Many businesses have adjusted to a remote workforce that may be the new normal moving forward. Your responsibility as a leader is ensuring your employees are prepared and understand expectations for this new way of working.
Here are a few best practice suggestions to managing concerns around a remote workforce.
- Retaining employees due to disengagement
Remote work can mean no more water-cooler talks or shouting quick questions over the cube wall. This may seem minor, but that added layer of “distance” makes it doubly difficult to pick up on cues that employee may be dissatisfied. Not knowing where your employee stands is detrimental and can signal more than low productivity; your employee could be one email away from calling it quits.
Stay interviews are a great way to gather feedback from your employees before they are totally disengaged. This frank conversation helps leaders understand their employees’ needs and gives them the chance to address concerns before an employee decides to leave the organization. Ultimately, the goal of a stay interview is to increase retention, build trust and engagement with your employees.
*REMOTE TIP* Due to the sensitivity of this conversation, it is best to conduct stay interviews via videoconference, which lets you watch for non-verbal cues.
For further information on stay interviews, view these resources:
You can also read more about 6 stay interview questions that top employers ask on this Insperity blog.
- Ability to support employees’ mental well-being
Your people are your most valuable asset. During challenging times, everyone experiences the situation and manages stress differently. A remote workplace can also bring new challenges to work-life balance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees had the added pressure of caring for and teaching their children in between work meetings.
Mental well-being is a key factor in employee productivity. According to research by Mind Share Partners’ 2019 Mental Health at Work Report, cited by the Society for Human Resource Management, “61 percent of workers said their mental health affected their productivity.” With the impact of prolonged stress, intensified by the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to understand how to support your employees and their mental health,
Ways to promote mental well-being in the remote workplace include:
Encourage mental breaks
Schedule 10-15-minute breaks with your team throughout the week to do something different like:
- Team yoga
- Be a tour guide and show your team around your neighborhood
- TEAM cribs to show your new office space
- Afternoon caffeine break to chat over your favorite afternoon pick-me up
- Meet my pet to introduce your furry friend to your team
Share healthy habits
Let teammates know your tips for staying mentally and physical active through items like:
- Healthy recipes
- Workout routines
- Meditation
- Emotional support group
Maintain team relationship building
Continue team interactions through:
- Regular one-on-one manager/supervisor meetings with direct reports
- 15 minute ice breakers to begin team meetings
- Establish mentors available to team members
Make reasonable accommodations when possible
This can be the most important consideration for your employees’ mental health. Handling this delicate situation can be difficult, but, you have our team of HR professionals through the HR Support Center for help handling these situations. For further information on supporting your employees’ mental health, view these resources:
HR Support Center:
- Ask the Professional about ADA
- How You Can Support the Mental Health of Your Employees During COVID-19 article
- ADA: An Employer’s Guide
- Reasonable Accommodation Request form
Insperity blog:
3. Potential breakdown of team relationships and isolation
Establishing mentorships can help create stronger communication among team members and creates a support system for your employees during a shift to a remote working environment. Added developmental opportunities from mentorships help keep employee engaged. Before pairing everyone with a mentor, consider the needs of your employees and the support resources you have available. Then, take a step back and figure out the goal of a mentorship.
Possible mentoring goals include:
- Tech support
Consider pairing an employee struggling with technology with a tech-savvy team member. - Remote working tips
Some employees may struggle with working remotely, while others thrive. Identify employees who adjusted quickly and see if they are willing to offer tips to those who haven’t adjusted well to the new norm. - Knowledge sharing
If your employees have increased downtime, use it to break down information silos. It’s easy to get caught up in daily hustle and bustle and become isolated within roles. The goal may be social distancing, but not knowledge distancing. Knowledge sharing is a foundational aspect of succession planning frequently rushed or overlooked. Use it to your advantage with knowledge-sharing mentorships.
Once you know your goals, create a game plan. It doesn’t have to be formalized, but for best results, set clear expectations and have regular check-ins with your employees to get updates on their mentoring progress. For further information on mentoring, view these resources:
Insperity blog: