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16 ways to boost remote employee engagement | Kit Germemoth, Moodle.com
As remote employees work in isolation, there isn’t always a strong sense of company culture and, because workers can’t simply pop by a co-worker’s desk, there are communication barriers to overcome. That makes engagement trickier than it is for office-based teams.
Luckily, though, there are lots of ways you can make a real difference to the wellbeing and performance of your WFH teams. It’s just a case of being more intentional and inventive when it comes to engagement ideas. Here, we look at 16 great employee engagement activities for remote workers.
16 remote employee activities
1.Virtual coffee breaks or team lunches
Remote workers miss out on the water cooler conversation that is vital for building strong workplace relationships. Give them the opportunity for informal chat by scheduling virtual coffee breaks and shared team lunches.
2. Virtual icebreakers
Remote employee engagement activities are particularly important for new hires. You want them to feel part of the team as soon as possible. One of the ways you can improve the employee onboarding process for remote workers is by running virtual icebreakers.
3. Virtual mentoring
Employees who have mentors are more confident and engaged. So make mentorship part of your company culture for all employees.
4. Game nights and quizzes
Another way to build a stronger team dynamic? Game nights, virtual escape rooms, and quizzes help teams to get to know each other better. Plus, they’re a lot of fun too.
5. Shout-out channels
Using a dedicated channel or a dedicated hashtag, employees can shout-out the great work or effort of their co-workers. Giving or receiving recognition is great for engagement and it gives everyone a little extra incentive to bring their A-game.
6. Virtual town hall meetings
Give teams an update on successes, goals, and current strategy to get everyone pulling in the same direction.
7. TED-style talks
Pick thought-provoking topics related to your industry or employee development, then let employees take to the (virtual) stage to share their thoughts and insights.
8. Book clubs
Whether you pick fiction or nonfiction, topics related to their interests or your industry, a book club is a great way to bring teams together. Get willing employees to read and then discuss a book on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.
9. Buddy calls
Remote teams can end up working in silos, but you can help them feel more connected to the wider organization by setting up buddy calls. Randomly pair employees who don’t usually work together, then get them to share a 15-minute virtual coffee break. Work chat optional.
10. Provide remote working perks
Remote employees don’t get the little daily pick-me-ups that come from office-based perks. So consider sending perks to their homes, like snacks, a subscription for a popular streaming service, a membership of a gym close to home, or a workstation upgrade.
11. Virtual birthdays and anniversaries
Celebrate the occasion by sending well wishes in the team chat so their co-workers can join in on the celebration. If it’s within your budget, consider sending something special like an e-gift certificate.
12. Fitness challenges
A fitness goal — like reaching a certain number of steps or attending a virtual fitness class — will introduce some healthy competition and bring wellbeing benefits for your team, too.
13. Bring foodies together
Humans have always bonded through sharing food. Ask your team to share their favorite recipes, then have others share photo results and reviews after attempting the recipes.
14. Employee engagement surveys
When employees work remotely, they sometimes struggle to make their voice heard — but this is key to employee engagement. Send out surveys to gauge the mood and gain the opinions of your team. Letting your employees give anonymous responses is a good way to get honest and useful insight.
15. Mindfulness sessions
Give employees the chance to switch off and reset with a virtual mindfulness or meditation session. You’ll improve their wellbeing and help energize them for the week ahead.
16. Online training and development
Remote employees shouldn’t miss out on L&D opportunities, particularly because this is a key driver of employee engagement. Use an online training and development platform to help them develop skills and progress in their careers.
Virtual offices are a cost-effective solution for the modern-day worker. Here, we list five budget-friendly tips to assist you in securing a remote office. Read on to discover more.
1.Create a Business Plan
Before you read more on how to get a cheap virtual office, let’s discuss the importance of putting a solid office strategy or business plan in place. What does this entail? Establishing your business needs. Doing so will assist you in sourcing a tailor-made virtual office package.
2. Secure a Virtual Address
Although remote working is an asset in terms of flexibility and low overheads, one disadvantage? No physical company address. This is where virtual offices come into play. Such a setup provides remote businesses across the globe with a registered business address. What does this mean? You can receive mail or have it forwarded to you. A top tip when searching for the perfect virtual office? Choose one that is close to you. Alternatively, a package that offers a mail forwarding service.
3. Invest in the Right Staff
To ensure your virtual office is successful, consider what roles are necessary for the business. For example, HR is often a crucial one. You can also employ an external agency to handle hiring. Marketing and sales are also crucial roles to consider.
To save on staff costs, you may consider hiring a virtual assistant. You’re only required to pay them hourly instead of a full-time salary, complete with sick and holiday pay. Virtual assistants can help with administrative support, customer support, mail handling, and meeting room access.
4. Consider Select Services
No business is the same. What you may necessitate to run your company efficiently, another may not. To ensure the smooth running of all elements of your business, consider select services. These include project management and organization tools, such as virtual calendars and time tracking tools, to assist you in meeting deadlines and ensuring staff remain motivated through tracking their progress.
5. Create A Website
Whether a remote set-up or residing in a brick-and-mortar office, a quality website is crucial. It is a reflection of your business. From purchasing a domain name to acquiring a host, building pages, writing and updating content, having a functional, user-friendly website in place is crucial to ensuring the smooth running of a virtual company.
The Bottom Line
Virtual offices boast numerous benefits, perhaps the biggest being their budget-friendly attributes. But that’s not all; when you follow these top tips, investing in the correct virtual set-up can heighten your company’s credibility. Plus, you’ll enjoy a whole host of business support and won’t have to worry about being tied into any long-term contracts or commitments.
To help people interested in pursuing a side hustle find the best remote opportunities, FlexJobs has identified seven in-demand side hustles that can be done from home, based on listings from more than 58,000 companies on its platform posted between July and December 2023. These jobs have dozens of active listings and offer remote, part-time opportunities.
Here are seven in-demand side hustles that can be done from home, and how much they pay, according to FlexJobs, with salary estimates from Payscale:
- Virtual assistant ($18 per hour)
- Bookkeeper ($20 per hour)
- Customer service representative ($16 per hour)
- Accountant ($23 per hour)
- Technical writer ($26 per hour)
- Social media specialist ($19 per hour)
- Video editor ($22 per hour)
While the total number of hours varies from role to role, most of the jobs on FlexJobs’ list ask for a commitment of 10-25 hours per week.
Some of these side hustles, including video editing, bookkeeping and customer service, don’t require a bachelor’s degree, says Frana. Instead, she adds, hiring managers will often evaluate candidates based on their previous work experience and soft skills.
“There are core soft skills people look for across all of these roles: an ability to meet deadlines, strong communication skills both in writing and on the phone, being a self-starter, problem-solving and, of course, foundational technology skills,” Frana explains.
Some of these remote side hustles can pay upwards of $100 per hour, depending on your level of skill and the project. Bookkeepers on Upwork, for example, can charge as much as $175 an hour or, for some projects, $300 an hour.
For virtual assisting roles that require more specialized skills — whether it’s building email campaigns or creating WordPress sites — “you’re often talking at least $100 [per hour] and up,” Angelique Rewers, founder of the consulting firm BoldHaus, previously told CNBC Make It.
Workplace Stress: 10 Ways to Ease the Strain | Trinet.com
Left unaddressed, workplace stress can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and mental health issues. Chronic stress can weaken the immune system, which may increase susceptibility to colds, flu, and coronavirus infections. This, in turn, can increase the number of time off days your employee may take and lower employee output. Stress also disrupts productivity by decreasing employee engagement.
Combating these issues and helping your employees thrive means creating a company culture focusing on stress prevention and stress management.
Powerful ways to help reduce workplace stress
1.Create a strong work-life balance
A positive work-life balance includes minimizing work-related stress to create a sustainable professional life while optimizing well-being and health. Some ways to achieve a healthy work-life balance include employees maintaining reasonable working hours and providing more adequate time to complete tasks. These boundaries help to reduce the pressure on employees to work an extended workday and can help diminish work stress.
2. Provide employees with premium benefits
One of the most impactful ways to help reduce stress in the workplace is to take care of employee health. Employers can do that by providing access to premium health benefits alongside other options. Premium benefits with access to health professionals and preventive health and benefits education and resources can help employees combat stress and healthcare costs, which also can be stressful.
3. Encourage open communication
As an employer, you can shape the employee experience and help reduce stress caused by leadership. Classes and workshops on topics like active listening and constructive feedback, as well as stress management training for managers can provide tools and training resources for managers so they can handle and communicate effectively with employees. Establishing an open line of communication between bosses and employees can help with work stressors and challenges.
4. Offer vacation time off
While productivity is essential, taking time off can help employees with workplace stress and may actually improve output throughout the year. As an employer, encourage your workforce to use their time off.
5. Schedule team outings
Team outings can help improve office morale and facilitate stronger cooperation. Plan off-site outings during normal business hours to avoid cutting into your employees’ personal time.
6. Use flexible work schedules
Flexible work schedules allow employees to vary their start and stop times for their workday, and possibly which days they work. This can be an effective way to help lower workplace stress and increase productivity.
7.Provide employee recognition
When you take the time to recognize stellar work performance and achievements, you show your employees that what they’re doing matters. Recognition for achieving goals reinforces valued conduct and motivates the employees in the spotlight as well as others who want recognition. Praise is a wonderfully effective stress reliever. The recognition doesn’t have to be expensive. Even a verbal thank you or a thoughtful email from a manager to an employee can achieve positive results.
8.Encourage breaks throughout the day
Many employees may work throughout the day. Even when tight deadlines aren’t looming, they may eat lunch at their desk. Taking breaks can help employees avoid burnout while reducing overall stress levels. It’s important to unplug, stand up and move around.
9.Make the office welcoming and fun
A great way to encourage breaks throughout the day is to make your office fun. Little diversions set up throughout the building can give employees reasons to get up and move without having to leave the building. Some options include adding a ping pong table, allowing employees to bring their pets to the office or even installing a few video games. While these diversions can seem counterintuitive, when used appropriately, they can transform the employee experience and help breed innovative ideas.
10.Understand mandated love requirements
There are various mandated leave requirements at the federal, state, and local levels. Understanding these requirements, drafting applicable policies, and communicating them to your employees can reduce stress in times of emergencies.
A lot of workplace stress is associated with life events that require time off, such as illness, pregnancy, childcare, and death. Make sure that you stay up to date on mandatory time off requirements. As you create and implement new policies, communicate them thoroughly and promptly to your team.
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