Not only will this help keep them accountable but you can engage them by asking their thoughts on each matter. Getting their perspective will make them feel like a valued member of your team. Be sure not to only communicate with them, but make it possible for them to reach out to you anytime they may have a question or concern. If work is halted due to a delay in communication, it impacts the company. Stay reachable and keep an open channel of communication with your employees. This will help keep them accountable and engaged.
Set clear expectations and guidelines for employees working from home.
Sometimes information can get lost in transit. Some employees use this to their benefit to excuse poor work. They may say “I never received that E-mail” or “I didn’t understand what you were saying”. However, this can be avoided by clearly stating your expectations and over-communicating your guidelines. One report on workplace communication shows that only 5.9% of companies communicate workplace goals on a daily basis. Because working from home can cause issues you wouldn’t see in the workplace, it is important to keep your staff accountable and engaged by streamlining the work process as much as possible. Set clear expectations and hold them accountable to those expectations just as you would in the traditional workplace.
Hold virtual staff meetings
Holding staff meetings is a wonderful way to make sure that each member of your team is on the same page. It is a platform for everyone to share ideas, concerns, and questions. Staff meetings also bring a sense of unity to the employees. It’s one thing to have a virtual meeting with each employee, but try to schedule group meetings as well. This allows them to feel as though they are still part of a company or team rather than just working on their own. Just as work culture is important in the workplace, team members interacting with each other will affect their productivity. Although managing employees who work from home can be challenging, it is still possible to keep them accountable and engaged. Doing so will help your company achieve greater levels of success.
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