In the last year and a half, working from home became the new trend of working for many businesses in the UK. Some offices are now offering a hybrid working model, so employees can work partially at home and in the office. A flexible approach to working can give your team a better work/life balance and help to improve employee morale.
While working at home has advantages, many workers find the lack of personal interactions to be isolating. It can be difficult to separate your professional life from your time to relax with the family.
Employers can create a productive virtual workplace to help remote workers stay on track. If you are a remote business owner, try out these tips and tricks to boost employee morale.
Check-in with everyone
For the most part, remote workers miss the social interactions of the office. You can still foster a culture of collaboration through a virtual event platform to increase teamwork. Use video calls to host team meetings and make sure your employees talk to each other every day. Encourage employees to ask questions and check in with each other, so you can offer support when someone is struggling with remote working practices. Open communication can make your business a supportive and positive place to be.
It’s also important to socialise for fun as well. Host a virtual games night for your team to get them chatting and bonding again. Try to host at least two social events a month to give your remote team something to look forward to. When you begin working in an office again, you can continue this tradition with face-to-face socials. It’s essential to maintain team relationships and keep team morale up.
Work benefits
An employee benefits package can boost your team morale and help your employees to feel valued. You could offer a discounted rate for their local gym, takeaway vouchers and a professional development course in their skill of choice. E-learning is a brilliant way to keep your employees on their toes and strengthen any weaknesses within the team. For example, employees with management potential could take a course in leadership to prepare them for a future promotion.
Encourage holiday
Make sure your employees are taking annual leave and making the most out of it. Downtime can drastically improve their productivity and efficiency levels at work. Encourage workers to take time off and remind them of its importance. If they are worried about leaving their work for a week, reassure them and make an action plan together.
Stay connected
The most important thing is to stay in touch with your employees. Hold weekly meetings with individual staff members to catch up, identify any challenges they’re facing and offer your support where appropriate.
Make your employees feel valued and remind them of the benefits of remote working practices.