Working from home is commonly considered a luxurious dream job. While some nuisances like avoiding commute is a genuine perk, maintaining productivity can become an unexpected challenge for those who aren’t used to working remotely. For employers managing their business during the Coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to help employees stay productive when transitioning from a public workspace to their home settings.
Fortunately, there are convenient solutions to keep your employees motivated and efficient. From providing emotional support to establishing a stable routine, this guideline provides insightful tips for you to help your employees stay productive while they work from home.
Equip Productivity Tools
As employees shift to working from home, the program systems they formerly utilized will either change, or they will have to start over. Equipping employees with productivity tools will help them get back in the zone with as little hassle as possible. Productivity tools assist employees with stress management and help them remain positive and focused. In the digital age, there is no limit to the number of products and apps that can be utilized in a corporate setting or at home.
Along with apps for arranging schedules, deliberating tasks, and communicating easily with colleagues, there are also tools specifically designed to keep you organized and improve common bad habits. Providing your employees with these resources is as simple as sending them an app or website link.
Provide Emotional Support
The pandemic quarantine is a source of stress as employees are currently attempting to work in a unique world where the future feels unsure. As most countries around the world practice social distancing, team members might feel isolated and uninspired even from the comfort of their homes. Providing emotional support helps employees feel less alone.
Checking in with staff via phone calls or video chats offers an opportunity to connect socially while remaining physically distant. Instead of focusing purely on work-related tasks, ask employees how they are feeling about other areas in their lives, and taking care of themselves.
Invite conversations with employees to discuss their struggles and making adjustments with this new temporary form of working. Casual conversations can replace the upbeat run-ins that would normally exist in office settings. As life moves forward, emotional support will go a long way in helping employees know that they are not alone.
Create Virtual Team-Building Events
It’s one thing for employees to establish camaraderie when they are in the same building for 30 or more hours a week. But it’s a whole other challenge to make sure everyone is on the same page when they are working in their individual environments.
Virtual team-building events are an ideal opportunity for employees to develop communication skills, strengthen trust, and connect on a personal level. According to Remote.Co, “87% of remote workers feel more connected through the use of video conferencing.”
Launching a virtual team-building event is a great way to have fun with employees and stay connected while staying distant during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Fun games range from remote workplace bingo, pop culture trivia, traditional games like Settlers of Catan, icebreaker email chains, or even having a virtual happy hour.
With businesses, museums, and tourist attractions closed due to social-distancing, many sites are currently offering virtual tours. Virtual classes for groups are also becoming more popular during this time and are great for virtual team building events.
The sky is the limit for what a virtual-team building event can be. If one is scheduled once a week or a month, it can boost morale and give employees something to look forward to. There are limitless options available to cultivate motivating company culture with exciting activities and fun social opportunities.
Encourage Self-Care
Sometimes it’s not possible to wake up in the morning and stop doubts or fears from settling in. With more free time devoted to obligations at home and work, your employees’ overall well-being remains a priority.
Instead of letting employees feel like they are a cog in a big machine, encourage them to take timely breaks that help them feel refreshed and in control. If you want to take it a step further, you can even provide tools that help to destress and recalibrate your employees. This can help keep them motivated throughout the day while working at home. Foster employee self-care by:
- Offering fitness apps or virtual home workout websites where employees can participate in a short yoga class or simple stretches. Thousands of YouTube channels led by physical fitness experts are also a suitable replacement from a closed gym.
- Providing employees access to wellness apps like Headspace. Meditation decreases anxiety, improves concentration, and increases mindfulness. Investing in a wellness app for employees can be beneficial for business owners to increase productivity when working from home.
- Encouraging employees to take walks around their neighbourhood (if this is still permissible in their area) or have a backyard/balcony break to enjoy a dose of fresh air while practicing social distancing. Going outside, even just for a short amount of time, can reset fatigue and refresh one’s mindset.
Develop a Daily Routine
While all employers should affirm the importance of deadlines and completing projects, day-to-day and even hourly schedules might alter drastically between employees. One team members’ habits for working at home might not be that same as somebody else’s. What an employer can do is encourage employees to develop a daily routine that facilitates them to put in their best effort.
When the rest of the world feels like it’s out of control, routines in the morning instil stability. Simple activities such as relishing a cup of coffee, making the bed, and getting dressed in a comfortable outfit can create a structured yet simple routine before beginning work.
Starting the day on the right foot can denote the difference between striding over the finishing line with completed projects or spending the day running on empty. Additionally, it also prevents employees from playing catch-up with yesterday’s to-do list, which will eventually become exasperated with even more personal and professional priorities as time goes on.
A business is only as strong as the backbone of its employees. With efficiency as one of the most vital components a business needs to succeed, addressing your employees needs should always be top of mind, especially during a critical transition. By offering tools and modes of support during this time, you can help employees stay productive and motivated while working from home.
Learn how Elite Digital is helping out employees while they practice social distancing at home!
