Many, if not most, companies shifted to a remote-work model at some point last year. Even the companies that didn’t get rid of their office space, reconfigured their space to be adaptable to those that could be remote.
The contingency plan is beyond over, with many organizations resigning permanently to a work-from-home environment. Other industries, like hospitality and senior living, offer remote roles alongside their in-house team.
In a 2015 study conducted in China, researchers from the Stanford Graduate School of Business found that although remote employees were 13% more productive, they weren’t rewarded the same rate of promotions as their in-house counterparts. Out of sight, out of mind as they say. Many remote workers are finding that they enjoy the flexibility but their career is suffering. This should not be the case, especially in 2021. Unfortunately, when an employee loses sight of a clear growth trajectory, they lose motivation to stay with the company which is why remote employee engagement is so important!
By 2025, an estimated 70% of the workforce will be working remotely part-time. This will not bode well with retention, as a 2019 survey by Businessolver found that 82% of staff is already considering quitting their job. So how do you retain remote employees?
Offer a platform for communication
Unlike an office environment, you don’t get to see your colleagues every day. Because of this, issues can easily fly under the radar and kill morale.
Keeping remote employees informed reminds the employees that the organization has a vested interest in their relationship. Some companies have found that having a remote hour for employees is beneficial. Virtual happy hours and lunch meetings can be a great way to solicit feedback from remote teammates, without directly asking.
Competition
Applying game-playing elements to rudimentary tasks is a popular tactic with modern companies. For a remote team, it’s even more important, because it encourages engagement in a fun way.
Having a competitive edge can standardize performance metrics. With established evaluation criteria, staff members won’t feel like they have to be physically present in order to know if they’re successful in their role. On the contrary, research has shown that 39% of people working from home complete their tasks faster than those in standard workplaces.
Retreats
Even if you have a team that is spread out across the United States, getting together in person once or twice a year will strengthen team relationships. Depending on the industry, there may be conferences or yearly celebrations that provide an opportunity for the remote team to meet up with the non-remote employees.
Don’t rely solely on email
Remote communication is different from in-office communication. Since you don’t see the team in person, colleagues may be conflicted on whether they need to pick up the phone, shoot out a text or write up an email. Remote employees, sometimes feel like their team isn’t around when they are because of differing time zones.
Whether you choose to use an instant communication tool, it’s best to figure out the preferred method within your team. Since you don’t want emails to get buried, it’s important to build a standard of picking up the phone when it’s needed, but also being considerate of your teammate’s hours.
Stay organized
Dropbox or Google docs are necessary tools for those out of the office. Since the training models are different for those who work from home, they need to have a place where they can refer to essential documents when necessary. This is important when you have employees that are staggered across different states.
Need help find remote employees in hospitality and senior living? Reach out to one of our recruiters here.