Managing Employees Working from Home & How to Prevent Isolation
March 24, 2023
Loneliness is one of the biggest challenges for remote workers and can lead to poor outcomes for employees’ physical and mental health and productivity. As we have discussed in previous articles, there is a risk when working at a distance from a physical office as well as burnout, this may result in disconnection between the employees and the company’s business goals. The majority of social interactions for adults occur at the workplace, which is why maintaining a similar environment even remotely is so important. In this article, we will focus on the best practices for managing work-from-home employees and how Talentia’s software can help facilitate the process.
6 Tips for preventing isolation with remote teams
1. Invite employees to connect, interact and engage
Discuss schedules and encourage teams to reach out to have virtual meetings or brainstorming sessions with coworkers. Many time zones intersect when it comes to mealtimes or after-work hours, which teams can use to their advantage to have a virtual coffee or meetup with co-workers.
2. Offer alternative work environment options
Striking a work-life balance is key when managing work-from-home employees. Companies who run successful remote teams offer their employees allowances for co-working spaces, coffee or restaurant vouchers. Working from home consistently and not going out regularly can quickly lead to increased rates of depression and anxiety.
3. Set expectations early and clearly
Upon hiring new remote workers, set clear expectations for:
- Office hours
- Communication systems
- Availability
- Scheduled meetings
- Important projects and deadlines
- Responding to emails or chat messages
4. Have regular check-ins with work-from-home employees
All managers should be doing their best to have regular check-ins with remote employees to make sure they are coping with both the mental and physical challenges of working from home. See what questions they may have and ask if there is anything they need, from more support to training.
5. Schedule quarterly or biannual in-person meetings
Face-to-face meetings are essential to promote team bonding. When staff members are scattered around the globe, they cannot have the usual chats in between breaks and meetings. To keep energy high and morale up, try hosting a quarterly or annual retreat in a central location where all employees can attend.
6. Invest in the right HR software
Your remote team will thrive when management has everything automated and all in one place. From payroll to personal development, our Human Resources software provides all the tools you will need to streamline the administrative as well as the strategic side of HR. All your time-consuming tasks can be automated and optimized with Talentia HR Suite.
Technology is key when building a digital workplace that can stay attractive, engaging, inclusive, and most of all respectful of individuals. With the Talentia HR Suite, your organization can become agile, HR services will be simplified, and you will have control over the operating and maintenance costs.
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