Any good manager knows that they need to show appreciation for their employees, but thanks to Covid-19, the workplace has changed drastically. With a lot of people still working remotely, many managers have been left wondering how they can show their appreciation for remote workers, to keep them engaged and feeling valued.
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Experts like Jordan Goldenberg often talk about the importance of employee benefits, but what would someone working remotely appreciate?
Time
While we’ve had nowhere to go, many of us have been guilty of not using our vacation allowance. Not taking time off is a fast way to get stressed and burned out. If you notice that your team hasn’t had a day off in a while, make sure that they do take the time off that they need. Make sure you make it clear that vacation allowances still stand and that you want them to take care of themselves. See what you can to free up time in their calendar, whether it’s a day a week with no meetings, or ditching those meetings everyone knows could have been an email.
Gift Cards
Do you normally take your team out for lunch or drinks to thank them after a tough project? If you can’t do that at the moment, you can give them a virtual way to enjoy this. Send them a gift card for lunch, breakfast, or coffee. You could order takeout for everyone and eat together on Zoom to recreate your team lunches.
Consider The Family
A lot of remote workers are struggling to balance work and family life, especially if they’re trying to keep children focused on homeschooling as well as juggling their own work. Show your appreciation by taking the family into account. You could offer flexible hours, so your team can step away from their screens during school hours, or just to have lunch with their kids. If you’re sending gifts, send something for all the family, like small toys, or kid-friendly snacks. Make sure you’re being understanding about the challenges of family life when everyone is at home.
Say Thank You
Sometimes, just saying thank you can go a long way. Gifts and benefits are nice, but the simplest way to make someone feel valued is to just tell them. The last year has been tough for everyone, but sometimes, sending everyone an email to say thank you for their hard work in the face of a strange year and a difficult work situation can go a long way to let them know you know it’s been tough.
If you’ve singled someone out in particular who deserves some extra credit, you could send public thank yous so everyone can see. This makes people feel special and can motivate others to work harder to get a thank you of their own.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure your team knows that you value their work and their input. Listen to them, thank them, make allowances for family life, and keep staff happy.
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