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Imagine this. It’s the pre-covid era, and you get to the office while wading through the traffic like a pro, you have your first coffee in the morning, your team enters, your tasks for the day are laid out, you brainstorm and crack brilliant ideas, and you go home happy with a sense of having achieved something. Life was good, right?
With the whole world batting the supposedly last leg of covid-19 and companies still reeling from the work-from-home set-up, it could be a bit of a struggle to create a positive virtual environment for your employees. The pressure to create an engaging culture and drive the office energy while working from home is draining.
At the start of the pandemic, employers embraced the Zoom culture to keep up with face-to-face interaction and virtual events. However, after a while, gradually, people got bored of the constant Zoom Happy Hours and eventually lost interest to show up. In fact, according to Monster, 69% of employees are experiencing burnout with prolonged WFH stints.
Spencer Waldron, Head of Remote Communications at Prezi recommends that at least 25% of the video meetings should be asynchronous. Asynchronous meetings facilitate n the creation of a culture that allows remote workers from different geographies to receive essential information without having to be actually present in the meeting. A survey from Prezi also reveals that in the case of conducting a live meeting, the optimal length should ideally be 18 minutes, in order to have an employee’s fullest attention.
Here are five ways in which you can create a positive, exciting and engaging work atmosphere for your remote workers
Organize Virtual Events, Games, and Classes
Instead of dumping your employees with hours of formal meetings that often happen with at least half the attendees on mute, create an inclusive culture that transcends just work. For instance, early Friday evening Netflix Parties or trying out a trending Instagram reel could be a starter.
In a long, mundane week with stress mounting over the top, a little incentive like a personalized board/trivia game or scavenger hunt can brighten your employees’ mood. You can further customize this experience tailored to suit your employees’ needs by creating a custom leaderboard. But, you need to ensure that you don’t make the rookie mistake that many employers do - to copy and follow other companies and hope it will be successful at yours. The idea here is to co-create and build a virtual culture that they are excited about.
Learn more about how Wiz365 can help you create a seamless, gamified virtual experience
Adopt a 100% Transparency Culture
Most employees, even while following the in-office culture feel insecure that they don’t get included in any important updates. In the in-office culture, a lot of information gets conveyed to employees through chatting across the desks and water cooler talks, but remote employees can easily get left out of the loop and feel disconnected. With work-from-home already taking a toll, it is important that you keep them all in the know about their projects, goals, and the latest company news.
When remote workers feel they are a part of the dialogue, they will be more empowered in their work, and feel more connected and engaged.
Recognize Employee Contributions
One needs to realize that remote workers often tend to put in more work hours than their in-office counterparts. But more often than ever, they don’t feel like a part of the team. To cope with the current situation and upkeep with the changing work environment, it is prudent for an organization to make employee recognition a mandate.
Instill a culture of inclusivity, and ensure that your employees feel acknowledged. For instance, a simple “Good job on handling the situation, Bryan. We are genuinely happy that you’re a part of our team,” can go a long way. Leverage an online recognition platform that gives space for all the employees to view, comment on and give recognition in real time.
Infarct, you can go a little out of the box to even try and host a virtual awards night or refresher party with all your employees. Though it won’t have physical interactions, the latest Virtual Event Platforms, like ours, can help you entirely customize the experience and add the extra jazz.
Learn more about how Wiz365 can help tailor your next employee awards night. You can even book a demo, here.
Special Attention to the Newest Hires
Research by Quantum Workplace found that 76% of new hires feel less equipped to get their job done compared to 85% of tenured employees. It is vital that you make sure that the newest hires get that extra support, communication and resources to train and equip themselves better for their hired role. This includes access to login credentials, documents, clear training on process and the technology associated with it, and tools, equipment and resources to do their job well.
The pandemic has seen workplaces across the world make a paradigm shift, and it would be an understatement to say that WFH is here to stay. It is always wise to equip yourself and your employees with virtual tools that would enhance their productivity even while working from home.
Long gone are the boring Zoom parties and the never-ending meetings. Explore creative and personalized ways to make your employee feel great about working at your organization.
