The number of worldwide remote workers has risen significantly over the past few years, with 28% of employees working remotely in 2023. This trend can be seen most clearly in the technology industry, which rises to 67% of workers.
More people work remotely, yet the factors that motivate staff to go the extra mile have not decreased in importance.
That’s what we’re here for today, to illustrate the best principles and practices a manager can use to keep remote teams strong, supported and engaged.
Let’s start!
What motivational issues do remote employees face?
Remote workers are employees who carry out their work outside of the office. Remote employees spend the majority of their day behind a screen with little to no interaction with their colleagues. There’s no point beating around the bush, they can easily fall victim to issues unique to remote working.
It’s a natural part of life to feel relaxation and happiness when we sit next to someone we like. This applies to the work setting too. We crack jokes with our favorite colleagues and catch up with them on Monday about how their weekend went. These interactions are not always available for remote employees, who often work in complete solitude, or next to a friend in a coffee shop who’s probably busy working on their own projects.
On the other side of the coin, remote employees might face big distractions if they choose to work from home. Family commitments like kids or pets can be a challenge to productivity throughout the day. Distractions can disrupt remote workers who are in the zone.
On top of that, workers who are thousands of kilometers away can regularly feel a sense of detachment from their employers, their projects, and their colleagues. Keen managers understand how damaging these feelings of isolation can be for teamwork, and strive to resolve it.
So as we can see, there are a whole host of challenges and motivational issues remote employees might face, so we’ve got a solution for you; the best practices and principles to raise remote employee engagement.
What are the best ways to motivate remote employees?
These motivational principles and practices can be used for traditional, in-office teams, but they work especially well for remote employees.
Emphasize (over)communication
Kicking off our list, one of the most common principles managers of remote teams are utilizing is to get into emphasizing communication. Many remote collaboration principles emphasize overcommunication too. Usually, “over” before a word suggests too much. But in the case of teams working and collaborating remotely, it really is better to be safe than sorry.
Companies shifting to majority-remote systems are finding that a small miscommunication can have devastating consequences. You have workers across regions and time zones, and an urgent message sometimes simply can’t be read, as a remote worker might sleep on a different schedule. If this is the case, you need to make sure all communication for remote teams is crystal-clear, right from the get-go.
Your collaborative message board should be easy to navigate, process, and understand. One way of helping is by color-coding messages in terms of priority or severity. As you communicate new announcements to your remote teams, you should minimize the amount of time needed for them to understand how important it is.
Make sure all communication channels are working harmoniously and are well-synchronized. Your video conferences for example should have recording capabilities so that remote workers in different time zones can watch them back.
Don’t overlook casual one-on-one check-ins with remote workers too. Creating a culture of heightened communication for your remote workers can make them feel a lot more comfortable and supported as they get to grips with working far away.
Get deep into learning opportunities
Branching out into developing learning opportunities is a fantastic way to get your remote workers motivated. Many remote workers cherish intrinsic rewards too, which are rewards that satisfy someone inherently, rather than being a kind of prize or something to “win.”
By supporting their professional growth, they’ll never feel stuck in their position or unable to diversify their skill set. There are thousands of online courses, webinars, and workshops that work as motivational rewards. Leadership training, project management, and presentation skills will all boost your employees’ capabilities in remote settings too.
You can choose to get deep in the areas your remote worker personally enjoys, or keep things on a set course and help them advance up the career ladder. There are so many paths to choose from.
Invest in the professional development of your remote workers and show them how committed you are to making work an engaging place to be. You’ll be spinning the wheels of motivation and loyalty among your remote workers in no time!
Performance-based bonuses
Following on from intrinsic motivators, one of the most straightforward ways of recognizing hard work can be with extrinsic motivation. An “extrinsic” reward basically means a reward that can be physically held, like money and certifications.
Think about it from the remote employee’s perspective. Most remote workers work completely unsupervised. This means there’s less traditional pressure from their manager watching their every move. They are trusted to complete a task, left to their own devices, and generally, they want to get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
For managers who want the most out of their remote employees, they need to switch from managing time and physical work-presence to managing results and outcomes. Extrinsic rewards can incentivize work, but it’s incredibly important to make sure the work isn’t rushed, and that work quality is never sacrificed for speed. Demonstrate that you’re seeking quality work and that you’re willing to reward efficiency with extrinsic rewards.
Ensure that you keep a keen eye on detailed aspects of your remote employees’ performance and establish bonuses that reflect high-quality, efficient work.
Don’t be shy about company shoutouts!
After channeling extrinsic and intrinsic rewards to motivate your remote employees, it’s worth considering how and when you sing their praises in a remote setting. You have your group communication channels set up, so make the most out of shouting out hard work and big achievements.
Virtual employee appreciation is a powerful tool that you should maximize to make your remote workers feel valued. There are some great pieces of software out there that can help with recognition for remote workers. Perkbox and Reward Gateway are fantastic for mapping out employee benefits. They’re apps made with a focus on the experience of the employee, and when used properly, they can help improve work-life balance for people working out-of-office.
Celebrate victories big and small, and make sure that agreements for benefits and bonuses are always met. Utilizing remote recognition tools helps employees keep track of how they’re doing, and areas they can work on.
Sing the praises of hard-working remote employees, and watch as they shine!
Harness the power of self-care
Another way to positively reward your remote workers is to show some dedication and care for their personal well-being. Remote workers face new kinds of challenges that in-office workers might not necessarily face. One of these is their work-life balance, as remote workers need to be extra motivated to get their work done from remote locations.
When a remote worker has no office to commute to, they generally need to experiment with new work locations like coffee shops and coworking spaces. Some might just choose to work from home. The spare time between sessions of working needs to be filled with activities that keep them motivated, especially things that promote their physical health and well-being.
So take this opportunity and get into new and exciting ways to promote physical and mental wellness. This could be by helping them get to grips with optimizing their physical work area at home or helping them enroll in mindfulness or meditation classes.
More specifically, make sure you support them in establishing clear boundaries between their work and professional time. Don’t be afraid to open conversations about their physical fitness too, if they’re comfortable with it. You could support them with memberships to their local gyms or even set up some online sessions with personal trainers or nutritionists.
So, don’t shy away from getting into the power of self-care for your remote workers. Remote days dedicated to mental health can also be highly beneficial. As you generally see less of remote workers, you never know just how much you’re brightening up their professional lives.
Extend support with tech and tools
One of the more specific principles to focus on is making sure your remote workers are completely supported with the tools and equipment they need. Traditionally, organizations recognize the importance of using the most up-to-date software and hardware. They kit their offices out with the latest and greatest tech available for their workers.
But what happens when you go through onboarding and hiring a remote employee in a different country, for example? They’ll be working on their personal laptop and will most likely already be well-acquainted with the software they need to get their job done. So have you spent some time asking them if there’s any way you can support them with stronger, or newer tech, or even physical equipment?
Start simple; scan around the office with the question “What makes my employees’ lives easier?” Maybe it’s ergonomic chairs with posture support, or mouse mats that have been designed for extra comfort. Then move to software, make sure you have a checklist of all the software your employees need to do their best work. Research into making sure you have the latest version, or if there isn’t a better alternative out there.
Then do your best to supply your remote workers with the things you find. If they’re far away, think about posting and shipping equipment to them. All of these things go a very long way to making remote workers feel valued and supported in their work.
Make yourself more available than ever
Our final managerial principle to benefit remote workers is basic, but shouldn’t be underestimated. If you aren’t managing remote workers correctly, they’re likely to sometimes feel isolated and overwhelmed. In Times like this you need to become like a superhero who can be called on when needed (“Available Man” probably isn’t a great name though).
To point out the obvious, when you have remote team communication mostly through writing, your meaning can sometimes get lost. If your teams are only being spoken to through Slack, email or Asana, then you’re more likely to face some miscommunications. Make sure you’re speaking with your remote teams vocally through Zoom, Skype, and Hangout calls to make communication clearer.
Here is where you need to up your game and become more available. Your teams will benefit greatly if you advertise your availability, loud and clear! Remote workers really shouldn’t feel overwhelmed and as though they don’t have a manager to talk to. We understand that time differences can complicate matters, but once your availability is shared, you really need to stick to it. Make this your time when video conferencing is available between the worker and yourself. Be present in these meetings, without rushing your remote workers to quickly share how they feel.
Remote workers are trusted to carry out work mostly on their own time, and they often apply a certain amount of pressure on themselves. They need to show diligence and persistence in their work ethic to work efficiently, day in, and day out. They will benefit greatly from a manager who is available and reliable at set times throughout the week.
So harness the power of your availability and become a rock for remote workers to lean upon. Prioritize face-to-face support over written text where possible. Just because they’re working out of office doesn’t mean their life is necessarily less stressful than anyone else’s. You’ve got to really be there for them when they need you.
Remote workers are elevated to new heights with a team retreat!
Managing virtual teams is no easy feat. If you want to maximize motivation for remote workers, one of the best possible ways to do it is with a remote team retreat. Nothing compares to bringing everyone together for a few productive work days in an unforgettable location.
A twice-annual remote team retreat that brings everyone in the company solidifies teambuilding like nothing else!
Here at Surf Office, organizing team retreats is what we do best.
Here’s what we offer:
- Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
- Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
- Engaging team-building activities? Our speciality ✅
- Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
- Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
- Onsite support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅
Not only this but we also have access to 160+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US, Latin America, and now Africa, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.
Don’t overlook the importance of face-to-face encounters as you strive for teams with rock-solid bonds. A remote team retreat gels everyone together perfectly!
Let us sort out the tricky logistics for you. Spaces are very limited, so get in touch now!
