How to show appreciation to your remote employees

It is no lie that remote work has undoubtedly picked up in the last past two years. Homes have been filled with work-from-home spaces, zoom calls have become the new norm, and hearing "you are on mute" is almost second nature for some of us now.

Working in an HR, manager, or supervisor role, it is our duty to make sure that even our remote teams feel connected!

Try out these tips to make your remote employees feel connected!?

1.An Incentive Program?Depending on your company and your role working in an office, it is probably pretty normal to have a staff pitch in or even a holiday party catered! Remote work has shown many perks, but unfortunately, we have the disconnect of not being together physically for things like a holiday party, a super bowl get-together, or the Friday "grill out."

Try sending your remote workers an e-gift card to get lunch or for whatever they wish to spend it on. This could be a fun surprise and make your remote employees feel appreciated!

2."Great Job" Wall

It is no secret that people like to be recognized for their hard work occasionally. So try out a virtual "Great Job" wall! This could be an email chain or even a channel on Teams.

A good standard to set is for all employees to feel comfortable encouraging one another! This should not just have to be something that someone in an HR or supervisor role has to do; empower your employees to appreciate everyone's hard work! You may be surprised how much impact it can have on your team.

3.PERKS?

Gym membership, phone allowance, additional summer days off…. Employees love the perks, remote or not.

Over-communication is vital when working remotely. In an HR Role, we should not assume that everyone on our team remembers every perk and the details. Reminding your staff in a quarterly meeting what the perks of the quarter are would be a great way to keep everyone on track and excited about the company's perks and benefits.

4.Coffee Chat / Cocktail Hour?

Scheduling "Coffee Chat" or a Friday "Cocktail Hour" every other week is a great way to engage your employees! Make rules that no one can discuss work and pick a fun topic.

I personally find it much more enjoyable to work with my virtual colleagues when I know more about them as "people," not just as coworkers.

5.Interactive Challenges?

It's no lie that lots of people strive for competition! So try out a virtual challenge everyone on the team can participate in.

For example, our team has done a fitness challenge in the past. Find a way to track everyone's progress for others to see. This is a fun way to stay engaged and even work on your health as a team!

6.Shout Out!?

Talk to your marketing department and see if they can implement some personal touches of your team on your company's social media channels.

You could give Sally a shout-out for her promotion or congratulate John for his 15 years of service with the company. Like I said before, people like to be recognized and feel like they bring value.

7.Just checking in?

Never forget that just saying "Thank you" or asking, "How is your day going?"?goes a long way. If you are only reaching out to your employees when you need something or at an annual review, that comes off as very impersonal and might rub some of your employees the wrong way.

Just because you are not in a cubicle next to them doesn't mean you can't ask about their weekend plans or how their kids are doing!

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Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you out when connecting with your virtual employees. For more tips, check out our?Employer Resource Library ?and our?Career Success Library.

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