6 Ways to Stay Connected with Your Remote Team

For many of us, human interaction is sprinkled throughout our daily lives in the workplace. In a time of social distancing, it's important for business leaders to find new ways to socialize and introduce some normalcy back into the day. Dedicating time to come up with ideas that allow your employees to maintain connection shows your company genuinely cares about staying in touch. Keeping your employees' spirits high and being a source of light is exactly what your employees need to effectively move through their day and embrace remote work. Promoting communication and availability throughout your organization will not only influence your employees' morale in the present but will define your brand for many years to come.

We showed you ways to build a thriving culture during uncertain times and how to create heartfelt messages of thanks, now we want to give you helpful tips for staying connected while navigating through these uncertain times together.

Lend An Ear

Encouraging your staff to listen to one another and be present during conversations can help them connect and build deeper, more meaningful relationships. The trust that is developed from proactively listening creates an inclusive environment that can help your employees feel supported and cared for. A happy employee is one who feels heard by their colleagues and leadership. The art of listening is an essential element in successful employee engagement and helps establish genuine bonds within the workplace.

Tailor Your Touchpoints

To create a productive team, it's crucial to understand what motivates each person. Try tailoring your training styles so you can relate to those who prefer autonomy as well as those who prefer to work in groups with significant guidance. Learning how to connect with your employees on an individual level can be extremely beneficial during these times.

Share Ideas Virtually

Effective communication can bind your team together during times of uncertainty. Employees working from home may really appreciate virtual forms of connection, and thanks to technology there are numerous ways to keep communication lines open. Use all the available methods to allow colleagues to share information in real time and help remote teams feel as though they are all together. Daily check-ins in group chat, conference calls, video chats; there are countless ways to stay in touch even though your employees can’t peek over the cubicle to ask a question. Empower your employees to connect and share ideas regularly to maintain the flow of communication.

Send Motivational Awards

Knowing the greatest investment your company can make is in your people, Awards Network has developed award programs and gift selections that can assist you with recognizing your employees and help your organization stay motivated to reach goals. With an award program, it’s easy to show your appreciation and maintain employee connection even though many are working from home. Help your team enjoy their extended time away from the office by sending fun rewards to brighten up their day. We pride ourselves on having a diverse selection of gifts in our catalog and update our collections all the time to ensure we have something to make everyone on your team smile.

	Homdeics Shiatsu Massaging Lounger		PureAir Plug-In Purifier
	Ellia Essential Oil Diffuser		Homedics Foot & Calf Massager
	Dyson Pure Cool Purifying Fan		Hanover Adirondack Chairs

These gifts can be sent straight to your employees no matter where they’re social distancing!

Promote A Growth Mindset

Holding yourself accountable inspires responsibility in others on your team. Clarify or simply reinforce goals and priorities that were in place and communicate any changes that need to occur for certain commitments. A company culture of accountability and productivity can stabilize the brain and maintain focus during these abnormal times. Encourage your employees to create a spreadsheet or a dedicated project management channel where team members can write their goals for the week and check them off as they’re completed. By focusing on moving the needle forward to complete tasks that bring you closer to accomplishing company-wide goals, it will keep everyone energized, confident and focused on growth.
 

Strengthen Your Relationships

Your employees probably miss their coworkers – their faces, their voices and silly jokes. The current situation is the ideal time for your company to strengthen the quality of relationships between employees. Staying in touch and communicating with your team can help them understand where to dedicate their focus and how to do their best work. Some of your employees may have a knack for patience, so encouraging them to share their abilities with others during the global pandemic could raise your entire team's spirits. Camaraderie among employees can help build a positive culture so facilitating uplifting conversations is a great way to keep spirits high!

Staying connected and recognizing your employees during times of uncertainty can be a great opportunity to create an engaged culture full of connection and understanding. Listening to your employees’ needs and making yourself available are small yet powerful steps you can take to encourage unity among your team. Awards Network is here to help your employees stay connected in ways that will become second nature. After the smoke clears, your employees will remember the way your company weathered this storm for years to come.