Let’s face it, no one was prepared for what this year has thrown at us and while some companies have pivoted to remote working better than others, everyone is being challenged in some shape or form.
Whether that’s balancing work with homeschooling kids or video conferencing fatigue, it’s been a difficult year felt by all.
It’s more important than ever for employers to look after their remote workers and keep them informed about what’s happening in the company.
Transparency with staff is critical at this time when there is so much uncertainty and employees are worried about their job security.
Another way to support employees is by sending them a gift. Even a little present can go a long way to show your staff that you’re thinking of them during this time – which they’ll appreciate.
In this article I’m going to detail five different ways employers can care for their workers who are working remotely including:
- Sending a swag pack
- Sending an indoor plant
- Having one-on-one check in sessions
- Creating remote social interaction
- Encouraging peer-to-peer remote learning
Table of Contents
Send employees a swag pack
If you’re not familiar with what swag packs are, essentially they’re bags of goodies that make for great corporate gifts.
Company swag packs are perfect for remote workers because you cannot only customize the products in the swag pack but also the design.
Depending on what kind of business you are, you can choose items that your employees will use and love.
Swag packs not only show employees that their boss is thinking of them but it’s a great way to boost morale as a team. You can even encourage everyone to show off their new branded socks or cap at your next staff meeting.
Image: A ‘thank you’ swag pack
Send employees an indoor plant
A lot of people are stuck inside at the moment and may not even have a backyard they can escape to.
Gifting some greenery will be appreciated especially by those who are holed up in tiny apartments, and it’s said that plants produce a boost in productivity.
Not only that but they also improve the air quality as they act as a natural air filter, removing carbon dioxide. You’re not only doing your bit for the environment but you’re brightening up someone’s desk and mood.
Have one-on-one check-in sessions
Everyone is in different situations, so it’s a good idea for managers to check-in with their staff individually. Some people might not feel comfortable sharing what’s going on in their life with a team.
Establishing a weekly or monthly time to check-in with everybody shows that you genuinely care about the welfare of your employees.
People who live alone might be experiencing social isolation or things might be distracting them at home, which can be causing them to not be performing as well as they normally would.
If you know what the problem is, you’ll be more equipped to fix it early before it becomes a bigger issue later on.
Create remote social interaction
Coffee catch ups and bumping into colleagues in the corridor is impossible with remote working, however it’s important for organizations to schedule time to catch up for a chat and even a drink.
While video catch ups aren’t quite the same, it’s better than nothing and everyone is still ready for a drink on Friday afternoon – that much hasn’t changed.
Managers can schedule small virtual events for people’s birthdays or work anniversaries to stop people feeling isolated and create a sense of belonging.
It also breaks up the monotony of the remote working day.
Encourage peer-to-peer remote learning
In the early months of the pandemic, everyone was picking up new hobbies including baking, running and learning new languages. The novelty of that has since worn off, but people still want to upskill at work to make themselves more employable.
If you have staff that have skills that are in high demand such as computer programming or graphic design, you should approach those staff members and ask if they’d be willing to teach others those skills, especially if it will benefit the company as a whole.
Encouraging staff to share their skills tells them that their workplace values their skillset.
You could have weekly remote learning sessions on a Friday afternoon where everyone can unwind a little and learn a new skill.
Having someone within the company provide training is even better because they know where those skills could be applied within the business for everyone to utilise and make their jobs easier.
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Related posts:
- How to Care for Your Employees While they’re Working from Home - December 7, 2020
Hi Masoud,
Super tips overall.
Engaging via one on one sessions lets folks avoid the loneliness factor. Plus chatting up employees one on one boosts employee moral. Win-win all around. Like it or not, we all seem to be heading to a remote work age. Works for me; I am biased 😉
Signing off from the beach in Panama.
Ryan
I’m a huge proponent of the remote work world. I think it’s hugely valuable for both team members and the organization. It does take some skill to manage a remote team, and I agree complete that the one-to-one touch base can go a long way. It keeps people connected and let’s them know you care and they have your support!