How to Ensure Remote Workers Feel Part of the Team
In today’s day and age, hybrid or entirely remote work is not uncommon. Whilst it does have its advantages and can be a great option for companies and their employees, it does come with its challenges – particularly when it comes to company culture and team bonding.
If you have a physical office but also employ people on a remote basis, it can be difficult to ensure those who aren’t in the office feel included and valued. However, there are plenty of things you can do to prevent remote workers from feeling forgotten about or underappreciated.
With that in mind, here are five ways you can ensure remote workers feel like an appreciated and recognised member of the team.
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1. Schedule Meetings Thoughtfully
It’s common for remote workers to be in a different time zone, so it’s important to keep this in mind when scheduling meetings. Booking a meeting for two in the afternoon is fine for in-office employees, but if it’s four in the morning for a remote worker, it might make them feel as though their input or opinion is less regarded than those in the office – or they may feel that they have been forgotten about entirely.
Where possible, make sure you are booking meetings for times that work for everybody’s schedule.
2. Use Adequate Communication Tools
Whether you opt for Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, or Slack, it’s important your primary communication tool allows for collaborative work. Ensure you choose a tool that has video calling capabilities and includes features that make it easy to work collaboratively.
3. Socialise Online
Socialising online is a great way to include remote workers, as you don’t all need to be in the same place to take part.
Consider joining a fantasy football league. Sport, football in particular, is an incredibly popular pastime across the world, so it’s likely that more employees will be interested in taking part in a sport-related activity. If football isn’t very popular in your office, fantasy leagues for other sports such as rugby, are equally as fun.
4. Always Offer an Invitation
If you are hosting a social gathering, event, or party, always remember to invite remote workers along, too. Even if they can’t make it, giving them the option to participate will help to make them feel included.
Plus, if they are available to join, it provides them with an opportunity to socialise with the team and get to know their colleagues on a more personal level.
5. Regularly Check in With Remote Workers
It’s crucial to check in regularly with remote workers, and not just in terms of the work itself. Ask for feedback on how they are finding the role, if they have everything they need to do their job adequately, and whether or not they feel like a valued part of the team. Gathering feedback (and actually taking it on board) is a surefire way of keeping remote workers happy.
Improve Employee Satisfaction and Retention
By scheduling meetings at suitable times, choosing the right methods of communication, utilising online games, inviting all employees regardless of where they are, and regularly checking in, you can create a better working environment for remote employees.
Not only will this improve their well-being, but it will also benefit your company. Workers who are happy in their role and feel their work is appreciated will be more motivated and driven than those who feel excluded, unhappy, and underappreciated. It’s also likely that you will retain that employee for longer, saving you time and money on constant recruitment.
