Remote working has become a popular alternative to traditional office work for many businesses. If you are in charge of a team where many or all of the members work from home on a regular basis, you may find that it is difficult to monitor and maintain high levels of morale. It is essential that your team feels comfortable, happy, and motivated; otherwise, they can’t fulfill their potential. Here are five tips to help boost morale even when your team doesn’t share a physical workspace.
1. Listen to Feedback
Before you go charging in with all your shiny new ideas about improving morale, it is best to first listen to any thoughts your team might have on the subject. What you might initially believe to be a great method of boosting team spirit may, in fact, make no difference at all. Talk to your team members and discuss what they would consider a useful way of lifting the mood and improving productivity. This shows that you care about their input and truly want what is best for everyone rather than simply ticking boxes.
2. Make Time for Casual Conversations
When there is no in-person interaction, casual conversations become much less frequent. The value of catching up with teammates and building professional relationships cannot be understated. Create options for either online or in-person social opportunities so that your team doesn’t feel restricted to only talking about work.
3. Hold Virtual Parties
If your team works so remotely that the possibility of in-person social events is slim, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun together. Virtual parties and events can be a great way to bring your team closer together without the formality of work hanging over their heads. For example, you can arrange a chocolate tasting party to treat your team to something special and unusual. When you put effort into planning fun activities like this, it shows your team that you value them and their work.
4. Congratulate Successes
It can be more of a challenge to take notice of individual successes when your team works remotely. This is why it is extra important to pay attention and highlight the achievements of your employees so that they don’t feel as if their efforts are for nothing. Encourage them to be proud of their work and share it with the rest of the team so you can be inspired and all celebrate together.
5. Respect Work/Life Balance
Just because some team members may be working from home doesn’t mean that their time becomes less valuable. Don’t expect employees to work more hours simply because they don’t have a commute in their day. Respect their right to a personal life outside of work as much as you would if they came into the office.
Working remotely can be some employees’ idea of a dream come true, whereas others can feel restricted or less productive. By focusing on building up your remote team’s morale, you can encourage high performance without compromising on wellbeing.