Improving the Relationship with Remote Workers

Written by Tom Clegg on .

The development of technology and modern communication means that businesses have more opportunity to expand their talent pool by including remote workers to their team. These workers could be across the country, yet technology allows real-time communication with them. For employers who are uncertain about how to go about integrating remote workers- follow this advice:

Regular Meetings: 

Depending on the workload, you could schedule weekly meetings with the entire team- including remote team members. This can be really helpful for the entire team to go over what was done, just in case somebody has missed something. 

It will also encourage communication within the team, as every team member will get an opportunity to present individual achievements, exchange ideas, and learn a bit more about each other’s skills and knowledge. 

In order for this to be efficient, they should be obligatory and done through a video call. Avoiding text-only communication here will ensure there are no misunderstandings. The only challenge is to find the perfect time for these meetings, especially if you have multiple remote workers who are not in the same time zone. Read more about why communication in the workplace is so important. 

Learn more about them

So that they can feel a real sense of belonging in the company, remote workers need to feel comfortable with the ideas behind the brand, and who they are working with. The more they know, the more productive they will be.

You should provide them with as much information as possible to integrate them into the team, whilst also learning more about them. You should take note of things they express interest in, or show skill in. This will make them feel part of the team, and show that you care. 

Accomplishments

With this being said, it is also important to acknowledge the accomplishments of remote workers. They may have difficulty understanding the value of their work in the company’s grand scheme of things. This is why praising them during regular meetings is crucial for their self-esteem and their feeling of acceptance.

Feedback

Another way to improve the relationship with remove workers is to ask for their feedback regularly. It is important to not only know how they feel the project is going but also about their coworkers and collaboration. 

You should encourage everyone to speak their mind about whether they think they are treated fairly and listen to any suggestions they might have. This will not only help them feel more included and valued but it could provide you with insight. 

Meet in Person

Although meetings and feedback through video calls are really important to making remote workers feel included in the team and strengthening team bonds, meeting in person can do this even more. 

Encourage team-building exercises where the entire team is invited so that they can spend quality time getting to know each other outside of work and participating in activities which will make them collaborate in person. And after work, you can spend some time socialising in a relaxed manner and you can have the remote member you are visiting show you around.

Read our blog to gain more understanding about how you can improve your team and build a more positive working environment.