How to prevent feelings of isolation & alienation in team members working from home.

With the push to return to office, there is still a large amount of businesses that remain working remotely. The question is how do we keep our teams motivated and productive while individuals face isolation while working in this manner?

The post-pandemic workforce now has three methods of models of working - office-based, remote, and hybrid which consists of both office and remote working. Each method has its own pros and cons and in addition, many people are suited to thriving while working under the different models.

Despite this, the remote model can still feel isolating to staff as there is no real-time banter and ways to connect with other staff members apart from the occasional video calls and discussions relating to projects that the company is working on.

In this article, we look at ways to help staff members connect with each other, and in turn, boost team morale and collaboration that aid in the productivity of the workforce.

Emphasize communication

Remote teams rely on technology to function, and with the advancements in technology that is no problem at all. However, despite relying on technology solely, it is important for company leaders to emphasize the importance of human interaction even more. Otherwise, staff ends up feeling alienated, and unable to effectively reach out when they need to.

Importance of achieving results

Achieving goals and objectives is the bread and butter of businesses. This is how they function and acquire income to operate. This is why setting clear goals for individual team members is important. Emphasize how each person’s objectives are important to the success of the team as a whole.

Setting out KPI

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the goals required for each member. By communicating this to team members, everyone will know exactly what is expected of them. Have a meeting with your team and discuss it with them, and follow this up by providing a hard copy of the expected results, so they can measure their own progress as well. Review the KPIs every so often, so that team members will know whether they are on track.

Clear communication

Have team meetings relatively often so that members can check in provide progress updates and communicate any issues. By having a constant line of communication open, the team will be more inclined to reach out first when they face any setbacks and issues with reaching their results.

Tools that promote productivity

Finding tools that work well in tandem with your team is a trial-and-error process at first, but once you have the tools that work, curate a master list of tools that all employees should acquire once they are onboarded.

List of tools that will help the team

• Online cloud: This storage space can be used to keep documents, project trackers, and different kinds of tools. It needs to be easy for staff to access them from wherever they are based.
• Chat tools: This will provide a means to communicate with each other in real-time , without having to experience delays due to timezones and other extenuating circumstances. Be sure to also include tools that facilitate video conferencing — the face to face communication can make a world of difference.
• Project management tools: This can include tools that help staff with their day-to-day work. This can include project management software, tools to track the progress of campaigns, and CRM software.

Provision of tools

Many of these tools cost, and require company profiles to work at their best. This would mean that you need to create company profiles for the various software and tools, and then provide company-linked accounts to your staff. This way you can oversee progress and team members won’t have to pay out of pocket for software and tools.

Learning and development

Your staff comes in with the necessary skills and experience required to do their jobs sufficiently. But as time goes on, job requirements change and improvements are required. Having a learning and development structure in your company allows your team to keep abreast with industry trends and provides them with the means to provide exceptional results.

This also aids career and succession planning, which helps map out staff's future plans, and how the company's growth will be facilitated by individual growth.

Feedback and support

This goes hand-in-hand with providing clear communication to staff members. In addition to providing KPIs, you need to update teams with progress on the projects and campaigns that are being worked on. You can also give team members individual feedback on their progress and fine-tune it so that optimal results are achieved.

What to do when an employee is falling behind

In the event that a team member is not quite hitting the mark on their KPIs, you need to be able to conduct a video call with them one-on-one to discuss what is causing the disruptions. Allow them to provide reasons as to why they are struggling, and follow up by providing insight and advice to get them back on track. Work together to find actionable solutions and allow them to give options on how they can perform better moving forward. This way there is accountability and efforts being made by the staff with guidance and assistance from team leaders.

Motivating your teams

One of the best forms of motivation is to ignite some healthy competition between staff members. To do this without creating animosity, you can highlight some of the exceptional wins made by team members or have ‘employee of the month’ incentives. This will push them to go the extra mile with their work.

Emphasize work-life balance

Coined during the pandemic’s work-from-home era, a healthy work-life balance ensures that your staff are working efficiently while also prioritizing their mental health. Make sure staff take their breaks during the day, switch off when not working, and keep work life separate from home life.

Team building

Team-building activities are still very doable despite the team not physically working in the same space. There are several companies that provide team-building services for remote teams, and there are ways you can come up with your own activities to strengthen team relationships. That’s not all, try to make time for teams to hop on a call together get to know each other better in general, and have fun with each other.

Conclusion

Working remotely can be an isolating experience. When you work in an environment like this, it is important to find ways to improve collaboration between team members. Not only will it foster relationships between staff members, but it will also emphasize the importance of teamwork even if they are physically oceans apart.

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