Seven Surefire Tips To Appreciate Remote Workers
Remote work has been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic. With companies across all industries adapting to this new trend, telecommunication is no longer treated as a special condition. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2025, 70% of the workforce will be working remotely.
Many people have found it more convenient to work remotely as compared to working from a regular office space due to flexibility and added convenience it offers
However, remote workers also have to deal with some challenges like:
- Burnout
- Stress
- Isolation
- Taking care of kids
- Procrastination
- Diminished work-life balance
- Collaborating with remote team members
- Domestic chores
The list goes on!
With many challenges on their plates, remote workers won’t be as positive nor productive as before. So, what can be done to keep their spirits up as they work?
This post will provide an answer! (Actually, seven answers!)
In this post, we’ll show you 7 effective ways to show your remote workers appreciation for their time and work. If you’d like your remote workers to be happy in their work, then use some or all of these ideas that we’re about to explore.
Let’s jump right in!
- Treat Them To A Long Weekend
First, believe it or not, remote workers need breaks every once in a while. If your company isn’t giving your remote workers vacations, then now is the time to do so.
“Like regular employees, remote workers would love to have a break from their jobs every so often,” says Jack Bryan, a business writer at Essay Roo and State of writing. “According to a 2018 survey done by the American Psychological Association, vacations can do wonders for remote workers, reducing stress while increasing positivity.”
The APA’s findings with remote workers and vacations go as follows:
- 68% of those surveyed claimed that their mood is more positive after taking a vacation from their remote work.
- 66% surveyed claimed to have more energy when returning from vacationing.
- 57% reported more motivation, and less stress. AND,
- 58% reported more productivity post-vacation, while 55% suggested better work quality.
“Rewarding your remote workers with a long weekend can be refreshing for them,” adds Bryan. “Even the occasional Friday off can be a godsend for those who juggle work with, say, childcare, caring for elders, and so on. By offering vacations to your remote staff, you’ll break the monotony of working from home, and give them a good change of scenery and blow off steam before they take on the next workweek.”
2. Provide Them With Helpful Equipment
Sometimes, remote workers will need certain pieces of equipment (PC, laptop, headphones, internet connection,) to do their work. Keep in mind: While some remote workers already have work equipment on hand, others aren’t so lucky. Therefore, make it part of your remote work policy to ask workers if there is anything that they need to do their work.
Offer subscriptions to Internet services for those who either live in a rural area, or can’t afford such services. Or, you can send them company-owned devices like computers or phones, in case they can’t afford new equipment at the moment.
Though, equipment you can offer doesn’t just have to be the Internet and devices. In fact, some remote workers will appreciate a good-working desk and computer chair. Whatever makes them feel physically comfortable while they work, offer it to them.
Ultimately, remote workers will tell you what they’ll need, if you check in with them. Therefore, when chatting with your remote staff, be sure to do the following:
- Casually ask your remote workers if there’s anything that they need (i.e. equipment, Internet access, etc.).
- Create a list of things that your workers have requested.
- Deliver on your promises to give them what they need.
By providing them with the essentials, you’ll be surprised to see how all of this can relieve the stresses of having to fully invest in their remote jobs.
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3. Contact And Engage With Them Regularly
Sometimes, remote workers need social interaction as a valid reason to keep working. That’s why it’s important to catch up with your remote workers, whether on an individual basis or in a group video call.
According to Microsoft, video calls are beneficial, especially in the case of remote work, in the following ways:
- Better communication
- Better relationships
- Saves time and money
- Efficient for productivity and collaborations
- More effective meetings
- Allows things to stay consistent, AND
- Let’s you stream live events
So, why not schedule a time during the week to chat with your remote staff? Whether you discuss recent movies and shows, brainstorm ideas on how to improve remote work, or share stories is up to you. The idea behind this is to engage with your remote staff regularly, so that they don’t feel isolated and forgotten in their work.
4. Send Care Packages
Whoever said that care packages were just for in-house employees?
“Nowadays, companies are offering care packages for not just their in-house staff, but also those who are working from home,” says Madison Yuille, a recruiter at Paper Fellows and Lia Help. “Care packages can be anything that you and the company can put together, including company swag, coffee mugs, gift cards or certificates, and so on.
Now, if you’re not sure what to put in the care packages, then look to resources like Snappy, which lets you have your employees — in-house and remote — pick and choose their reward when they receive a personalized email from you.” As an admin on your Snappy dashboard, you can send one-time gifts, or have long-term campaigns automated, so that you can recognize your remote staff and personalize your appreciation of them.”
5. Offer Food Delivery Discounts
Nowadays, people are ordering food and groceries from home. With this noticeable rise in online shopping, perhaps you and your company can help out in your remote workers’ food and groceries expenses? How? By offering employee discounts on select foods and or services.
Cooking meals every night can be tiring, especially for remote workers who are parents raising young children all day every day. Plus, eating out can be challenging both physically and financially, especially when many remote workers might be trying to make ends meet, and or can’t leave the house because of work. Luckily, apps like Grubhub and Doordash make it easy for people to join their premium rewards system, and save money on food deliveries. With great deals and promos all the time, it’s a win-win for both you and your remote staff.
6. Personalized Recognition
Like regular employees, remote workers would like to be recognized for their hard work. So, why not recognize them in a special way?
Personalized recognition lets you focus on remote workers on an individual basis. To do this, you can send a personalized email, detailing their accomplishments and initiatives to make the company better. Another way is to set up a one-on-one with individual remote workers, and spend time with them by making small talk, and showing how appreciative you are with their work.
Whether you make this personal recognition public or private is up to you. You can also implement rewards in your personalized recognitions to remote workers, including:
- Gift cards
- Company swag
- A special luncheon, etc.
By making recognition personal to your remote staff, you’re building a better and long-lasting relationship with them. Thus, you’ll further establish positivity in your workforce’s work-life balance.
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7. Offer Online Learning And Courses
The job market is growing and evolving every year. Nowadays, many industries are in high demand with only a few employees to fill them. While remote work can be a stepping stone for those wanting to get into a certain industry, this work format is only scratching at the surface of it.
Luckily, there are online resources like Coursera that can help people, including remote workers, learn new skills and, possibly, enter a new career. Normally, online learning can be done whenever remote employees see fit. For example, if a remote employee is working during the day, then they can attend online classes at night. Or, if they don’t have any work during the weekends, then they can spend that weekend studying.
In short, remote workers can benefit from online learning and courses so that they can learn a new skill, and potentially enter another career. Therefore, make it your job to offer online learning by giving them vouchers for paid online courses.
BONUS: LinkedIn Recommendations
Finally, LinkedIn is one of the most sought-after resources for employment and recruitment. Therefore, remote employee appreciation should extend to social ideas, especially on LinkedIn. So, why not take a few minutes to recommend remote workers to other employers? In fact, you don’t even have to wait to ask if your workers want recommendations.
Say you have a remote employee trying to find work elsewhere. Offer your assistance by writing a letter of recommendation for them. The good news is, you can also recommend your remote workers if you follow them on LinkedIn.
Here’s how it works:
- Be sure you and your remote workers follow each other on LinkedIn.
- Visit your remote employee’s profile page on LinkedIn.
- Click on the “More” button under their name and occupation (just right from the “Message” button.
- In the drop menu, you’ll see the options “Request a Recommendation” and “Recommend.” In your case, you’ll be recommending employees; so, select “Recommend.”
By recommending remote employees via LinkedIn, you’ll be doing them a favor, and getting them recognized more in their job search.
Conclusion
Remote workers have become the backbone of the workforce, following the COVID-19 pandemic, and have now become commonplace in today’s job market. With that in mind, employee appreciation should extend to remote workers, so that they’re included and thanked for their contributions. If you haven’t shown appreciation for these hardworking souls already, now is the time to do so.
Be sure to keep these 7 tips in mind, when showing appreciation for your remote workforce. By implementing some or all of these ideas, not only will you encourage a positive remote workplace culture, but your remote workers will also thank you for it!
Author Bio:
Elizabeth Hines is a writer and editor at Assignment help and Academized. She is also a contributing writer and Dissertation writing. As a content writer, she writes articles about latest tech and marketing trends, innovations, and strategies.
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