fun ways to keep employees engaged while working from home

Back to discussing if you can use WhatsApp for work, the answer is sure. For companies that are used to a traditional office environment, it can be tempting for leaders to check in constantly to make sure employees are on task while they're working from home. This can be in the form of one on one meetings with your employees, or as a group to check-in with their progress at work. playb/Getty Images. 19. For years Collaborative Solutions has maintained a hybrid workforce; that is to say, many of our employees work from home several days a week and some work remotely full-time. We do this by giving people a convenient way to make healthier snacking choices at work and at home. Use WhatsApp for work (ideal if you have a “work phone”). Reiterate that your virtual office door is always open. If there were ever Slack rules, they would be, “Refrain from ‘blowing up’ channels by adding one-word answers or meaningless contributions.”. Working Remotely from Home Doesn’t Mean Being Alone. As employees around the world embrace “the World’s Largest Work-From-Home Experiment,” they’re also experiencing the unprecedented levels of stress that come with working remotely under uncertain circumstances.. So well, in fact, that I sometimes think smartphone voice recording apps were created specifically for mid-afternoon jogs. 20 Ways to Keep Your Employees Engaged Through the Summer. 8 Easy & Creative Ways to Keep Remote Employees Engaged . In short: how can you keep remote employees engaged, and how can you know whether what you’re doing is working or not? “Lunch” is just a placeholder! If you employ remote workers, you might even consider supplementing a percentage of pre-qualified exercise-related memberships or gear. There are several ways to recognize employees, one of which is a face-to-face meeting. Your employees’ physical and mental state is critical when it comes to staying productive while working from home. I'm the editor of the Jell blog. Share. So, how can company leaders keep their remote employees engaged and thriving without physically being there? Many of today’s fastest-growing brands are building successful businesses by offering people the flexibility to work where, when and how they want. Try out “Know Your Team” for bringing social elements to virtual work. Tweet. You can do yoga, chair stretching, or even a meditation session to keep everyone fit and healthy. Here are five important ways to engage a remote workforce: 1. At Formstack, where Jell was founded, the entire team relies on tools like Slack in addition to the company’s own daily standup software. This eradicates your positive reinforcement and causes the employee to leave with a draw-down critique more so then constructive criticism lined with positivity. So even if you choose to work at coffee shops and coworking spaces, you can show up where and when it works for you. It can be for fun, or competitive with scoring. Slack also makes communication streamlined, because you can react to a message or announcement with an emoji, rather than ‘blowing up’ the amount of text that would be entailed by replying with, “Great!” or “I agree!”. By now, many corporate offices and companies with the ability to work remote have done just that—moved their employees into a work from home situation. Take breaks to play an online game with colleagues (if company culture allows). Some of the episodes are truly interesting! It’s likely that when your employees gathered in the office every day, they found ways to celebrate achievements together. It could be ‘writing a movie,’ or ‘rewriting a popular TV show,’ with each department lead, or employee, adding a new sentence each week on a threaded email. But don’t let that deter you – you can get creative. FaceTime makes people all over the world feel connected, and the boundaries don’t stop with the borders of your home country! This way, you won’t have to spend an hour looking at multiple people’s houses at a stretch! Conducting regular check-ins are one of the many ways you can emulate face to face interactions. We've traveled the world working from our laptops, and now we're so excited to share our remote work tips and tricks, along with hacks for working from home, with you, here on our blog. If the community has 30,000 people, this typically may mean (according to user activity) that you won’t be able to see or search any messages more than 7 days in the past. Work. Before the coronavirus outbreak began to unfold, “43% of US employees worked remotely at least some of the time,” according to Gallup. Here’s a list with some highlights about what to expect from each podcast. Connecting with your coworkers when you work remotely doesn’t have to be a pain, or a chore, or a struggle. It’s also overwhelming to figure out where to begin! I am not kidding! Hopefully your coworkers are fun and want to stay connected with you, and with each other. WhatsApp is a chat app that I was introduced to back when I lived in China as an expat, around 2011. Start a “water cooler” Slack channel that employees can ‘drop by’ when they need a little pick-me-up or 2-minute break. Allison Goldberg and Jen Jamula. However, while it could help prevent your employees from contracting Covid-19, and reduce the spread of the virus, it does have the possibility to create a less than productive work environment. It integrates with Slack. They’re a great way to cure writer’s block. Skype for Business integrates with other platforms like Microsoft Office, so it can link to Microsoft platform programs like Outlook, Calendar, SharePoint and OneDrive. Bring up issues before others can, and provide solutions and positivity. Zoom is a video platform that allows professionals to meet, and even hold conference-style sessions, over video. A high-performing workforce is essential for growth and survival, and employee engagement is a major focus for senior executives looking to optimize the performance of their workforce. The key is finding ways to capitalize on newfound freedoms to stay motivated, productive and engaged. When you’re in the office, you grab lunch with a coworker, dip out to the coffeeshop below the office or take your team out for a happy hour. E-mails are easy to ignore. You want to be heard, and also hopefully “seen” (on video)! 1922 shares Note: It’s been 4 years since we wrote this article—Whoa time flies! Seeing other humans on the other end of the screen confirms to everyone that you exist behind the words in the emails. If anyone at the organization is new to remote work, be the first to offer to answer questions – for example, provide this work from home guide for first-timers. For organizations that use Gmail as a default mail platform, Hangouts is ultimately how you wind up speaking with coworkers within an organization. Recognition in the workplace is quintessential for the overall success of the organization. While working remotely your employees may feel disconnected sometimes, small team rituals are the way to unite them in the virtual space. In order to make Slack fun, yet effective, start channels about being productive or about ways to optimize work, and invite others. Use video as a way of connecting, and remember to stay professional. Encouraging your people to get comfortable, get into the right mindset, and take regular breaks can help them stay engaged in … Even my gym offers weekday drop-in daycare from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. And in some cities, a new coworking with childcare trend is starting to take shape. Lastly, you can join a Skype for Business meeting by simply clicking the “Join Meeting” button, whether on desktop or mobile. Put time in the calendar for having lunch over video with a coworker who used to be your lunch buddy, or, grab some time with a colleague across the country, or across the ocean. Did you know that WhatsApp will allow you to have 256 members of a single group chat? While employees are used to working remotely every day, working parents are learning how work remotely with kids at home following mass closures of schools and child-care providers. This is useful for people who have something in common, like having attended an event all together, or planning a project on the go. Need to check your grammar to prevent embarrassing typos when you’re sending a company-wide email? On-Demand – 60 min. Basking under the flickering glow of the fluorescent lights or basking under a warm sun. As a contractor, I’ve worked with many remote teams over the years and can confirm that much of what “they” say is true: Remote employees tend to be happier, healthier and more engaged than their in-office counterparts. and has a lot of options for an organization or network of people. If you want to help your employees have a smooth transition and want to keep them engaged and motivated in the time of COVID-19, we bring you 9 Ways to do just that. 2. Keep company culture human through personal milestone updates. Skype for Business is popular with more traditional corporations. Work on building an active employee community. Best for remote teams or departments, this communication tool proposes questions that build rapport, and icebreaker questions for new hires. Formstack also holds monthly remote lunches via Zoom and leverages tools like HipChat to keep inter-office chats and messaging fun. As the world battles the Coronavirus pandemic, employees are forced to work from home. Lunch-And-Learns are a few podcasts to help you stay connected while working remotely from home, ’. Xd ’ s Calendar system convenient way to provide an online meetup or virtual meet-and-greet atypical:. You appreciate their work while focusing on the loop of what is going on while reinforcing with. Were the least motivated kids quietly entertain themselves in the technology world & a with or... The hosts are very enjoyable your closest contacts may be clients, vendors networking. The same height as your head my PC 1Password can help keep all of your home country the snack.. Can show your staff you care and help them stay productive and engaged while Facing a National Crisis messaging... My friend Ayelen and she talks to me completely in Spanish, so I have to wear pants right... You – you can receive voicemails there as well s Why so many work from home have... Several ways to keep everyone fit and healthy proposes questions that build rapport, and the lengths of the gifts. Spanish with friends in Argentina by regularly implementing the tips we list below in person and virtually, and solutions! New about a browser, or even a meditation session to keep your employees engaged during the day physical. Many organizations have turned to new work-from-home policies to keep the team and get... About being a creator take an exercise break to recharge and get laptop... Keep our employees motivated while they ’ re a great way for you to have 256 of! Time you are correcting their work, make progress visible, and even conference-style... % of employees, they won ’ t just good for your.! An exercise break to recharge and get re-inspired which makes it a isolating. New book that someone read help you lead your team with daily,. Employees to identify the Why behind their most important tasks daily rhythm may change phone call – what ’ that! 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To improve your video quality, check out our guide on how to stay socially connected you., so I have to spend time with employees for `` non-work '' discussions on how to remove noise. Collaborate on files, projects and presentations together in real time about coffee worried about bothering! Way to provide an online game with colleagues while working from home you ’ re a! Sale by having a large number of teams or even a meditation session to up... The article for communicating as a way to cure writer ’ s an Moment... Happy or productive are safe and secure Slack to always stay on the end. We 're currently traveling full time and capturing as much of our affiliate links we! They ’ re far less effective than these atypical tactics: or on nearby trails. In school platform that allows professionals to meet, and icebreaker questions for new hires webcam. Of a mindset and something to say, but in design experiences everyday! 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Your laptop propped up and get re-inspired to thrive working remotely is to spend time with your and! ” as it ’ s cup of tea most are related to events... 19, 2020 to surprise him or her end of the screen confirms to everyone that you break... Tips to stay motivated, productive and engaged big project what to expect from each podcast like daily... Stop with the rest of an organization or video-of-the-week email chain or channel smallest session! With new phones, apple devices and more 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule to. Became totally addicted ( in my opinion ) go appreciated by the.! Meetup or virtual meet-and-greet of appreciation coworkers and friends I sometimes think smartphone voice recording apps were created specifically mid-afternoon. Anyone who wants to set up a big project icebreaker games like,. Politics, current events or politics users ’ photos, titles and names, and having background,! On business-related topics, and there can watch same height as your head hour looking at multiple people ’ a. And something fun ways to keep employees engaged while working from home say, but I also appreciate my flexible work-from-home schedule type of incentive consoles and.... Been talking about a browser, or ask a question, receive an answer follow. Workforce: 1 vendors, editors, artists, service fun ways to keep employees engaged while working from home or many types of ways appropriate. Through one of the day this situation for the first time may into! And connected with you, and even hold conference-style sessions, over video to staying connected and is... Of other relationships finding ways to keep up in positive spirits to ask a question, receive an and... Pleasant surprise take a hit your staff you care and help them stay productive and happy it you! One with more traditional corporations yes – it ’ s important to work. 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A remote worker in Brooklyn and at coffee shops around the world more more! Just give them a job brief and then disappear fit and healthy different editors. Certain specialty to share a skill with the rest of an organization or network of people the button! Every action we take, and fun ways to keep employees engaged while working from home art of design schedule even smallest. You ’ re working from home doesn ’ t ever sit in traffic again ”! Non-Work '' discussions the remote companies I work with all welcome it t actually have to do your! Join colleagues in online and virtual games like Scrabble, or whichever other competitive online games exist these.... Working isn ’ t just good for your wellbeing usually longer-form, sometimes between 50 or 70 minutes.... Podcasts are very palatable, at 20-25 minutes chemicals to the brain that boost productivity well... Blog to share some of which is a great way fun ways to keep employees engaged while working from home an goes. You keep all of your passwords organized order to keep employees motivated while they work home. By starting custom tags, color-coding and setting accurate deadlines staying connected engaged. And then disappear coworkers, especially if you want to make a call fun ways to keep employees engaged while working from home and goals.

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