Remote Workspace Perks That Engage & Motivate the Whole Team

How to Keep Your PC Safe When Working Remotely ..

At the beginning of the pandemic when most employees began working from home full-time, the prospect of working from home was new, exciting, and breathed fresh air into the lungs of many. However, it has been quite some time since our society first made this professional shift. At this point, many employees have been working from home for well over a year. Working remotely has become the norm for the time being.

The longer this trend has continued, the more worn out people have become by spending the majority of their time within the confines of their personal space. No longer does their work life take place in a public setting and without that element of life, work in general can become very defeating or demoralizing for some. Jim Fish, the CEO of Waste Management Inc summed this up, ““Most of us are not hermits…We need that social interaction, not only from a business standpoint but truly from a kind of personal-development standpoint.”

Seeing as the working from home seems to be what is in store for our society over the coming months, it is important to rally your team out of their gloom. One of the more effective ways of doing so is by offering or highlighting remote workspace perks that engage and motivate the whole team.

Wellness plans

Jim Marggraff, the CEO of Kinoo, a company offering a video chat platform specifically designed for children and their grandparents, believes that stress induced from work has the ability to be solved within a similar environment.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re working, work will bring stress into your life. Working from home does provide somewhat of a barrier from some elements of this as you’re in one of your most comfortable places but there are also unique issues. When working in an office space, it’s a whole lot easier mentally to leave your work behind and not take it home with you. This isn’t an option when your living space is your office space. This is why companies should be offering wellness plans to aid their employees in any struggles they’re having with mental health or work balance.”

Highlight location freedom

Draft.dev specializes in technical marketing content for software startups. Their CEO, Karl Hughes, suggests making a point to employees that remote work can mean much more than staying in the home office all the time.

“Remote managers are not spending their time analyzing the environments that his or her team members are working in. The remote setting of our jobs has prompted a mindset of: as long as the work is getting done, it doesn’t matter where it’s getting done. Make sure that your employees are well aware of this. An afternoon spent at a park or even a week away from home can do wonders for the productivity and satisfaction levels of anyone who takes advantage of this perk.”

High-quality tech support

IT solutions have been a staple area of need for every company for years now. But, the shift in the work environment calls for a shift in IT solutions. Y Meadows is a business providing artificial intelligence customer service options. Their marketing director, Brandon Lurie, considers this approach sensible.

“The world of modern business has become completely reliant on the internet, computers, and other related technology because of the immense benefits they provide. These benefits are what make our remote work possible in the first place. Though, if your employees either don’t have the necessary technology or are struggling to use it properly, that remote work can quickly become a headache for both employee and employer. Take the time to cover your bases here and have IT support specifically for remote employees ready to lend a hand at a moment’s notice.”

Office essentials

Daniel Sathyanesan is the CEO and founder of Winden, a brand offering banking options for a variety of uses. He advises others to ensure that every employee has access to all they would need and use regularly within the traditional office.

“At the end of the day, it is highly unrealistic to expect every employee’s home to be fitted with business class internet or a high-end web camera. While you probably don’t have the budget to make this a reality for everyone, you should absolutely put forward enough for every employee to have the items they need to be successful. Ask your employee what items they’re missing or need in order to be more efficient in their work and try to remember anything in the old office that made things easier for people. There’s no better boost to team productivity than the ability to do a job competently.”

Appreciation

Looria specializes in information and research related to products for sale online. Their co-founder, Tavis Lochhead, believes clearly recognizing the efforts of employees is a wise way to go.

“Working remotely or not, every team out there should be filled with instances of employees or bosses encouraging and praising the work that is being done around them. That being said, I do believe that this practice is more important in a remote setting. Isolation truly is the nature of remote work especially in comparison to a quintessential cubicle office where people are surrounded by others constantly. If you’re able to tap into more of a team based view and approach by visibly appreciating what your employees are doing for their team, they’re likely to respond positively.”

Free time

Working remotely has not caused a drastic change in the order and organization of business. But, it does allow much more freedom for employees. Arka is a business providing customizable product packaging made from sustainable materials. Their CEO, Phillip Akhzar, proposes leaning into this.

“The days of a boss patrolling the working floor to double check that everyone is staying on task may be on pause. That doesn’t mean that work stops entirely though. I’m sure anyone who has made the transition to remote work has not seen that much of a shift in their responsibilities themselves even if the methods of accomplishing them may be slightly different. Without having to report and be productive from nine to five, employees have been shown to complete work at very different hours depending on when they’re most productive. I think this is worth highlighting to your employees. Obviously, it’s not a work-when-you-feel situation but it can really motivate people.”

Homecare assistance

Cesar Cruz is the co-founder of Sebastian Cruz Couture, a brand offering bold luxury fashion designs. He advises others to investigate options for employees to receive help with their homecare.

“With your employees doing their jobs from home, they’re spending much more time in a place they might not otherwise have been working in a regular office. This style of living can make the personal spaces dirtier far quicker as there is much more traffic. I’ve found that one of the best things you can do for your employees is to give them options to make these problems far easier to deal with. If employees don’t need to dedicate time to laundry or other cleaning, they’ll have more focus and energy for the work items on their plate.”

Subscriptions

RoseSkinCo. specializes in electronic products aimed at beauty care. Their director of communications, Gia Maria Jurosky, considers providing access to subscription services to be a wonderful inspiration to any employee.

“If you’ve ever been in a workplace that you truly loved, I’d venture to guess that it was because of the people around you. The coworkers who you enjoyed probably made the day go by quicker and with less stress. Coworkers can make or break a job and when they aren’t physically present, connecting with them can be a difficult endeavor. There may not be  a way to break this ice but if you notice your employees spending too much time in work or simply not taking a step away mentally, it may prove helpful to give them a streaming or small food subscription as a way of getting that relief they may have experienced in a workplace.”

Keeping the wheels of a remote based team is not a walk in the park. Between the people at hand and the different types of hurdles that present themselves within the remote work space, it may be difficult to keep everyone engaged. However, there’s good reason to pursue this as put by Suresh Kumar, the CTO of Walmart, “As we’ve moved to virtual work, we haven’t just coped, we’ve actually thrived. We are more focused on the things that have the greatest impact for our customers, associates and the business. We are making quicker decisions and acting. Meetings are now more inclusive of people regardless of location, level or other differences. We have great momentum and need to figure out how to carry it forward.”

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