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Keeping Your Staff Motivated While Working from Home

Many people are working from home these days. If you are managing a team remotely, it can be hard to keep them motivated. Here are five easy ways to help your staff stay positive, productive and focused during the uncertainty of homeworking.

Keeping your staff motivated while working from home

Invite Open Conversation

The COVID-19 pandemic has made times difficult for many people, and it is hard to remain positive all the time. With this in mind, it is a good idea to encourage open conversation with your staff. Tell your team that you are available to talk if they are having any problems. Make time to set up one-on-one meetings with everyone to check in with them. Some people now have to balance home-schooling with work and family commitments, and they might feel they have a lot on their plate. Encouraging an open and honest conversation about any difficulties will make your staff feel like you are all on the same team, and this will keep morale – and productivity – high.

Encourage Socialising

One of the main benefits of working in an office is the camaraderie that comes from working together. This has all but disappeared for many, so make sure that social activities are still on everyone’s radar.

You could have a group video call with cocktails on Friday afternoons to boost everyone’s mood ahead of the weekend. Alternatively, you could set up a weekly game competition. If everyone signs up to bingo sites, for example, you could set up a leader board with a monthly prize for the best player. See what works best for your staff.

Trust Your Employees

Now that you are out of the office, it might be tempting to check in with staff more frequently to make sure they are getting their work done. This can feel undermining to an employee and can foster a negative atmosphere.

The best way to encourage employees to stay motivated is to tell them what you expect and to let them get on with it. If you want regular updates, tell them – but let them come to you rather than always checking in yourself. Your staff will thank you for letting them do their work without being micromanaged.

Send Thanks for a Job Well Done

If an employee has been going above and beyond the call of duty, thank them with a small gift delivered to their door. A gift card, a box of cupcakes, or even a handwritten note to say ‘well done’ is a great way to make your employees feel appreciated, and they are more likely to want to keep doing well in the future.

Be Flexible

Many people are now juggling a variety of difficult family commitments from home, and some of your team members may feel they have a lot on their plate, so you should be as flexible as you can.

If someone needs to start and finish work earlier to help out with home-schooling, let them. As long as the work is getting done on time and to a high standard, what difference does it make? Give your team the benefit of the doubt and they will be less stressed and more motivated.

Everyone has different needs, so listen to your employees and do what you can to alleviate the difficulties of working from home. This will keep morale high and will allow work to continue as normally as possible.