How to Help Virtual Workers Cope with being Separate

Who wouldn’t want to have flexibility in their work day? There are many advantages to working from home. For starters, less time spent traveling on the road. Most people desire the perceived freedom that comes with working from home: scheduling their own time, in casual dress with their pets close by.

However, being kept separate from teammates, managers and the conversation at headquarters can take a toll. Employees who work virtually are often unhappy and “on the outside” of their companies in more ways than one. In turn, engagement and productivity are at risk.

So what should people who manage virtual workers do?

According to an Interact Harris Survey,** more than two-thirds of American employees who work virtually agree that management needs to communicate better in order to keep them engaged. And 53% of U.S. virtual workers indicate they have to work twice as hard as those in the office to make connections within their organization.

Perhaps, most alarmingly, 55% of virtual workers say their boss communicates with them almost exclusively by email. This ups the probability that people will miscommunicate inadvertently. It will also cause people who depend too heavily on email to feel more isolated.

Stay close to employees

In order to keep team members engaged and ensure productivity and growth, leaders who aim to have a personal, authentic voice that initiates change and inspiration must find ways to stay close to employees. This principle applies no matter how spread out or what size the organization is that they lead. Here are six ways to do that:

Six ways to inspire virtual workers

Be Intentional 

Blur the lines between technology and personal communication. For starters, you can create a strategy for a conversational, relationship-based approach to culture that builds a sense of connection. This will increase the value you put on human-to-human communication.

Humanize Office Communications

Avoid sending out over-vetted, impersonal documents that feel more institutional than human. Instead, speak with simplicity and clarity. Tell personal stories. Invite feedback, listen, and respond.

Build Genuine, Personal Connections 

Managers should call virtual employees on a monthly basis and see if they have what they need to be their best. Going further, send a daily thought to employees. Additionally, you can post regular video messages on the intranet.

Think Small 

Pare down the number of people on project teams to allow for intimacy and trust. Furthermore, what virtual workers often lack is the satisfaction of what it means to be a part of a trusting team of people connected by purpose. In order to increase connection, bring a virtual team together twice a year to reconnect face-to-face. Use this time to decide how the team wants to work and communicate with one another.

Discourage an Email-Only Culture 

Employees are wasting hours managing email that does nothing to build connections much less trust. Consider “No Email Fridays” and “No Email Weekends” for virtual teams. For instance, use Skype and encourage members to pick up the phone for real conversations. It’s important for teams to see each other on videoconference regularly. The standard-issue, audio-only conference call is unsatisfying and draining. We are not influenced and don’t feel engaged by disembodied mediums that allow us to multitask.

Be Inclusive

The farther employees are from the home office, the less prioritized they feel. Take this into consideration. For example, pay attention to different time zones and offer different meeting times. In addition, recognize the great work being done by virtual employees to the entire organization. It’s time to take a thoughtful inventory of virtual workforces to avoid paying the human and financial cost of separateness.

Reference:

• http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics
• http://interactstudio.com/articles/research/lack-of-communication-leaving-virtual-workers-feeling-disconnected/