How to Help Your Employees Stay Connected at Home 

Many businesses still find employees reluctant to return to the office, so how can you help your employees stay connected at home?

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

For a lot of people, it is a reality that they must work from home at least some of the time.

A lot of people love this – after all, it comes with a lot of benefits, for instance, you don’t have to commute to work every day. Not only is this going to be more environmentally friendly, but it is also going to save you some time. Whether you choose to lie in a little bit longer or get housework done in the morning, the choice is yours. Many people will also love the fact that you won’t have a dress code when you are working from home. If you really wanted to, you could spend all day in your pajamas, as I do. 

Of course, as great as working from home is, there are a lot of people who have a couple of issues with such a situation. Working from home is very different from working in an office block. So that means there are some adjustments that have to be made. For example, a lot of people find it hard to differentiate work life from home life when both take place in the same building. However, this is usually something that can be helped with the likes of a home office and a strong routine. 

Another big issue that a lot of remote workers will feel is a lack of connection to the rest of the ‘office’. Working from home, you could be hundreds of miles away from your closest colleague. This means that it can be hard to build connections and relationships with the people you work with, which is of course an important thing to do in the workplace. As well as being connected with your coworkers in a social way, it is also essential that you are as involved in work as you would be in the office. Having an issue at home could lead you to feel disconnected and could have a negative impact on your working day.

If you are a business owner or office manager, this lack of connection is definitely an issue you are going to want to try and address, in both a social and technical sense. As a business owner, it’s essential to help your employees stay connected and this post will help you understand how. 

Regular Meetings 

You want to make sure that even though you do not see your employees every day, everyone still feels like a team. Of course, it is very easy to just send an email to one another, but that is not nearly the same as having a conversation or a discussion. This is why it is going to be a good idea to have regular meetings online. Involving your employees in the discussion is going to help make them feel connected and valued. Depending on the kind of work that is done and the team that you have, the number of times that you might meet will differ. For some companies having weekly meetings might be more suitable than having monthly ones, or it could be the other way around. 

During these meetings, make sure that it isn’t just you or another employee speaking to everyone. Getting various people involved in these meetings is going to help them to feel connected. As well as this, it is going to make the meeting feel more engaging and less boring. You could also have chats open throughout the day so that employees can talk to each other, about their work, an annoying car outside their window – whatever they want to say. 

Supplying Your Employees 

From a technical standpoint, you are going to need to make sure that your employees are equipped to work from home. You could have the best workers in the world, but if they do not have the means to do an adequate job at home, then they are not going to be much use to you. You should not expect your employees to go out and find equipment to do your job. You should be able to supply them with everything they might need. This can range from a laptop all the way down to a webcam. Making sure that they have adequate facilities is going to help them stay technically connected. You should also make sure that this equipment is of professional quality. Supplying cheap options is just going to lead to problems down the line for you and your employees. 

Recommending Software 

You want your staff to be as prepared as possible to do the best work for you. This is why using the right software is going to be important. As a company, you should be able to decide on the best ways to do your job. If you need some technical advice that is out of your realm of knowledge, then you should check out an IT provider that can help set up the right video conferencing software. These are great options for remote companies and they can really help get you up and running in regards to keeping everyone connected. Using the right software might seem like a small thing at the start; however, it prevents headaches down the line. 

Working in Teams 

Building up teamwork in a remote company can definitely be a tricky thing to do. However, it is not impossible with the right methodology. It could be a good idea to get your employees to work in teams based on the areas in which they work. This can help lead to more focused and beneficial communication. It is also going to mean that the people who regularly work in teams together are going to form a great connection. Not to mention that this teamwork is something that can help prevent a lot of mistakes from occurring. 

Meetups 

Of course, there are so many benefits to a remote company. However, that doesn’t mean you never have to see each other in person. Having meetups can be a good place to improve morale and stay connected. These meetups don’t even have to be formal occasions. Going on a staff meal or night out could be a good way to bond with your employees, and them with each other. This also adds a little more personality to the names you see on the screen on a daily basis.