Virtual Office Featured Article

How to Keep Remote Workers Engaged

June 01, 2018
By Paula Bernier, Executive Editor, TMC

Working remotely is a double-edged sword.

It’s wonderful to have the freedom to work in the outfit of your choice (even your pajamas) rather than having to get all gussied up every day. It’s great to be able to jump on your bike for a few minutes or throw in a load of laundry when it starts to pile up.


But you’re awfully close to the refrigerator (and nobody is looking at what you eat). Plus working at home can be isolating. You don’t have workmates around to pump you up and constantly keep you in the loop.

However, overall the opportunity to work remotely is good for both employees and their employers. People tend to get more done. They appreciate the flexibility their employer is offering, and tend to see it as a job perk. And it eliminates the expense and time associated with commuting and dressing up.

To get the most of our remote employees and contractors, organizations should have a strategy and the right tools in place.

That should include providing upfront direction and information on their expectations. For example, what times do remote workers need to be available? What a specific tasks will they be handling? Who will they report to? And what tools and techniques should they be using?

Keeping remote workers in the loop can be a challenge. But organizations that take steps to ensure that happens avoid employee disconnects and major churn.

Regular conference calls, videoconferences, and/or voice chats can help employers, employees, colleagues, and partners stay in touch and on the same page.

But you don’t necessarily have to wait until scheduled events to touch base with remote workers. In fact, you shouldn’t.

It’s idea to connect with them, at least briefly, every day or so via email, text, or a quick call to get a quick update, offer guidance, congratulate them for a recent success, or just to say hello.




Edited by Maurice Nagle

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