Contributor
Vice president of Marketing and Communications at Michael C.
Fina
December 17, 2014
You might have an open door policy at work, but what does
that mean for employees who never set foot in the office? Over the last decade,
telecommuting has grown from a fringe benefit to an essential business tool. In
fact, data from GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com shows a near 80 percent increase
in remote working between 2005-2012. In the U.S. alone, there are around 3.3
million employees who work multiple days per week away from the office.
As working remotely gains popularity, managers are pressed
to find more ways of involving “virtual” employees in the company culture.
Formal recognition and continual feedback via phone and email are key elements,
but managers are rarely trained on how to properly work with remote employees,
making it a struggle for some organizations. It’s easy to lose the human touch
when communicating across long distances, but here are some simple steps to
keep relationships alive with a remote workforce:
1. Make face time.
A recent study from
Blue Jeans Network reported that while 91 percent of respondents do not see the
people they work with on a regular basis, workers overwhelmingly prefer
face-to-face interactions with their managers and during meetings, even if that
interaction is carried out remotely. Make some face time for your remote
workers through the magic of videoconferencing tools like Skype or Hangouts.
Schedule one-on-one time that they know is just for them where you can check-in
and call out their accomplishments face-to-face.
Related: 3 Web Tools for Managing Employees Who Work From
Home
2. Send an e-card.
It might seem old-fashioned, but people still like getting
cards in the mail, and the right ecard can be a nice surprise in a remote
worker’s inbox. You don’t have to send them a strictly corporate message –
ecard technology is far advanced these days, with sites like jibjab.com
allowing you to send media-rich cards with personalization elements.
3. Nominate remote workers for awards.
Nominating colleagues for awards who work remotely builds
their confidence and ensures them that they are crucial and a valued part of
the team. Be sure you are nominating them as regularly as co-located employees,
or even create a special award initiative for remote workers.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240962
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