How to Reward and Keep Remote Workers More Motivated? 7 Tips

Working remotely has become quite common these days. The ongoing pandemic shifted the work culture, and it is no longer that common to wake up early and get to the office.

No, remote jobs are taking over, and the current trends indicate that this type of work is here to stay. There are already plenty of examples of how a company lost its employees because they were being forced to return to the office.

Of course, remote work comes with a set of challenges. And a company might outsource certain tasks to employees overseas, meaning that even if they wanted to, they would be unlikely to visit the office and work in-house.

Challenges introduce motivation issues, and it is not that easy to keep every employee happy. Below, you will find 7 tips that ought to be useful if a company is struggling to keep its remote employees motivated and engaged.

Give Employees Perks

Company swag is a good place to start. For example, print on demand t shirts with a company’s logo is a good way to remind employees who they are working for and why they should put effort into their tasks.

Other than company products, different kinds of gifts also work as a means of encouragement. Discounts or straight-up memberships for gyms, sports events, and other types of entertainment are perks that most employees would appreciate.

So long as a company’s investment in such perks to motivate employees returns value, it is a solid strategy to incorporate.

Offer Flexibility

Flexibility is another big one. In the future, you might have some employees who wish to return to the office and work there instead of at home. A few days a week or so should not be too difficult to arrange.

In fact, a company might even consider encouraging a mixed schedule. Those who still wish to be in the office should have it as an option.

Provide Learning Opportunities

Employees who are stuck in the same position might start to doubt their abilities because they cannot advance their careers.

Sure, promoting everyone is more or less impossible, but it does not mean that these employees have to stagnate.

Learning opportunities should be a company-wide policy. Regardless of the department, employees need to have access to tools or sources that they can improve from. If they see that the company is interested enough to provide the means, such a gesture would be greatly appreciated.

Not only does training improve employee value and how they see themselves, but it also builds loyalty, which is another benefit for the company.

Offer Support and Supervision

Support and supervision are not that easy to provide when you cannot interact with an employee in person.

Nevertheless, it is still necessary to keep in touch with them and ask how things are and if they need anything.

The sense of abandonment or general disinterest from employers leaves workers with negative thoughts, and that leads to a lack of motivation or decisions to leave the workplace and find a job elsewhere.

Recognize Their Efforts

If an employee does a good job, it should be noted and appreciated even if you cannot congratulate them in person while talking to the rest of the office.

Companies that operate remotely often use communication platforms, such as Slack. A supervisor could tag everyone in the #general channel and announce that X or Y did a fantastic job on the most recent project and such.

Adding an extra perk, such as a bonus to their salary for that month, in addition to publicly recognizing them, is bound to keep an employee feeling appreciated, which translates to more motivation for the future.

Ask for Feedback

Asking for feedback is necessary for a number of reasons. First of all, remote employees might have their own ideas of how to improve the work, but they are uncertain whether to tell someone about it. A push from one of the supervisors could be the difference-maker.

For example, there might be issues with tracking the time of everyone who is not at the office, and some employees might be dishonest about the actual effort they put into their work.

And what about those who struggle to finish everything on time? Perhaps there are some tips coworkers can share and help? Communication, especially in the form of feedback, should be encouraged a lot.

Another reason behind feedback is the fact that it shows how the company values employees. Asking for their opinion that offers input and actually leads to changes indicates that the employee is a valuable asset to the company.

Keep Them in the Know

The last bit of advice is pretty straightforward. Do not leave employees in the dark when it comes to work and company-related matters.

Send memos or even weekly newsletters/roundups. Emails or direct messages on the communication platform that a company uses are fine so long as employees get the information and do not feel like they are being left out.