3 Tips to Help Keep Remote Employees Productive

There are several challenges that come with providing motivation for employees who all work in the same building. When you have a base of employees who work from home, it becomes a unique challenge because of the lack of face-to-face interactions. The challenge is to reduce the barrier between you and your remote employees, which will help to keep them engaged and productive. Here are a few pointers to follow to get you in the right direction.

Communicate Intentions

The first and one of the most important steps to having productive remote employees is to make sure they are a good candidate to work in a remote position. A good candidate is someone who self motivates and dedicates themselves to working a regular schedule. Someone who will also not have extensive interruptions while working from home. It is very important that you effectively communicate your intentions for the position. The prospective employee should understand that although they will be working outside of an office building, that it is still a job and they are required to do their prospective job accordingly.

Communication

Having excellent communication among your employees is the key to a successful remote business. Emails are ideal for sending projects and inquiring about deadlines, but the emails should be effective and clearly defined. Email etiquette is vital to happy employees, so keep the emails short and to the point. Schedule regular telephone meetings to discuss the upcoming week. This will give you an opportunity to hear the tone of their voice. It is also an excellent way to make sure their clearly understand the assignment. Regularly scheduled face-to-face meetings are important in letting the employees know that you are human and you are available for in person meetings.

Work From Home: Productivity

One of the most difficult things about remote employment is staying productive. Employees who work from home often find it challenging to separate their home life from work. Encourage remote employees to meet productivity goals by offering incentives and setting deadlines. Employers in an office environment often hold contests and offer unique incentives for in-house employees, using the same concept for remote employees will give them encouragement and get them excited about going beyond the minimal expectations.

Another difficult thing for remote employers to remember is that even remote employees need time off. It is very important to offer your remote employees vacation time and sick days. This will give them something to look forward. It is common for remote employees to work many more hours each day than one who goes to work outside of the home. Remote employees are notorious for working 12 hour days, 7 days a week, making burn-out a serious problem with productivity. By offering vacation and personal days off, it allows them to feel as though what they do is appreciated. This will help to boost excitement about productivity.