Aside from all of the benefits of having remote employees there is one problem that consistently comes up as an employer… How to make remote employees feel connected to your organization.
In this article I would share some proven tips that you can implement right away to help your employees feel like they are a valuable part of your organization. With these tips they will take ownership and desire to grow your business as if it were their own.
Provide Structures and Processes That Everyone Follows
While it may not seem like a fun or sexy thing, if you remember what it was like when you first started a brand-new job, the feeling of being lost is one of the worst feelings a new or existing employee can have. Standard operating procedures SOP's, while boring, can have a profound effect on your organization as a whole. This is especially true for remote employees.
SOP's give an employee a framework of how you and the rest of the organization gets things done. It helps to instill a culture without you having to personally instill it every day. A good step-by-step SOP allows a remote employee to confidently do the tasks that he or she is assigned to do. It keeps them from feeling the need to constantly ask questions which can lead to them feeling like they are doing a poor job.
Another benefit of having fantastic SOP's is that it gives you the space to lead as the business owner or manager. Without having to be dragged into the day-to-day operations of the business you are able to step back and see who needs help and who is thriving.
SOP's are the cornerstone of how to make remote employees feel connected to your organization.
Weekly Call in Meetings
While nobody likes meetings, once you have good SOP's in place weekly meetings can be a godsend to a remote employee. As they are doing their day-to-day tasks throughout the week often several questions will come up and because of the SOP's that are in place usually these questions are of a much higher value than normal.
For example, say your customer service reps are starting to get new types of questions that are trending. Because they already have the answers to common questions already within their standard operating procedure or employee handbook, they can bring just those questions to the weekly meeting. When they bring these question the organization as a whole can decide on how to move forward with these new trends.
Send Bonuses and Gifts
Is the last tip that I'm going to leave you with… Because remote employees don't get much in the way of social interaction with their peers it's very important you recognize them their efforts on a regular basis. Even a simple email of appreciation goes a long way. Yes… They are able to generally chat with each other using Skype or Slack but it is far less impactful than having somebody in person giving you interaction.
Sending electronic gift cards or setting up some kind of bonus structure for a remote employee can help them to determine whether or not they are doing a good job. Obviously the more bonuses that they get the better they are doing. You don't have to go crazy, but by making some kind of structure that allows a remote employee to determine whether or not they are helping the organization. If you want to know how to make remote employees feel connected to your organization, this one thing can make a big difference.
Conclusion
Here's the deal… When it comes down to it two things are important to a remote employee if you want to make them feel a part of your organization.
The first is that you provide structure for them so that they know how to do their job effectively and predictably. The second is that you recognize the work that they are doing. I know it sounds simple, but it works.
This is why all of our virtual assistants specialize in documenting SOP's for you based off of videos and audios that you make. It helps you because it takes all of the work offer your hands and it helps them because it provides an immense amount of structure. This gives you the space to show your virtual assistant just how much you appreciate them.
If you are looking for a remote employee who specializes in creating SOP's from five minute videos or audios that you create that you can then use for all of your staff then schedule your free consulting call at www.prosulum.com.
Provide structure and provide appreciation… That's how to make remote employees feel connected.